Ananth, Author at HRSpotlight

July 27, 2026

The Overlooked Productivity Killer in the Office: Noise

By Todd Marshall, CEO, Versare

As organizations continue to refine their workplace strategies, conversations about productivity often center on technology, leadership, employee engagement, and flexible work policies. While these factors certainly influence performance, one workplace issue is frequently underestimated despite affecting employees every day: noise.

The modern office is expected to support many different types of work at once, often within the same shared environment. While open layouts encourage communication and teamwork, they also create a level of background noise that can make sustained concentration increasingly difficult, especially during video calls and focused work.

For HR professionals, workplace noise is more than a facilities concern. It directly influences employee productivity, cognitive performance, workplace satisfaction, and even overall well-being. As organizations look for ways to create healthier and more effective work environments, acoustic comfort deserves a place in the conversation.

Not all workplace distractions are created equal. Interruptions such as emails or instant messages are visible and easy to recognize, while background conversations are often treated as simply part of office life. Yet surrounding speech is especially difficult to ignore. Even when employees are not actively listening, the brain continues processing nearby voices, making it harder to concentrate on mentally demanding tasks.

Knowledge workers spend much of their day solving problems, analyzing information, writing reports, developing strategies, or making decisions. These activities require sustained attention. Each nearby conversation or loud meeting across the room creates another interruption, pulling employees away from deep work.

The challenge isn’t simply the brief moment lost to a distraction. Regaining focus can take much longer, creating a cumulative effect throughout the workday. Multiple small interruptions can leave employees feeling mentally exhausted while accomplishing less than they intended.

Over time, excessive workplace noise contributes to frustration, increased stress, lower engagement, and reduced team efficiency.

Hybrid work has changed the rhythm of the office. Rather than rows of employees quietly working at individual desks, today’s workplace often functions as a hub for collaboration. Employees come into the office specifically to attend meetings, brainstorm with teammates, and connect with colleagues. At the same time, many meetings now include remote participants.

It’s now common to see several employees participating in video calls from the same open workspace. Nearby teams may be holding impromptu discussions while others conduct client presentations or training sessions. The result is an environment where multiple conversations overlap throughout the day.

Ironically, efforts to encourage collaboration can also create distractions and undermine productivity for everyone sharing the space. This doesn’t mean collaboration is the problem. Rather, it highlights the importance of designing workplaces that support different types of work instead of expecting one environment to serve every purpose equally well.

One of the biggest misconceptions about office design is the assumption all employees work under the same conditions. In reality, employees shift between different modes of work throughout the day.

They may spend one hour collaborating on a project, another preparing financial analyses, followed by a performance review with a direct report or a virtual presentation with clients. Each activity requires a different level of privacy, concentration, and interaction.

A workplace optimized exclusively for collaboration can make focused work difficult. Likewise, an office designed only for quiet individual work may discourage teamwork and spontaneous problem-solving.

Instead of viewing workplace design as an either-or decision, organizations should consider how different environments support different activities. Quiet areas for focused work, collaborative spaces for team discussions, and semi-private areas for virtual meetings can coexist within the same office. Providing employees with choices allows them to select the environment best suited to the task at hand.

The conversation around workplace noise often focuses on productivity, but employee well-being is equally important. Constant background noise contributes to cognitive fatigue because employees must continuously filter out competing sounds while trying to focus. By the end of the day, this ongoing mental effort can leave employees feeling drained, even if they haven’t completed physically demanding work.

Persistent distractions may also increase stress levels. Employees who struggle to find quiet places for concentrated work often compensate by arriving early, staying late, or taking work home to complete tasks requiring uninterrupted attention. Over time, these patterns can contribute to fatigue and disengagement.

Creating work environments that support concentration demonstrates respect for employees’ time and mental energy. It signals that organizations recognize productivity is not just about asking people to work harder, but about creating the conditions people need to perform at their best.

Improving workplace acoustics doesn’t always require major renovations or expensive redesigns. Many organizations can make meaningful improvements by evaluating how existing spaces are used and making thoughtful adjustments.

For example, creating designated quiet zones allows employees to complete focused work without constant interruptions. Reserving certain spaces for phone calls and virtual meetings helps reduce overlapping conversations in shared work areas. Adding sound-absorbing materials—such as acoustic ceiling panels, wall treatments, rugs, upholstered furniture, or other finishes—can reduce echoes and improve overall sound quality throughout the office.

Flexible dividers and movable partitions can also help separate collaborative spaces from quieter work areas without permanently changing the office layout. These solutions can create acoustic zones, giving employees clearer choices about where to take calls, collaborate, or focus. Because workplace needs continue to evolve, adaptable solutions often provide greater long-term flexibility than fixed construction.

Before making changes, organizations should first identify where noise is creating the greatest disruption. Look for areas where noise levels fluctuate throughout the day or where team movement and conversations frequently overlap. This assessment can help determine whether the best response is a change in space usage, furnishings, or physical separation.

