The irritating sound of the office shredder…
Distracting clunks of the office coffee machine…
The chatter of co-workers who are going through a 50 slide PPT on the office floor…
Every workspace is defined by the above-listed noises. As most of the offices opt for an open plan layout, securing the privacy of individual employees becomes a cause for concern.
In recent years, there have been so many articles and researches done on how companies can improve productivity. Using software tools, work apps, and even meditation have been recommended as ways to boost productivity.
While all the above make a difference, experts feel that we are not paying attention to small things that matter. A lot of new studies have come up highlighting the effects of workplace noise.
In this article, we are going to focus on one critical component that can help us improve productivity in the workplace- noise-canceling headphones.
Noise-canceling Headphones: What are they?
Everyone knows what headphones are. They have become a staple in our everyday lives. We listen to music on them, go through audiobooks on our way to work, and also use them extensively for making calls or remote work.
- Noise-canceling headphones enable the wearer to drown out all the ambient noise that exists within their environment.
- If you are wearing one, you are only listening to what is coming through the headphones and nothing else.
- This means you are not overhearing someone else’s chatter, incessant honking coming from the streets, or the paper shredder at work.
- Studies point out that an average professional spends just 11 minutes on their work without getting distracted and losing focus.
- Noise-canceling headphones come with a feature called Active Noise Control or ANC. The waveform created helps in canceling out additional noises.
- The amplifier generates a sound that takes into account the surrounding noises and helps dim or drowns them completely.
Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella says that the commodity that will be most scarce in coming years would be ‘human attention.
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5 Ways Noise Canceling Headphones Improve Work Productivity
1. Great for Remote Working Professionals-
If you are someone whose offices have shifted to a work-from-home model, then these are perfect for you. As compared to the office, the home is a place where distractions abound. Plus, you do not have that culture of speaking in hushed tones to ensure the other person does not get distracted. For remote working professionals, noise-canceling headphones are great.
2. Help in understanding communication on audio and video calls-
We know how important it is to understand what the other person is saying on the call. There might be internet lags and other impediments to completing the flow of communication. Using noise-canceling headphones goes a long way in ensuring that the communication barriers are removed. You do not want to request the client to keep repeating what they are saying.
3. Improves the attention span of employees-
Not getting distracted every ten minutes means that the focus and attention span increases. This means that more work can get done in the same period as compared to earlier times. This is especially important for open planned offices that have hundreds of employees working together on the same floor. Improving productivity is the aim of every business out there.
4. Make on-the-go work and concentration levels better-
So many of us are working on our PPTs while driving to the client’s office. Or, we are arranging excel sheets while taking the first flight out. In both situations, there is simply too much ambient noise for anyone to concentrate to the best of their abilities. Simply playing white noise on the noise-canceling headphones can help drown everything from the outside world.
5. Promotes a better culture at the workplace among young employees-
A lot of us listen to music while we work. There have indeed been contradictory reports around the same. However, younger professionals feel at ease listening to music and working. This is something most if not all start-ups can attest to. This not only helps in creating a positive work culture but also attracts younger professionals who love their music.
The Bottom Line
Simple tools like noise-canceling headphones can go a long way in improving work productivity. The culture of the boss shouting from his cabin to get the attention of someone is slowly fading. If we want to talk to someone or request them to come, we usually ping them on Skype or any other similar messaging app. Do you think noise-canceling headphones should be integrated as an essential tool for improving workplace productivity? Let us know in the comments below.
