Music in the Workplace
Posted on August 4, 2011 by Gail Danneman
Take a trip to your local coffee shop and you will likely see many people with earphones in and working on something. I was at Starbucks this weekend writing a paper and everywhere I looked people were listening to music, myself included. Because of technology and the accessibility of music, people have integrated listening to music into every part of their day. It is rare to see someone at the gym without a music player.
Music in the workplace has also increased thanks to increased technology. Employees can put their headphones on and keep from bothering coworkers. How does listening to music at work affect productivity? Recent studies have demonstrated that music has an incredible ability to help one remain focused. For example, boring tasks can be made fun with the addition of music. Along with increasing attention, music can also have a tremendous impact on one’s mood.
When it comes to studying or homework, I have found that listening to classical music keeps me focused and helps me retain information better. While working, I find it more enjoyable to have something to listen to. Mundane tasks go quicker and don’t seem so painful. A bad day can be helped by listening to my favorite tunes to put me in better spirits.
Listening to music may not be appropriate for all jobs, but for those that can, abide by these helpful rules:
- Make sure your music is not too loud. You don’t want to miss someone calling your name.
- While singing along is fun, it can be obnoxious to coworkers
- Save your dancing to off work hours
Do you or your coworkers listen to music at work? Do you find it helpful?
About Gail Danneman
Gail received a B.S. in Psychology from Xavier University and an M.S. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. Her research interests include: recruitment & selection, employee engagement, turnover, training, and succession planning.
