WORKSPACE
Mitigating Noisy Workspaces: How To Support Focused Communication Through Audio Technology As future-of-work and return-to-office strategies evolve, so do physical workplaces. Organisations are redefining environments to prioritise collaboration, transforming traditional offices into dynamic “community hubs” that foster interaction and teamwork. This includes replacing rows of fixed desks with versatile arrangements featuring breakout areas, shared workspaces, and technologically integrated environments.
These reimagined spaces are designed for flexibility, accommodating collaborative projects, training sessions, and informal meetings. The goal is to create engaging and adaptive environments where employees can easily transition between different types of work, thereby enhancing communication, innovation, and productivity. However, this emphasis on communal areas brings heightened noise levels. Often seen as an inevitable part of modern office life, noise can severely impact employee productivity by increasing cognitive load, making it hard to concentrate and contributing to stress and reduced well-being. Studies have also linked high noise levels in open offices to decreased job satisfaction, potentially leading to higher turnover rates. Even enclosed meeting spaces can become noisy and disruptive due to varied factors – from physical space design and external noise sources to the number of participants and the nature and intensity of discussions – with the compound effects impacting both on-site and remote participants. These issues can detract from the clarity of discussions, participant focus, and decision-making. The Basics: Acoustic Design The combination of thoughtful space design practices and advanced audio technology can have a huge influence in eliminating auditory disruptions and help to create a balanced setting that supports both collaboration and individual focus. For example, installing acoustic treatments such as the use of sound-absorbing panels and materials can significantly reduce ambient
noise. Furniture arrangement and the use of partitions can further help to create micro- environments that help control noise levels in focus areas. Organisational strategies like zoning different areas based on activity type are also ideal for reducing noise in open spaces. Some organisations establish scheduled quiet hours, or designate specific quiet zones that help manage noise depending on the nature of the work being performed in different areas. Enabling Individual Employees with the Right Gear For hotdesking and desktop-based video conferencing, providing employees with professional audio equipment is another option to avoid irritating background sounds both for the individual employee and the person they’re talking to remotely. Noise- cancellation headphones like Shure’s AONIC 50 Gen 2 allow workers to maintain focus on the task or conversation at hand. Desktop microphones like the popular MV7+ podcast mic are a great solution to enhance speech while reducing background noise in online meetings through features like Voice Isolation Technology and a DSP engine with Real-Time Denoiser. Combat Noise Challenges through Meeting Room Audio Solutions Audio technologies are an even more critical enabler in meeting spaces. High-quality, reliable speech capture and reproduction are essential for efficient communication and collaboration, garnering increased attention from IT decision makers. Beyond mitigating
The combination of thoughtful space design practices and advanced audio technology can have a huge influence in eliminating auditory disruptions...
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