When an office is buzzing, it feels alive, creative, and enthusiastic.
But if that’s how your office behaves during every working hour, it’s likely that vibe isn’t working for everyone.
In 2021, open plan workplaces are more common than not. But while some people thrive on a permanent buzz around the office, others need peace and quiet to think and be creative. For some people, a quiet office makes them bored and uninspired. For others, silence gives them space to think, breathe, and get a tonne of work done.
An acoustic pod from Silent Pod is the ideal solution for employers who want to add quiet, private, functional and stylish spaces to their offices. But what are the benefits of an acoustic pod and why are quiet zones so important in an office?
Acoustics
With the rise of Zoom and Teams versus face-to-face meetings, workplaces have had to come up with innovative solutions to managing noise and interruptions for other people.
Pierre Ferrandon is the Head of Marketing and Research for DB Interiors and was previously the New Zealand Managing Director for IWG, the largest flexible workspace provider in the world. He says acoustics are becoming increasingly important for companies to consider when designing office floor plans because, while there’s a push to cut costs on overheads like rent, reducing space and not considering acoustics could seriously impact employee productivity.
“When you drive efficiencies up, you have less space per person,” he says. “Therefore, people are closer to each other so soundproofing and acoustics are becoming more important. Generally, the impact of not having good acoustics is quite terrible because people can’t focus and do their jobs properly.”
Encouraging people to take phone calls and Zoom meetings in an acoustic booth minimises distractions and disruptions.
Productivity
Sometimes being productive equals head down, butt up. Some people find stepping away from their desk and into a dedicated quiet zone just the tonic they need to get away from their colleagues, focus on their work, and pour all of their attention into it.
Ferrandon says that productivity and acoustics go hand in hand.
“In New Zealand we have a lot of commercial office stock which is very poor compared with what we can find in more mature markets. This means offices haven’t been initially designed with good acoustic qualities so what tenants put inside the office from an interior perspective has to be very thoughtful, otherwise you end up with offices where people cannot work productively.”
Focus
They say that a change of scenery is as good as a holiday. Well, a change of scenery in the office can be just what employees need to get away from everything and refocus their energies on something else. When individuals or groups need to focus on a project, working in a quiet zone is often more fruitful and creative than at their desks. Quiet planning corners or Silent Pod acoustic booths let staff mentally step away from their day-to-day tasks and into a dedicated space that allows them to work the way they want.
Privacy
Employees need access to private spaces where they can work on confidential work or take private phone calls. A Silent Pod acoustic booth offers privacy away from everyone else’s eyes and ears. Because it’s on wheels, staff can move a Silent Pod around the office wherever they need it most too.
Meetings
Creative planning sessions might work in a vibrant, lively space but meetings often need to be held somewhere that’s more private and professional. A Silent Pod makes it easy for managers to hold private one-on-ones with employees, sales staff to discuss confidential deals with clients, and real estate agents to finish property deals.