A sound look at your office’s soundscape

Office soundscape

• Sound is a key part of an office’s space. It can boost employee comfort, attitude, and performance. A calm, relaxing soundscape encourages focus whereas a chaotic one limits employee autonomy and impairs concentration.

• Excessive office noise may force an employee’s nervous system to stay alert all the time, constantly expecting the next disruption. Chronic noise exposure is directly connected with increased stress levels.

• Employee productivity may decrease significantly by as much as 66% when they hear someone speaking nearby. Noise causes 71% of all workplace distractions. In fact, other people’s voices are considered the most disturbing factor in the office. 70% of employees claim that their efficiency would increase significantly if their offices were calmer. 55% of employees experience stress in noisy workplaces.

• An acoustically impeccable workspace is just what employees need. The sound in such an office is soft and ambient, devoid of reverb, clatter or echo. Employees have their private spaces for focused work as well as shared acoustically treated spaces dedicated for teamwork. That’s what makes tranquillity and productivity co-exist in one office.

• A variety of preferences and tasks make perfecting the office’s acoustics a formidable challenge. A really promising solution is to zone the office floor and divide it into areas – each having its own unique acoustic quality. That is why Hushoffice pods seem an important piece of this puzzle – they make perfect quiet work and meeting spaces that employees can always rely on.

Open plan offices can be choruses of unexpected noise.

Rhythmic clicking. Mobile phone pings pierce. Discussions collide like discordant melody threads. The printer keeps beeping in a percussive sound. The low hum of the HVAC system is more felt than actually heard. And the employees act only as the audience of this symphony of sounds.

Sound matters a lot (and noise is an issue).

The acoustics of an office is basically like the air we breathe. It sets the mood. It contributes to employees’ comfort and wellness. A peaceful soundscape improves concentration whereas a loud one impairs it. While acoustic comfort gives workers a sense of control, chaotic surroundings undermine their autonomy. 

Sound has a powerful psychological influence on us – it affects our attention span, attitude, and mindset. A pleasant soundscape may lift your spirits, aid relaxation, and improve your concentration. Harsh soundscapes might be highly stressful, disturbing your equilibrium and derailing your performance. The point is that in an extremely competitive hybrid world, the office must be perfectly designed to provide space for focus and teamwork. Basically, employees must be able to deep dive into their tasks or complex discussions undisturbed for as long as they find necessary

– explains Mateusz Barczyk, Senior Brand Manager, Hushoffice.

Office noise may have a cascading effect on employees’ mental balance. 

Noise is extremely annoying when it distracts you over and over. It can force your nervous system to stay alert. And if you constantly expect the next disruption, with time you are more likely to experience some level of anxiety. Thus, chronic noise exposure has been directly connected with increased levels of stress.

• Employee productivity can decrease by 66% when disturbed by somebody speaking nearby. 

• 71% of workplace distractions result from noise.

• Other employees’ voices are considered the most frequent source of distraction in the workplace.

• According to  70% of employees, their work would be more efficient if their office were less noisy.

• 55% of employees experience stress due to noisy work environments.

Academic research proves that noisy workplaces have a detrimental impact on employees. The extent of this influence varies depending on the kind of sounds present and individual characteristics, such as introversion or neuroticism. Nonetheless, the scientific consensus does not change – office noise influences employees’ wellness and, ultimately, their work performance negatively

– says Mateusz Barczyk, Senior Brand Manager, Hushoffice.

Our minds’ processing capacity is limited.

This is the reason why copying with multiple sounds in the workplace is so demanding. When so many incoming stimuli compete for one’s attention, the situation may result in burnout and exhaustion. Cognitive abilities are impaired, which leads to errors and annoyance as our brains try really hard to filter through the excessive amount of information.

Find out more: Noise, the silent killer of productivity in the office.

Sound affects our behaviour, too.

Fast-paced songs are frequently played in fast-food restaurants to create a feeling of urgency. Consequently, they encourage customers to eat their meals quickly and move on, thus increasing turnover. Soothing music is often played in shops to create a relaxed atmosphere. This makes customers slow down and stay in the place longer boosting sales.

Sound is powerful in every area of life. Its power can be channelled into productivity in the workplace

– says Mateusz Barczyk, Senior Brand Manager, Hushoffice.

Intermittent speech is considered one of the most detrimental sources of noise in the workplace.

Intermittent nature of speech, regardless of whether it comes from nearby discussions or random halfologues, makes it really effective at pulling employees away from their tasks. Unlike muddled noise, intermittent speech attracts attention as our brains always try to make sense of spoken words.

An acoustically sound office is just what you need.

