If you’re like many businesses, you’ve been transitioning from remote work to hybrid or fully in-office work. From rekindling old coworker friendships to making a splash in your vibrant work culture, increasing productivity, and more, going back to the office brings a variety of benefits.
However, it’s also important to note that this transition might not be taken seamlessly by all of your staff. While they may look forward to feeling more like a team again, many people have been working remotely for many years, and sudden changes can be difficult to endure.
Building Systems Solutions is here to help!
With our custom-made, tailored-to-your-needs sound masking systems, we can help you make your company’s return to in-person work sensationally stress-free.
Sound Masking: The Ultimate Stress-Buster
Switching from working from home to working in a noisier office environment can be quite taxing for some employees. After working in the relative quiet of a home office, your staff must now switch gears at the drop of a hat. It’s a lot to ask, and some employees may struggle with the transition. This transition can cause significant stress, negatively impacting productivity and reducing overall happiness.
Enter sound masking.
Sound masking enables you to eliminate the constant auditory distractions of outside conversations and create a quiet workspace that mimics the environment of a home office. Extroverted staff can rejoice in being able to speak to coworkers in person again without needing to yell in a noisy office, while introverted ones can socialize at their own pace and focus without constant interruptions and background noise.
What About the Long Term?
A sound-managed workspace isn’t just an in-the-moment comfort; we’ve dedicated a whole blog post to How Sound Masking Increases Worker Comfort.
Even after your team is well-established once more, they’ll appreciate working in the flexible, pro-privacy environment that sound masking creates. In fact, not only does sound masking have long-term benefits of increased productivity, employee happiness, and a calmer environment, but sound masking also has a high ROI.
With a calmer, more focused environment, your employees can accomplish more work during the day, leading to increased revenue for your company. Time is money, after all.
If you want to see your potential ROI for your company, check out our sound masking ROI calculator, which will give you an ROI estimate after installing a sound masking system.
Addressing Sound Masking Doubts
Many people have doubts about sound masking, but these doubts can be remedied by learning more about this amazing technology.
Building Systems Solutions addresses some of the misinformation about sound masking that circulates around the Internet.
Sound Masking Is Not White Noise
For instance, if you hear the term “sound masking” and think of “white noise,” you might be surprised to learn that they are different things. White noise is a persistent, static-like sound that contributes to the overall noise level of a room or space.
Sound masking differs because the sound emitted is specifically designed for your unique space. Additionally, the volume levels will adjust according to the noise level, creating a more comfortable sound that is less noticeable than white noise.
Sound Masking Makes Offices Quieter
Now that you know sound masking is not the same as white noise, you can see how it can make an office quieter. With a gentle, consistent background sound, abrupt noises and distractions are less noticeable to employees who are trying to work.
Sound masking helps balance the room’s acoustics, reducing speech distractions.
Sound Masking Protects Privacy
Many sectors, such as finance and healthcare, require strict adherence to privacy and confidentiality. In an open space without sound masking, speech and conversations can travel to unintended ears, compromising private information. Sound masking helps keep conversations private by masking voices and preventing them from traveling through hallways, doors, and open areas.
The specific frequency of sound masking devices muffles human speech, allowing healthcare facilities to maintain HIPAA compliance and helping financial institutions protect their customers’ information.
With Reduced Stress, Your Team Can Embrace Productivity
Pivoting, switching approaches, whatever you want to call it—that takes energy, and that energy could be better spent on the task at hand. When you maintain a comfortable, home-like atmosphere with sound masking, you’ll give your team the physical resources they need to succeed.
That’s not a temporary benefit, either; check our sound masking blog, How Does Sound Masking Increase Worker Productivity?
Remember: Happier employees are more productive employees, so creating a space that allows them to do their jobs with fewer distractions is a good idea.
If you want to take sound masking and employee happiness to the next level, consider combining sound masking with biophilic design elements. This trend involves incorporating natural elements into office spaces to create a seamless blend of indoors and outdoors, which can help enhance physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
By combining robust sound masking with natural elements like plants, bird sounds, and waterfalls, you can create a welcoming and serene environment that fosters employee well-being and productivity. Make your office a space where employees want to be, and they will be there.
To quote the 1989 movie Field of Dreams, “If you build it, he will come.”
Building Systems Solutions: Solving All Your Sound Management Needs
Now is the perfect time to have sound masking work done. At Building Systems Solutions, we'll be there with you every step of the way. Take your team into the future with confidence and contact our Blaine office today at 763-502-1515.