How to combat noise at work

Sound advice for office acoustics

How much are you disturbed by other people in your office? Are you constantly distracted by the conversations going on around you? If so, you’re not alone.

Picture a typical, open-plan office today – minimalist design – perhaps some collaboration or chat over the desks – a few people having a game of pool at a nearby breakout area – others talking loudly on the phone

This type of workplace is designed to build a culture of openness and improve business performance and productivity. It’s good in many ways and encourages collaboration, spontaneous interactions and flexibility. But beware – there are disadvantages which management should be aware of.

Key findings from a recent survey of over 1,200 senior executives and non-executives from a range of industries, found problems with this style of workplace – the main one being too much noise and distraction from others: “Workers want to work” says the report: “The ability to focus without interruptions is a top priority for employees.”

So where do we go from here? While discussing workplace designs with clients, we notice that although management and staff tell us they mainly benefit from open working, at times, noise levels, being constantly distracted and not having somewhere private to make calls or to concentrate can be a major source of stress.

Because of this, Ben Johnson Interiors always designs workplaces with acoustics at their core. There are lots of different ways we can do this and often we include them all.