Beer is in the Fridge
31 07 2008A friend of mine from school graduated with a finance degree the year before I finished my degree. Now, he works for an accounting firm in downtown Denver that takes day-end numbers from mutual funds and calculates their values.
When I first heard this, I tried to put a moratorium on further work stories from him. I have no interest in hearing about accounts payable, receivables, P&Ls, or any such nonsense on my free time. I made it very clear that discussion of such items, or even of his work in general, would be frowned upon.
He maintained, however, that his work isn’t all that bad, so I told him to prove it. Here’s what he told me:
On Friday afternoons, as the week is winding down, an e-mail goes out through the office. It reads, “Beer is in the fridge.” And sure enough, employees who wander to the refrigerator learn that cold beers are to be found there. They mill down from their workstations, grab a cold brew, and start the weekend off on the boss man’s tab.
Argument over. My friend’s employer rules.
Now, I don’t say this because beer is a guaranteed way to win my heart. The beer isn’t what makes this a clutch move. What makes this a clutch move is that my friend’s employer is giving his employees something they can’t drive down the street to buy.
First, he’s showing his employees a little appreciation for what they do. I hate to use cliches, but actions speak louder than words. Taking a little time and money to pick up a 12 oz. “Thank You” card demonstrates a different level of recognition than walking over, patting someone on the back and saying, ” See you Monday.”
Second, he’s showing them that he has an understanding of their interests. Young people enjoy the chance to hang out and share a beer once in a while, and giving that opportunity to employees is a way of telling them you know how they enjoy spending their time. If we see that you have an understanding that we enjoy doing something other than creating spreadsheets, we know that you don’t think of us as automatons whose sole purpose is productivity. That’s comforting.
Third, he’s letting his employees know that the office isn’t a terrible place. The beers in the fridge say that the office can be fun once in a while. If the only thing I can associate with the office is collating copies, I will not be thrilled to return. But if I know I’ll have a few opportunities to enjoy myself through the course of the week, I’ll be back, and I’ll plow through my paperwork so I can enjoy the fun stuff when it comes up.
My friend’s boss puts a few beers into a fridge and ends up saying all of that. What are you doing to tell your employees that you appreciate them, that you understand their interests, and that your office isn’t a terrible place?
[...] tj wrote a fantastic post today on “Beer is in the Fridge”Here’s ONLY a quick extractIt reads, “Beer is in the fridge.” And sure enough, employees who wander to the refrigerator learn that cold beers are to be found there. They mill down from their workstations, grab a cold brew, and start the weekend off on the boss … [...]
Hi T.J. I couldn’t agree more that little perks like this are critical to keeping younger folks happy. Being part of an industry that depends largely on twenty-somethings to get the hard work of programming done, I’ve seen quite a few unusual benefits. Employers in silicon valley, where competition for talent is the toughest, have a history of offering the best perks. At BEA, they had foosball tables, PlayStations, electric guitars, and drum sets in their breakroom. Google likely tops the list of employers with premium benefits. At their headquarters in Mountain View, CA employees can get their car washed, or have the oil changed, get a haircut, get their bike repaired, checkout a video, even see a doctor.
My little employer, OpenLogic, can’t afford all that, but we do have a beer fridge in the meeting room that is stocked 7 days a week; which is nice.
From an old-timer who mostly agrees with the sentiments expressed about what makes for a good job/employer (these issues have been true for prior generations, as well) and who thinks a lot about the differences between the generations, I have to comment that the idea of “beer in the fridge” sounds great, until serious reality sets in. All that is needed for such a seemingly great idea to crash is for one or more employees (of any generation) to drink 3 or 4 beers while still at work, get into their cars to drive home, have an accident in which they or someone else gets hurt (or killed), and you can rest assured that not only will the employee at fault be sued but so also will the employer who was negligent in providing the beer to his/her employees prior to them getting into their cars and driving somewhere. So . . . what to do? It is still important to show appreciation to employees in a way they appreciate. But it has also got to be done in a way that can survive such potential problems.
Hi Dennis, I’ve thought about this as well (yea, I’m an old guy too). It’s not ever been a problem for us, but clearly there’s potential; as there is at nearly every office holiday party.
Another interesting side effect of this perk is that it has the benefit of alerting an employer to an employee’s “bad habits.” Anyone who will have one too many in the office is certainly drinking a few too many outside of work. In addition, you must question their judgement and maturity. Maybe not the person you want working for you.
Another comment to Dennis…..
As another “old timer,” Dennis, I think you totally missed the point TJ was making. He even said it was NOT the beer, but the recognition/appreciation factor. Gen. Whys need and want to feel accepted and appreciated. Unlike my generation that felt our paycheck was all the appreciation we needed, Gen Y does not work just for a paycheck. The beer was symbolic. Sure not all companies or employers can offer employees a cold brew at work. Public employers surely cannot. But TJ points out that the beer represented a means of showing employees they “are not automatons whose sole purpose is productivity.” Unlike my generation, Whys are lucky enough to have a life beyond work and can keep a respectable balance to their their life. Forget the beer, show understanding of needs, give recognition and listen to employees and productivity will take care of itself.