Ways to support highly sensitive people (HSPs) in your workplace

Highly sensitive individuals (HSPs) can be compared to sponges, perceiving and absorbing all details and nuances from their surroundings. They are highly influenced by social interaction and office dynamics, which allow them to thrive and show novel talents. What can be done to make the office support this 20% of the population?

Managers appreciate the HSPs’ accuracy-focused working style and their empathetic nature, which sets them apart as both meticulous workers and thoughtful colleagues. However, there is one issue: their tendency to get overstimulated, especially within bustling, open-plan, collaborative workspaces. That’s why, an HPS-supportive office should provide employees with private and peaceful spaces. This can be achieved by introducing mobile Hushoffice pods into the office, which additionally add flexibility to the layout

– says Mateusz Barczyk, Senior Brand Manager, Hushoffice.

HSPs are characterised by sensory processing sensitivity.

This contributes to an increased nervous system response to physical, emotional, and social stimuli. Thus, HSPs are considerably influenced by various kinds of input, ranging from hunger to flickering lights to other team members’ gestures.

They absorb more input and reflect on it more intensely than other individuals.

This makes them hyper-attentive to the surroundings, but also vulnerable to overstimulation. It’s crucial to remember that high sensitivity is not a disorder or a handicap, but a quality with its benefits and challenges.

Typical traits of HSPs vary from introspectiveness to shyness.

Has anyone ever told you that you are too sensitive? Or you overanalyse? Maybe you have a keen feel for textures? Are you enthralled with films much more than your friends? If yes, you might be a highly sensitive person.

• Fatigued by surrounding stimuli, including bright lightning, noise, strong smells, or diverse textures
• Stressed out by strict deadlines
• Seeking isolation after a busy, demanding day
• Avoiding violent entertainment
• Appreciative of fine aspects of life, such as delicate flavours
• Sensitive to art and beauty
• Moved by true, heartfelt narratives
• Characterised by rich inner life
• Considered shy or over sensitive as a child

Highly Sensitive Persons Scale (HSPS) was devised by Elaine Aron, an American clinical research psychologist who coined the term highly sensitive person. Aron, who identifies herself as an HSP, has dedicated her professional career to understanding individuals with high sensitivity.

Empathetic and meticulous, HSPs add valuable qualities to the working environment.

With their highly active mirror neurons, HSPs are keenly aware of their colleagues’ psychological conditions. Although sometimes dismissed as irritable, they are characterised by high levels of emotional intelligence, which makes them attentive and imaginative thinkers as well as valuable team members. The point is that HSP need to be adequately supported by their working environment

– says Mateusz Barczyk, Senior Brand Manager, Hushoffice.

It’s the central characteristic of high sensitivity – deep processing – that makes HSPs attentive and detail-oriented. Additionally, they demonstrate exceptional interpersonal skills with their natural ease to adjust to other people’s feelings and emotional states.

HSPs may be overwhelmed in a working environment that boosts performance among their colleagues.

Open-plan offices may impede an HSP’s productivity.

Highly sensitive individuals need privacy and quiet to be able to fully focus on their tasks. If not provided with both, they may experience anxiety and feel like locked in a cage within a noisy and exposed environment.

Let’s consider the following scenario. As we know, HSPs can be slower on the uptake due to an excessive number of stimuli they need to process. At times they may seem negligent of their duties, when, in fact, they are intensively pondering on the problem. While they may feel uncomfortable and discouraged from proceeding at their own pace, providing them with private workspaces is a game-changer. A one-person pod, such as hushHybrid is an excellent choice, allowing your highly sensitive employees to take their time without worrying about being judged

– claims Mateusz Barczyk, Senior Brand Manager, Hushoffice.

To be inclusive, the workplace should provide employees with private spaces, such as pods and booths.

HSPs need spaces with a limited number of stimuli, allowing them to retreat and take a break from the office hustle and bustle. That’s why meeting booths and work pods are a spot-on solution.

Offering private spaces to HSPs can turn them into your Most Valuable Players (MVPs).

This will give them an opportunity to freely navigate their tasks at their own pace, enjoying their personal bubble in a distraction-free environment. Acoustically-designed, noise-reducing booths and pods are a top-notch solution to consider. As focus-conducive, quiet sanctuaries, they are a perfect choice for HSPs’ working environment.

Find out more about our Hushoffice collection of booths and pods. And if you have any questions, feel free to contact us 🙂.

Highly sensitive persons in the workplace – Frequently Asked Questions.

What are the characteristics of an HSP?

You might be a highly sensitive person if you are highly sensitive to stimuli, such as lighting, sounds, smells, or textures. If you are stressed out by strict deadlines. If you are attracted to finer aspects of life e.g. particular flavours. If heart-warming stories and art touch you deeply. If you need some me-time in isolation after busy days at work. If you disapprove of violent images in films. If you have a rich inner world. Or you were a shy, touchy child. All the above-mentioned qualities are typical of HSPs.

How can the workspace support the needs of HSPs?

To accommodate the HPSs’ need for peace and quiet, provide them with private workspaces. This will allow them to take breaks from the office hubbub and maintain undisturbed focus on their tasks. Meeting booths and work pods are a spot-on solution as they ensure impeccable acoustics and isolation from the busy office floor.

What do HSPs need to thrive in an office environment?

First and foremost, they need private workspaces.  As highly sensitive individuals absorb more sensory input from the surrounding world and process it more thoroughly, they are more likely to become overwhelmed. That’s why they need regular breaks from both social and environmental stimuli. Booths and pods are an excellent solution, providing workers with quiet refuge from the office hustle and bustle (read more: Hushoffice collection).