Pronounced “fee-kuh” and directly translated as “coffee break”, there is a lot more to the cherished Swedish tradition of fika than meets the eye––and it could just be the key to increasing your productivity at work and being happier about it than ever before.
The concept of taking breaks from work is not a new one, but the Swedish go one better, with work-mandated fika often taking place twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. It’s a scheduled time to drink tea or coffee and eat baked goods––traditionally, a Swedish cinnamon bun or kanelbullar––with your colleagues, like a twice-daily all-hands meeting, but without the urgent topics or post-meeting analysis.
Culturally, it’s a tradition that is––understandably––cherished by the Swedes, but it makes sense from a practical point of view, too. Research by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions has found that regularly scheduled rest breaks can “reduce some of the harmful effects of work on health and well-being while contributing to improved performance and productivity.”
Increased productivity
It’s something that the last few years have truly borne out; many employers and employees alike reported increased productivity levels during the pandemic, when workers who were previously office-based were given the freedom to work on a schedule that suited them, arguably free to take their coffee and kanelbullar breaks whenever they felt like it.
And while we know that the human brain can only concentrate for so long, hence the popularity of the Pomodoro technique, which breaks daily tasks down into 25-minute slots, the benefits of fika are not limited to its potential to improve productivity.
Taking a break to speak to colleagues in a setting that is not one or other of your desks offers an opportunity for connection on a human level, fostering positive relationships, opening the door for mentorship and collaboration, and offering a space to brainstorm ideas outside the confines of an on-the-calendar ideas session.
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There’s also the small issue of creativity, which any creative thinker will tell you rarely happens in an office cubicle. On the contrary, creativity is often a result of collaboration––those moments when we allow ourselves to truly talk through an issue with a colleague, without the pressure of looming deadlines or task sheets.
The evidence further bolsters the case for the Swedish model; OECD statistics from 2021 place Sweden seventh on a list of countries ranked by GDP per hour worked. Though the Swedes may take more breaks––an hour for lunch, and 20 minutes fika either side––their output is not harmed and is, in fact, higher than a lot of other countries whose coffee breaks are more limited.
The suggestion that more mandated breaks could improve workplace outcomes may seem incongruous, but the evidence speaks for itself. Encouraging colleagues to socialise, collaborate and chat over coffee and cinnamon buns is an initiative we can all get on board with.
If this feels like a workplace culture you’d like to be a part of, why not look at what other job openings are out there? The three below are hiring now, with plenty more on the Silicon Canals Job Board.
Software Backend Engineer at Zalando, Berlin
Online fashion retailer Zalando is looking for a Software Backend Engineer in Berlin. The successful candidate will design, develop and operate business-critical applications at the heart of Zalando, working with tools and technologies including Scala, Java, Akka, AWS, Kubernetes, Postgres and Elasticsearch in building high-performant, low-latency systems to create a positive impact on customers and partners. You’ll have three-plus years as a software engineer, proficiency in Scala or Java and hands-on experience with SQL and NoSQL storage technologies. For more, see the full job description here.
Lead Systems Platform Architect at Mastercard, Dublin
MasterCard is looking for a Lead Systems Platform Architect to join a team of Systems Platform Engineers in Service Delivery, responsible for the analysis, design and build of the application infrastructure framework. You’ll work from the beginning of the design phase to ensure that the completed infrastructure and application architecture aligns with MasterCard’s security, scalability and availability standards. Understanding of network, operating systems principles and web middleware are a must, along with knowledge in one or more core functions related to web infrastructure design and/or implementation. Check out more details on this role here.
Senior Software Development Engineer at Autodesk, Frankfurt
The Autodesk Info360 team is recruiting an experienced Senior Software Development Engineer to join its team in Frankfurt. As a full-stack software engineer, you’ll participate in a cutting-edge SaaS platform build-out, designing and implementing complex containerized and serverless microservices on AWS while leveraging AWS Lambda. The successful candidate will have a degree in Computer Science or relevant discipline, as well as experience building and architecting back-end data services. For a full list of responsibilities and requirements, see the job listing here.
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