Sound masking is often thought of as a tool for large, crowded workplaces. With speakers distributed precisely throughout your office, hundreds of people can collaborate in groups or take business calls without distracting those around them. That makes it popular in today’s open plan offices.
As 2021 approaches, many business leaders are looking for ways to reorganize the office and provide more space for individuals. Large and small companies alike are implementing techniques such as staggered shifts and remote work to reduce occupancy on their property.
Public health guidelines vary, but as a rule, the more space you give to each person in your office, the better. Companies often aim to reduce their total occupancy by 30% or cut it to around 50%, whichever leads to a lower number of people on the job.
Under these circumstances, you might think that sound masking is not as important as it was. However, the opposite is true: If you’re lowering the number of personnel who work each shift and especially if you’re re-organizing an office’s layout, it is the best time to introduce sound masking.
Sound Masking Delivers Productivity Benefits Aligned With Your Workplace’s “Next Normal”
Companies are investing more in facilities as they look for ways to upgrade and update the work environment. While sound masking may have seemed like a “nice to have” before, implementing it now will give you an edge when it comes to optimizing your new workspace.
Let’s look at the clear advantages sound masking offers:
- It Helps Teams Work Together More Effectively
Some open plan offices are being divided into small private offices. However, even in these cases, you need a central location for teams to be able to work together. This may be a remaining “open” area or it may take the form of dedicated conference rooms that offer space and seating for presentations.
No matter where teams are working – whether out in the open or in a large room – sound masking helps. It ensures proceedings cannot be overheard by those who aren’t participating. It can also improve acoustical quality of a conference room, where a speaker’s voice might otherwise be difficult to hear.
By ensuring fewer auditory distractions, you enhance concentration and recall. This is especially important in today’s working environment, where leaders are learning to schedule fewer meetings and keep attendance manageable, but still need to be sure communication is top notch.
- It Protects Your Interests With Your Remote Workforce
Enterprises of all sizes are embracing remote collaboration like never before. This represents a huge culture change, as telecommuting has usually been looked at as a perk or a luxury. Now, companies not only need to make way for it, but also have plans in place for what can go wrong.
Sound masking is one way to protect yourself.
When remote team members call in to the office, you may not be able to control the environment they are in. But you can equip your workplace with sound masking so that, no matter what, calls can’t be overheard by the public or unauthorized personnel on your side of the conversation.
Sound masking does not reduce call quality and isn’t perceptible to your staff working from home. So, while they might have to take extra steps to eliminate distractions like children and pets, they won’t have trouble hearing you. To the contrary, you will actually curb extraneous noise on your end.
- It Is More Critical If Your Reception Area Is Low-Traffic
Speech privacy has always been a major advantage of sound masking. If you’re taking action to reduce crowding in your reception area, sound masking is a natural next step. After all, one person speaking quietly to your front desk employees is far more likely to be overheard than four or five.
Healthcare providers of all stripes, from internists to dentists to nutritionists, should roll out sound masking in their offices to safeguard Protected Health Information. Accountants and others who rely on sensitive financial information should do the same: It helps you defend against an accidental confidentiality breach.
What’s more, the benefits of sound masking can extend to your marketing and advertising. Mention that you use sound masking in your waiting room signage and your visitors will understand that you go the extra mile to protect them, even if they’ve never heard of sound masking before.
- It Keeps Full-Timers And Contractors On Track
Do you have a blended workforce consisting of full-time and contract employees? If so, it’s vital to use sound masking in any areas of your business where confidential information is discussed.
Contract employees often aren’t privy to all of a company’s trade secrets, but they work alongside full-time staff who are. Strictly overseeing contractor movement isn’t always possible. Plus, strong controls can create a more difficult and less productive work environment. Sound masking exercises “soft power” over your space.
Contractors can fill a vital slot in your workforce, but you never know what they’ll overhear or who they might work for next. Sound masking gives you an added layer of control without adding more policies and procedures.
- The Necessary Equipment Can Be Integrated Right Into Your Ceilings
Sound masking can be achieved with speakers that point directly down from the ceiling or by “bouncing” the sound waves off walls or other objects. These are the “direct” and “indirect” methods, respectively, and they work better in different environments depending on various acoustical factors.
If you are clearing out your office of its current furniture, rearranging partitions, or even considering structural work on your walls, sound masking fits easily into your plans. You’ll have the maximum number of options for setting up your sound system in a way that will add long-term value.
Once installed, your sound masking equipment is intended to work for years. Speakers that are placed in hard-to-reach areas can be adjusted with a central management utility instead of taking them down for calibration. That means updates take only minutes in the future.
Atlantic Communications Team Helps Teams Across Florida Enjoy Sound Masking Benefits
Atlantic Communications Team delivers the best sound masking in the business by understanding your space inside and out. Our professionals have decades of experience aligning new infrastructure to the unique qualities of your building. Our expertise is reflected in our sound masking, structure cabling, and many other services.
When you explore sound masking with us, we will listen to your needs and evaluate your office from top to bottom. Whether you have a large corporate campus or a compact footprint, we will develop an approach tailored to you. After installation, your sound masking system works seamlessly and rarely needs attention.
You’re already making a commitment to improve the quality of your office. The choices you make now could shape your company for years to come. Why not leverage today’s cutting-edge sound masking technology to make the environment more productive for everybody?
To find out more or get started, contact us today.