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You have the right to remain in silence!

We are all born with an ability to focus. But as much as we would like to retain that skill forever, life itself proves to be very loud, colourful and sometimes just too interesting for us to be able to avoid distractions forever. Being able to concentrate is something we need to fight for, especially in open offices. And the best weapon for winning that fight is not stronger coffee or cooler office perks, it’s offering your employees a real chance to focus.

Studies have shown that workplace distractions negatively impact employee performance, productivity and even their potential. On average, we get interrupted every 11 minutes and as it takes our brains up to 25 minutes (yes really 25 minutes!) to regain our focus, so we end up losing a lot of work time just by trying to get back into our work flow. The more disrupted we get, the less time we spend working, meaning that we never really put in a full day’s work as planned.

Luckily, however, everyday distractions don’t have to be inevitable. While open plan offices lower employee productivity through various background noises and interactions with other people, the undesired processing of the background noise can be reduced through implementing a few changes to the work environment, like adding private spaces in the form of acoustic hubs and phone booths to your office. Immediately, this increases one’s ability to hold attention. A more steadfast attention means we lose less work time, get more things done and hit more deadlines on time.

Concentration shields against distraction

According to Forbes, 1 in 3 workers feel that distractions and noise from open workspaces hinder their productivity, while 1 in 6 say it hinders their creativity as well. Distractions make us lose time, so we try to work faster. The stress and frustration then increases our error rate, resulting in lower quality work and having to re-do our previous efforts. That is time lost from every day. The need for private spaces is real and silence in the office should be a human right for a reason.

With 20% less distractions, people have 40% better focus and attention, leading to 130% increased productivity! So it’s no wonder that many open plan offices are turning to phone booths and acoustic hubs to increase their employee satisfaction and creativity. When your employees have distraction-proof work conditions, they gain a significantly higher level of productivity which also shows in financial results.

In the workplace environment, speech privacy is essential, but in many open plan offices, speech is often the loudest source of sound. Working in an office environment typically involves tasks which require concentration, communication, confidentiality, and collaboration. There is also a need for communal areas where employees can relax and chat.

Silen Acoustic Hubs

New for 2021 to Dams Social Spaces portfolio, Silen acoustic hubs meet all these requirements and more. Silen hubs create a multi-purpose space where people can gather and communicate, teach and learn, think and concentrate, or simply work in private – ideal for use in open plan offices and other places which need private space within a larger area.

The beauty of Silen and the different hub sizes available is that they can be adapted and customised to fit your any office requirements. From the smallest hub, which is like a telephone booth and adequate for one person, to the largest hub which can accommodate groups, Silen can be adapted and customised to fit your own office requirements, creating multiple working zones in one place.

Offering visual and acoustic privacy solutions, Silen acoustic hubs are inspirational spaces which provide anything from a designated shelter for employees to escape from the busy work environment, to a space for one-to-one chats, or a meeting place for working groups. Creating spaces with endless functionality, Silen hubs are also perfect dividers for work and relaxation areas, and when you’re done you can just activate the wheels and roll your private space easily whenever and wherever you’re in the mood.

Official tests show that the noise levels inside Silen hubs are up to 43dB lower than outside of them measured on-site – which is up to 10dB more than many other comparable acoustic hubs. Dams have also made sure that their Silen hubs are made with medical grade anti-bacterial material options. So even at times like these, they can keep you completely safe!

Employee satisfaction = more productivity = increased profits

Healthy and supportive work environment renders everyone more productive, more helpful to others and less stressed, making employee satisfaction a direct cornerstone of productivity, with a strong link to increased profits. Your attention span is your closest supporter when it comes to getting things done, so the link between excellence and the ability to focus is now recognised as the common denominator behind the majority of our achievements.

This is where acoustic hubs come into play – to help your teams perform at their optimum level and help your company reach the turnaround goals you have been working for. Apart from being functional and aesthetically pleasing objects, acoustic hubs and having your own private Silen space in the open plan office will help to improve employee productivity and help to increase profits.

The ability to create a mix of diverse workspaces means that an organisation can create balance for its workers, thereby optimising their potential productivity and output. It is increasingly important for employers to be able to create different zones for different types of work and each has a different acoustic requirement. From creating the perfect acoustic space for that impromptu phone call or a quiet study room, to inviting spaces to work, meet, dine and collaborate, Silen hubs tick all those boxes!