The average workday for many employees has been drastically different since March 2020 compared to any other time in the modern era. Morning commutes have been replaced by rolling out of bed minutes before starting work. Leisurewear and couches have replaced business casual and desks. Back-to-back Zoom calls have replaced back-to-back meetings in the conference room. Slowly but surely, this has become the new normal.
Work from home productivity: the jury’s still out
Whether remote work is more productive or not has been hotly debated. On one hand, removing commuting time and providing space for quiet, concentrated work are positives. On the other hand, losing opportunities for casual, direct interactions between coworkers and risking burnout from having a less clear distinction between work and home life are negatives (especially if team members are juggling family responsibilities at home as well). Netflix Co-CEO Reed Hastings sees remote work as a “pure negative” and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella thinks that remote work is “maybe…burning some of the social capital” built up over years of working together in person. However, both companies, as well as tech heavyweights like Google, Salesforce, and Twitter, see more flexibility in working remotely in the future.
The need to connect with one another and maintain a vibrant internal culture is a key concern for many of our clients, perhaps even more so when working remotely. Not knowing when, or to what extent, we’ll be returning to the office in the future makes planning for team culture all the more confusing. The development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines ensures that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, but how and when we get there is far from certain.
Our solution to today’s culture challenges
To help our clients address their company culture concerns, we have dramatically adapted our offerings to accommodate teams of various shapes and sizes, whether in the office or not, during transition periods and periods of uncertainty. We have focused on creating safe solutions for teams in the office (boxed meals, group ordering, pantry services) and flexible solutions for remote teams (Virtual Experience programming, snack box subscriptions, Home Delivery of heat and eat meals). As companies transition back into the office, they can utilize a mix of these services to make their teams feel valued, regardless of where they’re physically located. Learn more about these offerings here.
For more than a decade, Cater2.me has worked tirelessly to help companies build strong company culture around enticing team meals. We’ve long believed that there are few better ways to get to know one another than by taking time to break bread together. As the COVID-19 pandemic took hold this past year, causing companies to send their employees home, the group meal forum was no longer a viable option, but we remain steadfastly committed to our clients and their teams, whether feeding everyone in one place, or providing a movable feast. The road ahead is uncertain, but we’re committed to helping along the way.
