Ah, the buzz of an office workplace. People are walking around, chatting with coworkers about their weekends and asking them questions regarding the team meeting happening later in the day. Assistants are shepherding clients from the entranceway to a conference room, asking them if they’d like any coffee or water before the meeting starts. Bathroom doors are swinging open, cabinets are being slammed shut, and you’re trying to crank out some various tasks on your lengthy to-do list within a reasonable amount of time.
While there are benefits — and sometimes perks — of working in an office building, it can be difficult to get work done with all the hustle and bustle. Even though more offices are updating their spaces to include open-plan seating arrangements and collaborative layouts for productivity’s sake, in reality, these plans may only be adding to the excessive noise problem. Not only is office noise an inconvenience, but it is a quantifiable performance issue.
Telling your coworker to “keep it down” or working alone when the rest of the team is huddled together can quickly make you the Debbie Downer of the office. However, office noise is more than just an annoyance. Read on to learn more about why office noise is so problematic and how room-level approaches to noise can help organizations rethink how sound behaves.
Why Office Noise is Problematic
Office noise is problematic because it impacts productivity, quality of work, and stress levels.
On the productivity front, constant, unpredictable noise can cause constant distractions. You may be heads down in a spreadsheet, making important calculations, when a nearby neighbor asks if you have a pen handy. This one distraction can turn into a full conversation about lunch plans or after-work happy hours. Before you know it, you’re staring back at your spreadsheet minutes later, trying to remember what you were doing before handing over the pen. Interrupted workflows can break focus and lead to impaired thinking and cognitive performance.
This, of course, decreases the quality of work. Office noise can disrupt concentration, increasing error rates. That important calculation you were doing goes awry just because someone distracted you mid-thought. And while many offices are modernizing their floor plans to include open-office seating arrangements in hopes of improving collaboration and quality of work, these “upgrades” lack acoustic privacy. Without the right acoustic systems in place, the office space can quickly turn into a chaotic landscape louder than a zoo!
But the ramifications arising from office noise go beyond work efficiencies; it can also lead to higher stress levels. Excessive noise automatically triggers the body’s stress response, sometimes called the “fight or flight” response. When the body perceives a threat, the system is flooded with adrenaline and cortisol to prepare it for action. Even if it’s just a slamming door, your body is on high alert. Rapid breathing, increased heart rate, and tense muscles create a state of heightened awareness that can take upwards of 60 minutes to fully calm down from.
What Are Solutions to the Office Noise Problem
This isn’t to say that companies should send all their employees home forever and insist on remote work. There are many benefits of working amongst colleagues in an office setting. The key is to address the noise problem proactively, installing the right types of acoustic systems and soundproofing materials to lessen the impact. Here’s what to consider.
Think Room-Level, Not Surface-Only Treatments
For the most effective noise control, you want to think about the space holistically. This means adding a diffusion system, rather than putting up a three-quarters wall in hopes that noise won’t carry over. An acoustic diffusion system is designed to scatter mid-to-high frequency sound waves, reducing echoes. They are often made from wood or plastic, and can be ideal for larger conference rooms as well as collaborative open-plan spaces to deflect sound reflections.
Make Appropriate Layout Adjustments
Don’t think that everyone needs to be in sealed cubicles to lessen the office noise problem! A few layout adjustments can drastically help. Adding in separate quiet areas away from kitchens, bathrooms, and large printers can be helpful. A secured “pod” for private calls and independent work can also be beneficial. Desk arrangement can also be key; long, open rows can amplify noise, while smaller cluster-style desks can help keep noise to a minimum.
Don’t Fall for “Cheap” Solutions
Effective noise reduction requires a level of investment. Acoustic solutions designed for your company’s specific office space may be more of an upfront cost, but they will get the job done. On the other hand, cheaper, ineffective hacks like area rugs and plants are often last-ditch fixes that won’t do much in terms of sound blocking.
Working with a team of acoustic professionals who understand the infrastructure issues of noise will ensure that the workplace’s noise issues are properly addressed. They can suggest the right acoustic solutions, including diffusers, panels, ceiling tiles, and more, that will solve the noise problem once and for all.
Final Thoughts
Working alongside coworkers can enhance collaboration, social well-being, and help maintain a sense of balance between work and life. But when office noise becomes more than an annoyance, it can be a quantifiable performance issue. Room-level, acoustic panel systems are essential for any workplace that wants to reap the benefits of office life without diminishing its productivity levels.
