Today is Nation Biscuit Day, I love nothing more than a cup of tea and a biscuit. To celebrate this day the number one biscuit maker in the UK McVities shows how the simple act of sharing a biscuit has the power to bring people closer together, as often seen in workplaces up and down the country. Nearly half (42%) of British workers say sharing biscuits with colleagues makes them feel happier, with over a quarter (27%) saying it helped them build a stronger connection with a colleague.
Teachers topped the list with the majority (54%) saying they felt happy after sharing a biscuit moment with fellow colleagues, followed by the IT sector (48%), while over a quarter (28%) of business managers admitted it helped them to feel more connected to their colleagues.
The benefits of sharing biscuits with colleagues do not stop there. 42 percent of British workers said they use sharing biscuits as an opportunity to catch up with colleagues, nearly a fifth (19%) say it helps to break the ice and make new friends at work, while seven percent use them as an excuse to chat up someone they fancy in the office. Moreover, 19 percent believe sharing biscuits at work has made them more popular with colleagues, helped them get a promotion (10%) and even helped them get a romantic date with a colleague (10%).
Biscuits were also revealed to be a key motivator for UK workers, with 40 percent believing they ‘help lift the mood’, and a further one in six (17%) citing that serving biscuits helped increase productivity in meetings.
According to the research, people in social care are the biggest biscuit sharers at work (96%), followed by accountants (91%) and teachers (91%). However, some workforces love their biscuits so much, they just can’t bear to share them, with over a third (37%) of British workers confessing to going to great lengths to keeping them all for themselves.
More than a quarter (27%) of construction workers have eaten biscuits in their car so colleagues wouldn’t see, 17 percent of IT workers confess to eating biscuits on the sly, and a fifth (19%) working in hospitality and entertainment admit to hiding away in the company loo so they can enjoy their favourite biscuit in secret!
Judi James, Communication, and Body Language Expert, says: “We live in a digital world where we’re more connected than ever, with a growing number of ‘digital friends’, but it’s those moments of real human connection that are increasingly important and help to support our own physical and emotional health. The simple act of sharing biscuits with friends or colleagues can facilitate those little moments of face-to-face connection that can have a significant impact on your work and social life.”
Candice Brown, winner of The Great British Bake Off 2016 and former teacher, says: “I always looked forward to diving into the biscuit tin in the staff room, sitting down with a cup of tea and having a catch-up with my colleagues during break time. They were much-needed moments away from the hustle and bustle of a busy day.”
Emma Stowers, McVite’s Brand Director says: “Enjoying a cup of tea and a biscuit is a cornerstone of British life – 93% of people across the country eat a biscuit every day – and although biscuits seem trivial, they can be extremely powerful in bringing people together. The small gesture of sharing a biscuit with your partner, friend or even a colleague and catching up while you do, can really help you feel closer and better connected.”
So, what does the nation’s workforce talk about when catching up over a biscuit? Over a third (36%) chat about office gossip, 32 percent say it’s mostly last night’s telly, 28 percent use it as an opportunity to talk sport, while nearly a quarter (23%) cite confiding in a colleague about their relationship.
And it seems that your favourite biscuit choice also plays a part in your chosen career path, as the research shows a strong correlation between biscuit choice and job sector:
Chocolate Digestives lovers are most likely to work in hospitality and entertainment
Original Digestives lovers are most likely to work in construction or engineering
Rich Tea lovers are most likely to be in finance
Shortbread lovers are most likely to be social workers
Hobnobs lovers are most likely to work in transport
Ginger Nuts lovers are most likely to be a doctor or a nurse
Custard Creams lovers are mostly to be in business, consulting and management
Bourbons lovers are mostly like to be in IT
To encourage British workers to share biscuits with their colleagues and facilitate sweeter connections in the workplace, McVitie’s is delivering free biscuits to hundreds of workers across the UK for National Biscuit Day. British workers can enter a Twitter competition today to surprise their colleagues with biscuits, delivered especially by McVitie’s. Visit @McVities on Twitter for a chance to win free biscuits for you and your colleagues this National Biscuit Day.
