Food as a lever for talent retention: what companies that recruit better are doing

In a job market where companies compete for the same qualified profiles, distinctive benefits have become a science. Remote work, flexible hours, extra days off: everyone has caught up. One area remains where the gaps are still wide and the gestures visible: food at the office.

The employee experience also happens at the table

The concept of employee experience covers every interaction an employee has with their company, from onboarding to departure. Food is part of it, more prominently than people think. A first day with a carefully prepared artisan breakfast, a team birthday with a premium afternoon break, an executive committee meeting with Pierre Morel macarons: these moments add up and build an image.

Conversely, handing out packets of factory-made biscuits at every meeting also builds an image, unintentionally. The message received: "we did not think about what happens when you eat together".

What employer brand surveys show

A Glassdoor survey (2019) identified the non-financial benefits most often cited positively in company reviews: flexible hours (78%), quality of workspaces (61%), catering and food benefits (54%). Good-quality catering comes third, ahead of training plans and bonuses.

Even more significant: in companies where food quality is explicitly mentioned in Glassdoor reviews, the employer recommendation score (eNPS) is on average 12 points higher than in companies where this criterion is not mentioned. This is not proven causation, but it is a correlation that deserves HR directors' attention.

Food at onboarding, an under-used ritual

The first weeks in a company are decisive for retention at 6 and 12 months. Most onboarding programmes cover administrative induction, team introductions and training on tools. Few think of a welcome breakfast for new recruits.

Yet an artisan breakfast shared with the team on the first day immediately creates:

• An informal setting for introductions (less stressful than a meeting room)
• A sign of attention towards the new colleague
• A first positive memory associated with the company
• An opportunity for colleagues to "look after" the newcomer, a gesture that strengthens belonging on both sides

Retention and food: the case of recurring rituals

Recurring food rituals, a weekly afternoon break, a back-to-work breakfast in September, the galette des rois in January, a Christmas afternoon break in December, not forgetting the aperitif platters that mark team successes, create an emotional calendar for the company. These moments become expected. Their disappearance is felt. Their quality is talked about.

In companies where these rituals exist and are done well, they come up regularly in employee feedback during retention interviews. "They look after us": a phrase that keeps coming back, often linked to moments as simple as a well-chosen afternoon break.

Building a food-and-retention approach with L'Écrin Traiteur

L'Écrin Traiteur works with Paris companies that have built food into their workplace wellbeing policy. We can support you with: setting up recurring food rituals, selecting products you can document for your CSR reporting, and grouped quotes for internal events throughout the year. Contact us at commercial@lecrin-traiteur.fr.

Make the table an argument for retention

Once the classic benefits have levelled out from one employer to the next, it is concrete, repeated gestures that make the difference on retention. Onboarding with a welcome breakfast, well-run recurring rituals, lunch trays and aperitif platters that punctuate the highlights of the year: so many moments that build, month after month, the "they look after us" that your talent mentions in interviews. Delivery from 6:30 am in Paris and Île-de-France, reply within 24 hours: request your quote and let us build the food calendar that keeps your teams.

Frequently asked questions