Is That Really My Job? 

By Ken Joyner

Throughout my 30-year career working in Human Resources, I have witnessed the Human Resources function rebrand itself a multitude of times. What started as the Personnel Department slowly became known as the Human Resources Department and now, in an ever-changing workplace, the department is out to reinvent itself again. As industries become more competitive and talent becomes harder to come by, Human Resources is emerging as a strategic function within organizations and embracing its new name, the People Team. 

Regardless of which decade or transformation we look back on, the one constant is that organizations continually expect more from their HR team. In an effort to please our leaders and organizations, with zeal and a great attitude, we’ve taken on every task that’s been throw our way. We have done everything from coordinating volunteer opportunities for our team members, planning board meetings, assisting C-Suite leaders with various tasks and being the emcee at the annual holiday celebration. For better or worse, HR departments often become a catch-all for organizations. Included in the fine print of being your organizational catch-all is vending machine afficionado! HR teams are expected to manage vending machine equipment malfunctions and provide a resolution when a team member does not get what they paid for.

It always bugged my team that another duty we were constantly responsible for was being the cashier for the vending machine company. Anyone who puts a dollar in a vending machine is doing so with an understanding that the cold drink or snack they are selecting should dispense without an issue. One surefire way to get an employee riled up is to have a vending machine eat their last dollar bill and not vend that can of ice-cold Coca Cola on their final break of a 12-hour overnight nursing shift. For some reason, unbeknownst to me, employees think that HR is responsible for the vending equipment and would come marching into our office and demand a refund. Employees do not mince words as they communicate their anger and frustration. I’ve seen everything from temper tantrums to a near full breakdown over a Twix candy bar not vending properly. 

I always say that nothing surprises me after working in Human Resources for so long. Yet, I read an article in the Des Moines Register about a man who was fired from his job after using a forklift to free a stuck candy bar in a company vending machine. If that wasn’t enough, the Huffington Post had an article about a woman who set a vending machine on fire after it took her money and didn’t dispense her can of Pepsi. While these might be extreme examples, it shows how upset employees become when they spend their hard-earned money in a vending machine and get ripped off. Babysitting the vending equipment doesn’t stop there, if I had a nickel for every time the HR team heard a team member complain that the vending machines were out of their favorite drink, snack, or candy bar, I’d be on Forbes’s next Billionaire list. Does any of this sound familiar?

While the scope of my HR team continued to expand, I had to find a way to alleviate the vending machine burden from my team. I found the solution by partnering with Advantage Refreshments, one of the leading companies in the vending industry today. The Advantage Refreshments difference is the quality of machines they install in your location that include a guaranteed product delivery system. In simple terms it means that every time an employee goes to a vending machine in the breakroom, they will either get the product they paid for or their money back, every time, period! No more time being spent by your HR team being the refund department for the vending company. This feat is accomplished by bringing in brand new vending equipment with state-of-the-art technology. Say good-bye to those old, dilapidated machines that should have been retired years ago and let Advantage Refreshments show you the future of vending. 

The equipment alone is impressive. Who knew that there were so many options when it came to a vending machine? Advantage Refreshments can get you the right equipment for your employee population, frozen food machines, drink machines, snack machines, combo drink and snack machines – you name it, they can provide it. Suddenly, your HR team is no longer the middleman between employees and the vending company.  Team members can get back to focusing on things that add value to the organization. 

I have been so impressed with the technology in the machines and the impact that a robust employee refreshment program can have on an employee population that I have officially joined the team at Advantage Refreshments and am helping other HR leaders overcome the same issues that once bogged me down. It is exciting to be aligned with an organization that is focused on helping HR teams solve some of the day-to-day issues they face. If I’ve learned one thing in my career thus far, it’s to never underestimate how important that cold drink is to an employee when they sit down for their break.