Plus: Which Professions Need Coffee the Most and Time for a Workplace Makeover.

Which Professions Need Coffee the Most
Workers today are putting in longer hours, shouldering heavier workloads and depending more on caffeinated coffee to ease fatigue, stimulate awareness or elevate their mood. Approximately 34 percent say they need coffee to get through their workday, and 46 percent of those who drink coffee claim they are less productive without at least a cup of it, according to a recent survey by Dunkin’ Donuts and CareerBuilder.com.

By profession, those who say they rely on coffee the most are:

1. Scientist/Lab Technician;
2. Marketing/PR Professional;
3. Education Administrator;
4. Editor/Writer;
5. Health Care Administrator;
6. Physician;
7. Food Preparer;
8. Professor;
9. Social Worker;
10. Financial Professional;
11. Personal Caretaker;
12. HR Benefits Coordinator;
13. Nurse;
14. Government Professional; and
15. Skilled Tradesperson.

According to the findings, 61 percent of coffee-consuming workers actually drink two cups or more each workday, while 28 percent drink three cups or more.

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Credit: CareerBuilder/Dunkin’Donuts

Time for a Workplace Makeover?
There are many things that employees want, but based on a recent survey of more than 300 office workers, topping their wish lists for office improvements are: eliminating office politics (44 percent); and allowing/encouraging telecommuting (41 percent).

The survey, conducted by Staples, found that many employees also aren’t too pleased with their physical surroundings, either. Also on workers’ lists: upgrading office technology (37 percent); and getting nicer and more comfortable furniture (35 percent).

In fact, more than half of workers surveyed gave their office furniture (52 percent) and office décor (51 percent) a “C” grade or worse, and 41 percent gave their office technology the same grade.

Another interesting finding: 57 percent said they have to buy their own snacks and beverages at work. Consequently, one in two respondents said they leave the office for a coffee or snack run at least once a day, with some making as many as five trips per day. That’s a lot of lost productivity and unnecessary interruption.

Wanted: Workers with a Sense of Humor
There are many considerations that should go into hiring new employees, but one quality that is often under-appreciated is an applicant’s sense of humor. It’s one factor to judge an applicant’s potential fit within the company culture.

“I’d love to see way more companies do things like this to ensure a good cultural fit for new hires,” Alexander Kjerulf, aka The Chief Happiness Officer, writes at his Positive Sharing blog. “The fact is that not every person will fit into every workplace culture and there is currently way too much focus on professional skills and way too little on personality fit.”

In the video below, Colleen Barrett, former president of Southwest Airlines, shares some of the unexpected ways the airline screens job applicants for their sense of humor.

Cheers.