Whether you own a small business or a large enterprise, you can’t deny the importance of coffee in the workplace. With lots of benefits, undoubtedly, having a barista is a smart investment. From Cappuccino to Americano, a barista can provide all sorts of coffee flavors according to the taste preference of the employees.
Why every office should have a Barista? Studies show Coffee is the number one productivity factor for employees. A barista enhances the experience of grabbing a cup of coffee and provides social cohesion for employees. A barista draws all employees to a primary location in the office and creates an unnoticed social and collaborating intentional consequence.
In addition, A barista is a pro who can make any coffee flavor according to the employee taste, resulting in more productive and alert group of employees, especially during Monday Blues.
Perhaps the most obvious reason for having a barista in the office is to encourage employees to get a caffeine hit when they feel stressed or encounter fatigue.
It’s no surprise that coffee lovers are all around. According to stats, there are 54% of Americans over 18 years of age who daily consume one cup of coffee. Undoubtedly, Barista is the favorite spot for many people and play a major role in their daily schedule. For me, it is the most important part of the workplace.
Today, with the emergence of coffee culture, having a Barista in the workplace is not just a mark of tasting coffee, but also a perfect example of a great work culture. Many businesses across the world are embracing an appreciation for great coffee by hiring baristas to their operations.
Who is a Barista?
A Barista is a coffee artist or a pro who can prepare, decorates and serves espresso coffee drinks. He/She is usually employed at specialty coffee shops as they can make different types of coffee drinks.
Roles of Barista in Workplaces
In offices or workplaces, the main role of Barista is to create the perfect coffee drink for the employees. But did you know they also have other responsibilities than just brewing the coffee?
Well, yes. A Barista is also responsible for –
- Educate customers to promote coffee consumption
- Selling coffee
- Preparing and serving hot and cold beverages like espresso, coffee, blended coffees, and teas.
- Clean eating and service areas.
- Order, stock and receive supplies and products and more.
With the growing ritual of coffee drinking, many individuals are looking for career around this beverage that seemingly seems to bring people together.
8 Reasons why every office should hire a Barista:
- Prepare individual coffee
- Increase engagement and productivity
- Increase brand loyalty
- Ease workplace stress
- Provide value to employees
- Impressing clients
- Enhance productivity
- Provide other services in addition to serving coffee
#1 – Prepare individual coffee
Every employee is different, and so are their taste buds. Some prefer light coffee and some strong. There are also some who loves to drink cold coffee and other hot. Regardless of the taste preference, an office barista makes coffee of the employees choice. Other than chit-chatting they can enjoy their favorite sip of coffee to relax their mind while working. When you visit your office barista, they will
Even when you visit them daily during a coffee break, they can prepare your desired coffee.
# 2- Increase Engagement and productivity
Certainly, a good cup of coffee makes a good business sense. It’s a time when you can sit and enjoy a short coffee break with your colleague. The right Barista delivers increased engagement with customers and the staff reducing staff downtime and improves productivity. This is one of the most important reasons why every office should have a barista.
# 3- Increase Brand Loyalty
Maybe it sounds weird, but having a Barista with persona touches enhances brand loyalty. Think about a warm feeling you get when your Barista remembers your last orders and your name. Sometimes they may even see that you have changed things. They may ask you about your day or wishes you when you get a promotion. These small things create a strong bond between you, coffee shop and Barista. These are just minute details that may seem unimportant, but actually, they may influence a bigger picture, resulting in brand loyalty.
#4- Ease workplace stress
Coffee is a stress buster. Sitting for long hours on a desk can make things bit nerve-cracking. But if you have a Barista who can make a good coffee, you can easily overcome workplace stress, relax and build up energy and help staff to cope. A strong cup of coffee by barista not only helps in relaxing mind but also give time to chit-chat with your colleagues. Remember, happy workers, are productive.
#5- Provide value to employees
Perhaps, coffee is inexpensive, but a valuable perk. Having a barista in the office shows that you care about the well-being of your staff and appreciate their hard work. When you provide them with this refreshing drink, it gives them time to recharge and take a break.
#6- Impressing clients
Believe it or not, when you offer coffee to your clients, creates an impression of your hospitality. Even if you have Barista, you can easily offer them the coffee of their choice. When you offer coffee to your client, it shows that you value their time they have taken out from their busy schedule to meet you. A good coffee shows them that they are valuable to you and want to have a long collaboration with them.
# 7- Enhances productivity
Do you know coffee and productivity are interlinked? Yes, both of these are actually linked and in fact, coffee can improve the productivity of an individual in different ways. As per a study from MIT, 2010, coffee has many positive effects. Employees can take coffee breaks and it actually results in improvement of their productivity. A coffee break is an opportunity for staff to meet and share information and stories. The information includes both work or personal experiences.
#8 – Provide other services than just preparing coffee
The major role of the barista is to prepare coffee and serve to the employees or its customers. But, barista also performs a number of other activities like cleaning the cafe, dealing with employees and more. Every employer looks for baristas who are passionate about preparing coffee and related errands. Their main focus is to prepare coffee as per their customer’s needs along with excellent customer service.
Choosing the Right Barista for Office
Hiring a right barista is as same as looking for the perfect shot. When choosing the right barista, it is important for the employer to ask the right questions. These can be related to their experience, the flavor of coffee they are acquainted of, customer care and more. Make sure you address the relevant traits and skills to ask each applicant. When looking at the skill for in a great barista for your office, make sure they following attributes and skills-
- Understanding of health and safety standards
- Knowledge of using common coffee brewing equipment
- Understanding your sale system soft skills
- Friendly attitude and cheerful demeanor
- Creative problem-solving capabilities.
Related Question
Does your barista know where the coffee he/she is serving comes from?
A good barista will always tell you from where the coffee is coming from. If they answer the question with pride and confidence like a name of the roadster, about freshness and flavor style of the coffee, the barista passes the test.
Do they preheat the cups when not in use?
This question is usually asked to know where the portafilter handles of espresso machine are usually placed when not in use. In case, they are lying on the top of the machine or countertop, then bid adieu to the barista. If the barista brew in cold cups, then he/she doesn’t know how to serve coffee.
How fresh is the milk they use for steaming and to make froth?
A skilled barista takes fresh milk from the fridge and starts steaming and making froths when they need to serve immediately. If a barista froth a big milk pitcher ahead of time, they are serving sour and stale milk. So don’t hire them!
How long is the espresso brewing time?
If the coffee properly grinds, then it will take less than 20 seconds brewing time of the espresso. If it comes out quickly, then the grind is too coarse, but if it comes out slower, the grind is fine. A skilled barista will adjust the grind to ensure a perfect extraction time.
Undoubtedly, hiring barista for office is not as easy as it seems. It can be a time-consuming and stressful business. Other than asking the above questions, you should look for a barista that can make amazing coffees, work with your team and bring a strong social personality and work ethic into action.
Finally, the taste. Bitterness in coffee is something a person may experience when drinking a strong cup of coffee. A skilled barista will make a cup of coffee with plenty of flavors and a smooth finish.
Additional related articles on Open Sourced Workplace :
7 Coffee Facts you Need to Know
Every Office Should Serve the Best Coffee to Employees
Amandeep T. – Article and Blog Writer
