March 18, 2013 | Ontario

In today's workplace, privacy is not exactly what leaders are striving for to create the best atmosphere for productivity. Traditional thinkers may be worried that putting people in an open space will automatically lead to chatter and too much social interaction with others, but the latest generation of workers has proven to thrive and ultimately produce greater content by working in a collaborative environment.

One particular organization in London, Ontario, has gone a step further in embracing its social, connected environment. When lunch time strikes at noon, the entire office heads for the break room for a delicious and free meal provided by the company, The Globe and Mail reports. Software development company Digital Extremes took the idea of unity a step further by encouraging the entire office to dine together as many days out of the week as possible.

While employees are not obligated to partake in the lunch outing, it is hard to pass up the savoury aromas wafting out of the kitchen, where coconut curry chicken and salad awaits a line of staff members. Prepared by three full-time chefs, the perk is unique to the Canadian office and enjoyed by a large number of workers.

"To get these people talking, who otherwise wouldn't even meet in the same social circles, is important," Mike Schmalz, president of the company, told the news source. "The better communication we ultimately have between the groups, the better games we put out."

As the economy continues to strengthen, students can have more fun starting the job search and finding companies that are a great match for them. To keep up with the influx of competition and greater number of students who are qualified for information technology (IT) jobs, companies keep boosting their perks and creating comfortable places to work so that employees enjoy coming in and collaborating with colleagues each day.

From fitness packages and tuition reimbursements to social committees and complimentary meals, workplaces across Canada are growing increasingly more enticing to students with knowledgeable backgrounds in programming.

Those who are ready to get their careers started in IT can enroll in programming courses at CDI College. For more information, fill out the form on the right.