The Benefits of Team Lunches
Culture

The Benefits of Team Lunches

When it’s time for lunch, do you eat at your desk? 🥪 For most people, this is the case. Over 60% of workers say that they eat lunch at their desks. A lunch break should be a break from work to have lunch. Some of us are still not allowing ourselves or feeling able to […]

June 29th, 2022
*

Abby.

Founder

A search expert making key hires for over twenty years.

When it’s time for lunch, do you eat at your desk? 🥪

For most people, this is the case. Over 60% of workers say that they eat lunch at their desks.

A lunch break should be a break from work to have lunch. Some of us are still not allowing ourselves or feeling able to fully take this time to eat and recharge for the rest of the working day.

If this sounds all too familiar, it could be time to start having regular team lunches – here’s why.

 

The Benefits of Team Lunches 🥪💡

 

1. Offers the chance to refresh ♻️

chance to refresh

Being human, we all need a break and time to recharge to be able to work at our best. Lunch is the best time to have this break as we are already refuelling our bodies with food… so why not refuel our minds as well? By eating our lunch at our desks, we are not giving ourselves time away from our work – regardless of if we are actively working or not.

In fact, a change in environment helps to stimulate our brains. Moving away from our desks ‘wakes up’ our brain in response to a change in surroundings and a new set of stimuli. From this, it is understandable why research has found that energy levels can increase after having a proper lunch break. As energy is required for productivity, getting that boost through the middle of the day is key if we want to maintain our productivity levels.

 

2. Breaks down organisational hierarchies 💼

breaks down organisational hierarchies

With different departments, seniority levels, and job titles within an organisation, it is unlikely that a team will have the same levels of communication with everyone at their company.

However, by holding a team lunch break, job title and seniority level gets put to one side.

Instead, everyone can feel able to approach and talk to anyone in the room.

That is why a relaxing team lunch can bring the ‘humanness’ back into an office space whilst strengthening the communication between all team members.

 

3. Boosts team morale 🥰

boosts team morale

Getting the team together is a great way to build team morale and connections between those working at an organisation. Strong team morale has many benefits, including better productivity and stronger teamwork, all of which help a team work well together.

A team lunch acts as a social event and an opportunity to build this morale. It allows people to have discussions unrelated to work that helps to build social connections between employees.

Getting the chance to get out of a work headspace and discuss other topics is great for team building whilst allowing employees to have a mental break from their work too.

 

4. Improves communication 💬

improves communication

With team lunches able to break down organisational hierarchies and boost team morale, it is unsurprising that communication within a team can also improve too. Strong communication within a workplace has many benefits, including increased employee engagement, improved conflict management, and helping to build a healthy work culture. Therefore, not only will team lunches improve individual employee wellbeing, but they will also improve a team’s morale, communication, and engagement.

 

5. Promotes a strong company culture 💡

promotes company culture

At the root of it, human beings have a strong desire to belong. Positive company culture helps to build this sense of belonging, which, in turn, can improve employee retention. Employees are more likely to stay at an organisation they enjoy going to work for every day and feel treats them well. Again, the encouragement of ‘humanness’ within an office helps to promote this.

Team lunches can help your employees feel better connected to their team and see how they add value to their organisation. It also prevents them from feeling like ‘cogs in a machine’ and instead sense that their wellbeing is being valued. Plus, by setting an example and making a point of having lunch away from their desks, leaders and managers can actively promote the importance of employee wellbeing to their people.

By prioritising a lunch break with employees, you will be showing that you prioritise their wellbeing too 🌱

 

To find out more about how to focus on your brand, get in touch today.
Want to hear about our other articles?
Looking to hire your next superstar?
Keen to explore our latest vacancies?
Yellow Bricks is a female-owned and led executive search firm hiring predominately for software companies with diversity and inclusion at the heart of our offering. To learn more, click here.
Related posts
5 Questions All Leaders Should Be Asking Their Teams

5 Questions All Leaders Should Be Asking Their Teams

70% of employees say their purpose is related to their work.   People who feel their work has purpose are often more satisfied with their professional lives and loyal to companies who advocate for their own lives and careers.   They are 69% less likely to plan to quit their jobs within the next 6 […]
5 Ways of Managing Stress as a Leader

5 Ways of Managing Stress as a Leader

As a leader, your people will look to you for guidance in times of challenge and uncertainty.   Trying to manage your team as well as yourself during these times can make you vulnerable to high stress that can become chronic if not dealt with properly.   Currently, 69% of executives are considering quitting due […]
The Future of Recruitment is Workforce Planning Partnerships

The Future of Recruitment is Workforce Planning Partnerships

Why Workforce Planning Partnerships Matter Workforce planning partnerships are the future of recruitment. By placing workforce planning partnerships at the heart of business strategy, organisations can anticipate needs, align people decisions with growth objectives, and avoid the costly cycle of reactive hiring. Recruitment is changing. The days of agencies competing to fill vacancies faster and […]
Remote war rages on. What’s your take?

Remote war rages on. What’s your take?

We are currently witnessing a large-scale social experiment unfold:   Can we be just as effective when working from home?   Are we just as engaged, productive, and happy?   The COVID-19 pandemic forced many workplaces to shut their doors entirely, resulting in millions of workers being required to work from home.   Now, three years […]
Predictions for Hiring and the Workplace in 2022

Predictions for Hiring and the Workplace in 2022

With 2022 fast approaching, we anticipate how hiring and the workplace will continue to evolve following the effects of a global pandemic and a shift in the way we work 💻   Here are some of our workplace predictions for 2022:   📈 Strategy will be high on the agenda. With the way in which […]
5 Steps to Take Charge of Your Career

5 Steps to Take Charge of Your Career

Did you decide it was time for a new job only to be shocked by how difficult it actually is? Is it time to learn How to Take Control of Your Career Growth in 2025 It’s stressful being on the back foot, panic can lead to bad decisions and before you know it, you have […]
Why spending time on your CV is a great investment of your time

Why spending time on your CV is a great investment of your time

How to write a CV in 2025 Is Your CV Getting Lost in the Black Hole? How to Craft a Winning CV in 2025 Starting out your job search can be overwhelming; the process has changed significantly in recent times, making it getting a job more competitive than ever before. Most people feel disheartened by […]
How to Navigate a Hiring Freeze with Temporary Staffing Services

How to Navigate a Hiring Freeze with Temporary Staffing Services

We understand how hard a freeze on hiring can be, here’s how temporary staffing services can be the solution! We’ve all experienced the effects of a hiring freeze, good people leave, workloads grow, and those left behind are stretched thin. As a manager, how do you deliver on expectations while maintaining team morale? While hiring […]
Morning Habits for Success and Why They Work

Morning Habits for Success and Why They Work

What does your morning routine look like? 🌤️ We hear all the time that forming healthy habits in the morning is the key to starting off our day right. But why is that so? We discuss the most helpful morning habits for success and why they work.   Morning Habits for Success #1 – Ditch […]
4 Eating Habits of Highly Successful People

4 Eating Habits of Highly Successful People

What do the world’s most successful people eat on a day to day basis?   Food is fuel, and these leaders make a point of choosing what they eat wisely.   Here are the eating habits of some highly successful people:   Being Predictable 💡 Many leaders are famous for being highly predictable in when […]

People. Culture. Growth.