Enhance Staff Productivity and the Work Environment

According to Bloomberg, about one-quarter of all office space in the U.S. may be vacant in the near future, thanks to our current work-from-home environment. A poll by Jones Lang LaSalle, a global real estate firm, reported that over 85% of respondents have implemented a hybrid workforce in the U.S.

In response, businesses are scaling down, decreasing costs by reducing their footprint. For many, that translates to an open office where employees share space. However, this environment comes with its own challenges, such as too many distractions and too little privacy.

As a result, organizations in San Jose, CA, are turning to sound masking for offices. Let’s explore what it offers your business.

SEE ALSO: AV Systems Are Transforming How We Communicate and Connect

The Problem with the Open-Office Plan

Open floor plans with no walls or doors allow sound to travel through space unencumbered. Private conversations and discussions over the phone are readily heard, making employees uncomfortable about disturbing someone nearby or hearing information that should not be shared.

Additionally, each sound is a potential distraction. From the sound of typing to conversations and meetings, minds drift away from the task at hand and focus on the disturbance. To control unwanted noise, organizations may turn to fabric panels that absorb sound waves. They’ve also tried huddle spaces—tucked away areas that allow for small groups to come together and collaborate with each other and remote participants. The challenge is finding space and creating an area where sound doesn’t bleed in or out. 

What Is Sound Masking?

Another solution that is growing in use is office sound masking. Interestingly, sound masking introduces background noise into the environment, the opposite of what one would typically consider a solution. The answer to how it works lies in science. 

When most people talk, it’s at about 65 decibels. The further they move away from you, the softer their voice becomes until, at about 12 feet away, it’s considered indirect speech. Sound masking is audio that’s just above the level of indirect speech, covering up distant conversations with a comfortable sound. 

This perfectly balanced audio obscures human speech and goes practically unnoticed. Usually set between about 40 to 48 decibels, it’s designed to sound like airflow. The ambient noise also adjusts automatically, increasing in volume as the level of noise increases in the office and reducing in volume as the office becomes quieter.

A study by Valtteri Hongisto of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health found that office workers were significantly less distracted by conversation when they were in a radius of 15 to 40 feet from a sound-masking loudspeaker.

Working with PCD

At PCD, we’ve been designing, engineering, installing, and maintaining audio-video systems since 1981. Our expertise, industry knowledge, and the partnerships we’ve developed guarantee a customized system optimized for your needs and property. Moreover, our Continuing Support program ensures all issues are addressed,  offering remote incident resolution, on-site system maintenance, a remote helpdesk, and more. 

 

To learn more about sound masking for your office or to schedule a complimentary consultation, contact PCD today.