Over the last few decades, it’s been a big controversy — should workers be able to listen to music at work?
This question has been asked and answered in clerical offices and industrial environments. It’s been applied to all sorts of work, from claims processing to product delivery to IT and quality analysis.
Simply put, people want distractions at their jobs. They want things to inject into the work day, whether it’s music, break time, group activities, meal breaks, or anything else. The music is a difficult one, because there are so many different opinions on how it affects the work process.
Freedom, Empowerment, Creativity
One of the biggest tips that we have for companies is to err on the side of leniency and empowerment for workers.
It’s easy for managers to be seduced by the idea that any distractions would depress productivity, but sometimes, the opposite is true. The reason has to do with the way that the workplace has changed over the last half-century, and even over the last 10 years.
Yes, we have relatively high unemployment, but at the same time, the way people work has changed. They’re not motivated by a carrot and stick approach. They’re more motivated by being happy at their jobs, and feeling confident. So when you try to take punitive measures, whether it’s music or anything else, you may be ‘rewarded’ by people goldbricking and generally slacking on the job. By the same token, companies that allow more freedom for workers can see productivity increase.
Examine Tasks
Most physical tasks are compatible with listening to music. So are some clerical tasks that do not require close concentration. However, there are some tasks that don’t really go well with music. Call center agents and operators can’t really listen to music most of time, because they are either conversing or preparing for conversations with people. Some types of analytical work aren’t really compatible with music, either — think about an air traffic controller, for example.
But by and large, having a little music isn’t going to unduly influence someone’s work. And across many industries, the argument for allowing headphones and earphones grows, especially for any kind of desk work or sedentary work.
Case-by-Case Evaluation
As a safeguard, managers can put quotas in place, or address the issue of lower personal productivity at a periodic review. While it can be difficult to tie lower productivity to any one habit, such as music, it is possible to put a lenient ruling place, and deal with the exceptions later. It’s all up to someone’s management style, and how they feel about the direction the business should take.
Keep checking in at Full Steam Staffing for more about these types of issues, and how they affect today’s work world.
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