Its sound seems soft and ambient, skillfully blended to block out noise. Walls and freestanding panels are there to absorb echo and reverb. Soundproof workstations wait for their users. Colleagues connect using pods such as hushMeet. Thanks to private video call booths, speech on hybrid calls is crystal-clear. Tranquillity and productivity exist side-by-side. 

An acoustically sound office space is proof that sound, when skillfully managed and optimised, can stop being a hindrance and start being a catalyst for creativity and effective cooperation

– says Mateusz Barczyk, Senior Brand Manager, Hushoffice.

Office acoustics needs adequate zoning with appropriate acoustic solutions.

A variety of preferences and tasks make perfecting the office’s sound a tricky challenge. Some people prefer a peaceful hush, whereas others would rather go for a bustling buzz. Team activities profit from more lively acoustics as it encourages interaction. On the other hand, tasks requiring concentration are easier to approach in complete silence.

All in all, the most promising solution is to zone out the floor and divide it into separate areas, each having a unique sound quality.

Acoustic solutions such as Hushoffice pods are a piece of the “workplace acoustics” puzzle.

Office pods are a haven of peace and privacy within a lively office. They are a self-contained space where workers can retreat, escape from the office’s hustle and bustle and spend time on their own. They are like armour blocking out unnecessary activities and allowing for total concentration.

If you want to learn what office pods sound like, check it out: What kind of acoustic experience does an office work pod offer?

Consider the following popular pods from our Hushoffice line

hushHybrid – 1-person booth for flawless video calls.

Efficient ventilation system, additional LED video strips and integrated furniture all make hushHybrid an excellent acoustic video booth.

hushPhone – a telephone call pod for quality calls.

Excellent acoustic engineering, a comfortable armrest, and a folding laptop table make hushPhone the best place in the office for making phone calls.

HushMeet – a fully furnished 4-person booth for team meetings.

A comfortable sofa, robust power modules as well as motion-activated lighting all make hushMeet a perfect meeting spot.

So, how does your workplace sound? Have you thought about zoning by soundscape and implementing pods? If you have any questions about our Hushoffice collection, contact our team.

Office soundscape – summary

• Sound is a key part of an office’s space. It can boost employee comfort, attitude, and performance. A calm, relaxing soundscape encourages focus whereas a chaotic one limits employee autonomy and impairs concentration.

• Excessive office noise may force an employee’s nervous system to stay alert all the time, constantly expecting the next disruption. Thus, chronic noise exposure is directly connected with increased stress levels.

• Employee productivity may decrease significantly by as much as 66% when they hear someone speaking nearby. Noise causes 71% of all workplace distractions. In fact, other people’s voices are considered the most disturbing factor in the office. 70% of employees claim that their efficiency would increase significantly if their office were calmer. 55% of employees experience stress in noisy workplaces.

• An acoustically impeccable workspace is just what employees need. The sound in such an office is soft and ambient, devoid of reverb, clatter or echo. Employees have their private spaces for focused work as well as shared acoustically treated spaces dedicated for teamwork. That’s what makes tranquillity and productivity co-exist in one office.

• A variety of preferences and tasks make perfecting the office’s acoustics a formidable challenge. A really promising solution is to zone the office floor and divide it into areas – each having its own unique acoustic quality. That is why Hushoffice pods seem an important piece of this puzzle – they make perfect quiet work and meeting spaces that employees can always rely on.

Office soundscape – FAQ

How to limit the amount of distracting speech in the office?

One of the most effective solutions is to implement office pods such as Hushoffice. They come in different sizes and features, but every Hushoffice pod has been carefully designed to keep all the speech inside. As a result, there is less distracting speech on the office floor and, at the same time, pod users may enjoy speech privacy.

What helps absorb sound in offices?

Acoustic panels, soundproof floor tiles, carpets and rugs, curtains, ceiling tiles, soundproof window films, division walls, greenery, bookshelves and open shelves all ensure better sound absorption in an office.

How can you make your office less echoey?

You can begin with using sound-absorbing materials, for example, acoustic panels, wall coverings or fabric partitions all over the space. The materials will ensure better absorption of sound waves and, as a result, reduce reflections and minimise echo. You can also consider placing carpets or rugs with dense fibres that would break up sound waves to avoid sounds bouncing off hard floors. Strategic furniture placement can also help minimise echo. Try positioning bookshelves, cabinets or plants to create barriers and scatter sound waves. Additionally, you may hang sound-absorbing curtains and draperies over windows and glass partitions to reduce sound reflections and echo even more. If you combine the above mentioned measures, you will create a more acoustically balanced office environment.