How Can I Improve Office Acoustics?

The two main complaints of poor acoustics in the workplace include lack of speech privacy and reduced productivity from distracting noises. If you’ve identified that noise is a problem in your work environment, you may be wondering what you can do about it. The good news is that there are several ways you can control your office acoustics and manage unwanted noise. We’re going to discuss your options in this article. 

Sound masking – what is it, and how can it help improve your office acoustics?

Sound masking makes a building seem quieter by raising the ambient noise level of an environment. It can essentially help your office acoustics by reducing the levels of distracting noise, whilst raising the levels of speech privacy.

Utilising ambient sound that matches the frequency of human speech, sound masking renders background conversations unintelligible and more like a gentle murmur or hum. It works on the basis that when you can’t actively listen-in or identify what is being said, the sound of speech becomes far less distracting.

A high majority of office workers will know what it’s like to contend with focusing on the task in hand whilst hearing phone conversations and general discussions from across the room. And that’s not to mention all the other office-related noises such as typing and ringtones.

Whilst some people can naturally zone out these noises, there’s no doubt that for many this disrupts the flow of work. Over time this means that tasks take longer to complete or are not finished to as high a standard as they could be. It can also increase stress levels, potentially resulting in increased absences and staff turnovers.

In fact, in our 2019 Noise and Wellbeing in the workplace survey 96% of those surveyed said that they were interrupted by noise-related distractions at least once a day and over half of office workers reported that noise was an issue in their workplace.

But with help from a sound masking solution, all that energy wasted on trying to mentally drown out the commonplace noise distractions can now be a thing of the past.

What about soundscaping?

Soundscaping certainly adds another dimension to improving acoustics in your office by offering gentle, non-looping biophilic sounds inspired by the natural environment. From birdsong to cityscape sounds, this technology is designed to boost wellbeing and comfort in the workplace.

Final thoughts

Sound masking is not only an effective way to improve the acoustics in your office. The solution will not only improve the comfort of your work environment and wellbeing of your employees, but also enhance productivity.

If you’re interested in improving the acoustics in your workplace Remark Group can supply and install both sound masking and soundscape systems. Our skilled sound engineers will ensure that the acoustic technology integrated effectively in the areas you want to improve, so all you have to do is enjoy the benefits.

To find out more or to book a demonstration, contact us today.