Sound Masking Guidebook For Offices

The latest research indicates that an organization's environment is extremely important to employee performance. It has as much effect as individual skill and competency. A noisy work environment is detrimental to efficiency. It can really lessen employee output. A good working environment is essential for business success.

Therefore, to improve employee performance, it is necessary minimize office noise. Removing or minimizing office noise can be a challenging task as more often than not, it involves the sensitivities of the noisy coworkers.

Certain architectural schemes make it quite difficult to lower noise levels. In older buildings there is a great lack of sound insulation, and newer buildings with atrium-style office designs that have a lot of exposed brick and stone are also hard on the noise level. There are ways, however, to lower the noise level and lessen the negative impact of the noisy office.

First and foremost, rules should be established that help to limit employee chatter within their cubicles so that co-workers are no disturbed. The next step is to prohibit employees from accepting personal telephone calls while in their cubicles or hallways. Should it become necessary for an employee to take an urgent personal call, he or she should leave the office area and conduct the telephone call in the lobby.

Memo to ALL workers; neither your desktop nor laptop speakers may be used to play music. For those employees who feel this is a crude way to deal with noise in the work place; we offer ear plugs or headsets. Headsets are an excellent tool for helping to maintain your focus and cancels out unwanted sounds from noisy coworkers.

A number of technological solutions are available as well, both for the individual and for offices. Speech privacy systems that have been installed by some progressive organizations have been quite successful. These sound masking systems mask speech, making noisy coworkers less intrusive. Sound absorbing panels on walls and furniture assist in noise reduction, at the same time adding to the office decor. These solutions may require a significant financial investment, but improved noise reduction often pays for itself as worker productivity increases as a result of fewer distractions.

There are also many individual solutions, in the event your employer is not interested in such a facilities improvement, often known as white noise machines. Such systems generally take up little desk space and can help you concentrate on your work instead of "Bob-noxious" down the row.

Keeping office noise to a minimum will improve employee performance. Because it involves noisy coworkers and their sensitivities, the task of minimizing or removing noise in the office can prove challenging. All workers should be advised against the use of desktop or laptop speakers for playing music. To ensure that employees do not consider this as a harsh sound masking measure, the organization may choose to provide them with earplugs or headsets. There are also many great individual and enterprise-wide technological solutions. Forward-thinking companies have had great results installing speech privacy systems throughout their open offices. Sound absorbent wall and furniture panels can also help.

- Frank Barnett