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Is Music in the Office Appropriate?

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music at work

Summary: There are some workplaces that thrive when music plays, whereas others require a more silent atmosphere. Watch the productivity of employees to determine what kind of workplace your company falls in.

Listening to music is a pastime enjoyed by most people. We listen to it while cooking, doing yard work, driving in the car, cleaning the house, and when at social events, but is listening to music at work productive? Some companies see increased productivity when music is playing. It all depends on the type of person, the type of work they are doing, and the type of music that is playing.

While music can be enjoyable to listen to while working, the type of music is important. Playing Beyonce’s latest hit may not allow for the most productive work from employees. Not everyone will agree on the type of music playing either, so it is suggested that the music be something unfamiliar like international music without lyrics, since lyrics are the most distracting part of music.

Employees that engage in work that requires silence, such as calling clients on the phone, may not appreciate a little background music, whereas those that are working in a warehouse moving boxes might enjoy some noise to break up their thoughts. Consider what type of workplace you are in, such as an office or cafe, when deciding to play music or not.

Some individuals work better with background noise of some sort. You will know who these employees are because they are already working with headphones in their ears. Others need silence, otherwise they get too easily distracted from their work. To cater to the different kinds of personalities, some companies have separate places for employees to work depending on their preference. Google is famous for their creative workplaces. One room can be reserved for quiet thinking, and another room for social collaboration.

Conduct mini tests on your employees to see if music is something that can work for your company. Monitor the levels of productivity and moods of your employees for a week to help you determine if keeping the music playing is a good idea.

Do you play music at your work? Let us know about your experiences playing music in your office in the comments below the article.

Source: http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/employeerelations/articles/pages/music-at-work-.aspx

Photo: telegraph.co.uk

Is Music in the Office Appropriate? by
Authored by: Amanda Griffin