Cutting through the noise

What’s hindering the great office return? Nigel Dunn at Jabra explores the role that sound plays on cognitive, emotional, and physical wellbeing in the workplace

 

When major companies such as Disney, Starbucks and Amazon announced new policies mandating that staff return to the office, this sparked widespread debate after years of letting employees enjoy the benefits of working from home. 

 

The return to the office raises many questions; are companies’ office spaces prepared for such a shift and are there enough desks for everyone to be in the office at the same time? Even for those able to secure a desk or grab a meeting room, will people adjust to being back in an overcrowded noisy office, and can they be as productive as working from home? After years of working from the quiet privacy of the home office, a return to background chatter, ringing phones and noisy colleagues can seem like a big ask. For some, particularly those who require quiet to concentrate, the transition will be overwhelming.

 

It is surprising, then, that many business leaders appear unaware of just how much this disruption undermines productivity. The irony is hard to miss—collaboration and creativity, two of the primary reasons for bringing people back to the office, are exactly what noise-filled workplaces seem to undermine.

 

Research paints a telling picture. A recent Jabra report found that half of workers (50%) feel stressed by office noise, with loud colleagues ranking high among their frustrations. Even more striking, 71% said high noise levels leave them mentally drained, a troubling revelation for these companies that are banking on in-person interaction fuelling their bottom line.

 

The toll of noise extends beyond mental fatigue. More than 60% of employees report feeling physically drained by constant interruptions. For many, instead of being energised by their colleagues, the office environment even dulls their passion for work. Over half (59%) of workers say they struggle to feel motivated when disruptions are constant.

 

The solution? Businesses need to find a balance. Offices should be a place for collaboration that gives energy and motivation for employees - and something they cannot get at home - but without compromising their ability to focus when needed. Often, return-to-office mandates fall short because leaders make sweeping instructions without considering employee concerns. Removing this employee benefit makes staff feel unappreciated and unheard. 

 

This balancing act is more important considering the culture of flexible working, which many of us have become accustomed to. Recent reforms in the United Kingdom have strengthened employees’ rights to request remote work, a move that enables workers to have greater control over their environment, leading to fewer distractions and sharper focus—all being key to productivity. McKinsey research supports this, identifying hybrid work models as among the most effective ways to boost both productivity and revenue.

 

Offering flexible working options, allowing individuals to split their time between home and the office, can also ease the strain of this transition. Rethinking office design—incorporating quiet zones alongside collaborative areas and equipping meeting rooms with video conferencing technology that ensures everyone can be seen and heard —will help make the return to the office a success.

 

To create a workplace where employees want to be, identifying the issues and addressing factors such as noise requires thoughtful solutions. High-quality noise-cancelling headphones can help employees manage distractions and increase levels of concentration in louder environments. 

 

But the benefits of tackling workplace noise extend beyond increasing productivity. Improved meeting room audio has been linked to better interpersonal skills (46%), enhanced collaboration (44%), and stronger communication (39%). By investing in these tools and practices, companies are also investing in employee wellbeing. Happier, more focused employees contribute to a healthier, more profitable business and higher levels of talent retention. 

 

Hybrid working provides workers with greater flexibility in their lives as well as the peace and quiet they need to really focus on their work. Equally, face-to-face interaction with colleagues is important for personal connections and helping to shape a positive company culture. But to make these policies successful, business leaders should listen to employees’ concerns and identify issues such as noise, to then take the necessary steps to address these. 

 

Businesses should think twice before heralding the great return to the office, focusing on what employees need to be their best at work, and creating office environments where collaboration and productivity thrive hand in hand.

 

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Nigel Dunn is VP EMEA North at Jabra

 

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com and Liubomyr Vorona