Surprising results about wearing headphones and productivity

Surprising results about wearing headphones and productivitySurprising results about wearing headphones and productivityYou see it in practically every company environment, especially those with open plan officespeople wearing headphones. Headphone usage at work was much more controversial a decade ago, when most employers would likely have equated this behavior with elend focusing on the job. But today, its a given at many organizations that a contingent of employees will opt to createpersonal focus and gruppierung out distractions by donning some form of earbuds.Does this strategy help or hinder productivity, and why are people really using headphones while working?A new study by Cloud Cover Music of over 1,000 employees and employers on music at workfound that wellover half (56%) of employees regularly use headphones in the office. The research also revealed some truths about this behavior that you might not expect- and which might provide you with the fuel you need to request mor e workplace flexibility from your employer. Here are some of the top findings.Tuning out colleagues.Nearly half of people surveyed (46%) said they have used headphones toavoid talking to their coworkers, and just under a third (30%) use headphones primarily tocancel outside noise. Certain industries saw even higher percentages of people choosing to wear headphones as conversation blockers, including government and public administration employees (around two-thirds of unterstellung groups) transportation and warehousing employees (nearly 60%) and technology, scientific, and marketing/advertising employees (at least half of the workers in each of these groups).Its an interesting revelation, particularly when you think about the ramifications of working in open-office spaces. Proponents of open-office cultures often feel such barrier-free work zones will create greater collaboration and an ongoing opportunity for valuable information exchange among team members. The fact is, though, th at if youre responsible for specific workplace deliverables, at some point, the chatter must cease in order to actually produce anything. This studys results suggest thatmany employeesarent able to focus in their work environmentwithout creating a barrier between themselves and others via headphones.Getting work done.The finding about using headphones to tune out colleagues also may be of interest concerning theproductivity benefits of workplace flexibility. The study found that the vast majority of employees (nearly 80%) feel that listening to music increases their productivity at work, and around two-thirds of workers feel this way about wearing headphones in general.People who are forced to engage in face time at the office have to choose between being able to zero-in on their work, or chatting with colleagues- and when the former is needed, it often leads people to try to block out the noise (and those around them) with noise-cancelling headphones or music. When you work from ho me or remotely, however,you have much more control over creating therightsituations, at the right time, to connect with colleagues without having to worry that it means not getting the job done.If youve been looking for an angle torequest a work-from-home arrangement, consider sharing these findings with your employer. While theideaof constant collaboration and access may appeal to certain people in certain positions, the reality is that those who are charged with focusing and producing things during their workdayneed a zone thats free from distractions to achieve this. If the only way you can get your work done in the office is to screen others out by wearing headphones, perhaps its time for a change.This article was originally posted on FlexJobs.