The idea of game rooms in an office environment was popularized by tech giants like Google and Apple in an effort to boost employee morale and attract top talent. One of the main goals of this perk is to let employees unwind after a long day’s work, but the truth is, it’s really a hit and a miss if you don’t know what you’re doing.
It may not always be a wise idea to set up a game room if you’re on a limited budget. It’s worth considering the pros and cons of a game room before you make a decision.
Pros: Why Your Office needs a Game Room
Employees want to break free from the never-ending cycle of work and prefer to do fun things that let them decompress. Sometimes all one needs to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy a few games. A game room encourages team activities and improves the overall culture of your office by letting employees bond and play games.
It’s a very effective way to promote that all-too-essential work-life balance and shows your staff that you care about their mental health and wellness. Most companies that have game rooms make it a point to showcase their game room, and that could be a major selling point.
Why Your Office May Not Need a Game Room
A game room is not a silver bullet when it comes to tackling serious cultural problems in the office or the fact that workers are simply not happy with the company direction. Then there is the fact that a fully fleshed out gaming room requires time, money, and effort.
Sometimes you can get away with by tossing in a few comfortable chairs or just a gaming console, but if you really want to stand out, you’re going to have to go all-in with foosball, ping pong tables, pinballs, and other game tables. Setting aside the space can be a costly venture and you’ll also need maintenance teams to clear out after everyone’s done using the place. It’s important to keep the game room tidy and clean.
And here’s why it could even backfire. Some employees may find one-too many excuses to hang out in the game room, which could lead to lower productivity levels. Also, some workers will get more enthusiastic than others and won’t let others participate in the popular activities, this could lead to some friction. Then there is the embarrassing scenario where the gaming space won’t be used at all.
Do Your Research
Providing a game room to help your workers unwind is a great idea. You could just as easily set up a wellness room or a gym instead of a game room. It all depends on the officer culture and worker expectations. Conduct surveys to help you pick up on the biggest sources of stress in the office and create a game room centered on those pain points.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to gaming rooms, you have to work with your resources and design a space that works best for your employees’ needs.
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