What is a soundscape?
In today’s dynamic workplace, ensuring that workplace wellbeing and employees productivity remain high is integral to a health and creative workforce. One way that employees can assist in enhancing these is through soundscapes.
A soundscape is a sound, or a combination of sounds, to create an immersive environment. When we apply this to the workplace, a soundscape is a sound, or a combination of sounds, to create a productive, creative and immersive environment.
How can a soundscape enhance workplace wellbeing?
With the use of immersive natural sounds, soundscapes can assist to a sense of comfort and wellbeing in the workplace. Unwanted noise is proven to reduce wellbeing and office comfort, in the ‘Noise and Wellbeing at Work’ survey 2019, it was found that almost half of UK office workers state that noise has a negative impact on their workplace wellbeing. From this we can see that something needs to be done to enhance the acoustical properties in a workplace.
In a 2019 study it was found that spending time in natural environments can benefit health and wellbeing. For those that don’t have access to nature living and working in a built-up city or suburban area means getting to nature can be difficult. Employees have a sense of duty to ensure that their employees are not only happy but healthy as well.
Soundscapes can be installed into an environment to create a subtle and immersive background sound. Nature sounds in a soundscape tend to sit in the back of the subconscious, most employees don’t realise they are there and tend to tune out to them. Not only does this help employee’s collaborative more naturally, it also helps to enhance the sense of wellbeing. The subconscious believes that they are surrounded by nature which helps to produce feelings of calm, happiness and enhance overall wellbeing.
How can a soundscape improve productivity?
It is no lie that a happy and healthy workforce is a productive one. In the ‘Noise and Wellbeing at Work’ survey 2019, it was found that shrieks of laughter and conversations of variable volume are reported as the most distracting and being listened to whilst on the phone is an annoyance.
Once again, noise is a source of dissatisfaction in the workplace, unwanted sound and noise is causing the UK workforce to be unproductive and easily distracted. Soundscapes can be integrated with sound masking to create a private and productive workforce.
Soundscapes with sound masking raises the ambient noise level in the treated area and helps to mask unwanted sounds like telephone conversations, loud phone calls and even sneezing and coughing. Sound masking works with the soundscapes to create a balanced and quieter environment, reducing distractions and allowing employees to be more productive and one in four UK office workers say that their working environment is not conducive to productive working
What kind of soundscapes are available?
The most obvious soundscapes are those inspired by nature; bird song, waterfalls and wind blowing through trees are all linked to create a productive and collaborative workplace.
Other soundscapes are available and are all dependant on the needs and requirements of the treated area and employees. Busy city noises like London and New York can also be added to soundscapes for those that are used to the hustle and bustle of a city and find it relaxing. You can listen to some soundscapes here.
Remark Group work with your company to provide the best solution to help your workforce become more productive, more collaborative and most importantly to enhance workers wellbeing. Get in touch today.