Although workplace design is often associated with facilities or real estate teams, HR leaders have valuable insight into how office environments affect employees. HR professionals regularly gather employee feedback, monitor engagement, oversee workplace policies, and help shape organizational culture. This broader perspective makes HR well-positioned to identify when physical workspace challenges are affecting morale or productivity.

Employee surveys and workplace observations can reveal recurring concerns about ongoing distractions or difficulty concentrating in open workspaces. Including questions about the physical work environment alongside engagement initiatives provides organizations with a more complete understanding of the employee experience.

Cross-functional collaboration between HR, facilities, and leadership teams can help ensure workplace decisions reflect both operational goals and employee needs.

The future of work isn’t about choosing between open offices and private offices. It’s about creating workplaces designed to support the different kinds of work employees move through each day.

Collaboration remains essential for innovation, relationship building, and organizational culture. Equally important, however, is providing opportunities for uninterrupted focus when employees need to think deeply, solve complex problems, or complete important projects. Organizations that intentionally balance these needs create environments where employees can do both effectively.

As companies continue investing in employee experience, acoustic comfort should be viewed as part of a broader workplace strategy rather than an afterthought. A thoughtfully designed office makes room for communication, concentration, and teamwork without allowing one to undermine the others.

Noise is not just a background issue. It shapes how employees focus, collaborate, and experience the workplace each day. For organizations focused on productivity and well-being, acoustic comfort is a practical investment in people. When the office supports both connection and concentration, productivity becomes less about pushing through distractions and more about giving employees the environment they need to succeed.

About the Author

Todd Marshall is the CEO of Versare, where he leads the company’s growth in flexible, design-forward space solutions for workplaces, schools, commercial environments, and more. With a background spanning McKinsey & Company, Target, Patterson Companies, and Shutterfly’s Lifetouch division, he brings deep expertise in scaling operations and translating customer needs into practical, high-impact design solutions. At Versare, Todd focuses on helping organizations adapt spaces quickly without costly renovations by using flexible walls, room dividers, and other reconfigurable solutions. He is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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July 22, 2026

Why the Best Leaders Build Trust Before They Build Growth

Every business wants growth, but the organizations that sustain success over the long term usually have something less visible driving their performance: trust.

Whether it’s between managers and employees, professionals and clients, or business owners and customers, trust creates the conditions for better communication, stronger decision-making, and greater resilience when challenges arise. While every industry approaches leadership differently, one principle remains consistent. People are far more willing to follow leaders who consistently earn their confidence than those who simply demand results.

Four business leaders from very different industries shared their perspectives on why trust has become one of the most valuable assets an organization can build.

For Oliver Downie, Owner of House of Hardwood, trust is built through consistency rather than grand promises.

“People usually assume trust comes from saying the right things, but in business it’s built by doing the small things consistently well. If you tell a customer you’ll call them Tuesday, call them Tuesday. If you promise an employee you’ll address an issue, follow through. Those moments may seem insignificant on their own, but over time they become your reputation. In any business, especially one built around craftsmanship and long-term relationships, people remember reliability far longer than they remember a sales pitch. Leaders sometimes focus heavily on vision, but trust is earned through execution. When people know they can depend on you, they’re much more willing to invest their confidence in your business.”

Downie believes dependable leadership creates stronger teams because employees feel confident that expectations apply equally across the organization.

Brian Marks, President of Knopman Marks, says trust inside an organization begins with honest communication, particularly during periods of uncertainty.

“Many leaders feel pressure to always have the answers, but employees are remarkably good at recognizing authenticity. Being transparent about challenges, while also sharing a thoughtful plan for addressing them, builds more credibility than pretending everything is under control, in my opinion. People don’t expect perfection from leadership, but tend to expect honesty, consistency, and a willingness to communicate. When employees understand why decisions are being made, they become partners in solving problems instead of simply reacting to change. That creates a culture where people feel respected, and respected employees are much more likely to contribute their best work.”

According to Marks, organizations that communicate openly tend to develop stronger engagement because employees understand both the direction of the company and their role in achieving it.

Sam Rockwood, CEO of Woods, believes businesses sometimes underestimate how much trust influences customer loyalty.

“Clients rarely judge you on a single interaction. They’re evaluating whether every experience reinforces the confidence they placed in you from the beginning. That means trust has to exist before a transaction takes place and continue even after it’s finished. Businesses that focus only on acquiring new customers overlook the enormous value of consistently serving the people they already have. When customers believe you’re genuinely invested in helping them succeed, they’re more forgiving when problems occur because you’ve already established credibility. Trust becomes something you’ve accumulated over time rather than something you need to rebuild after every challenge.”

Rockwood says organizations that consistently prioritize long-term relationships often find that referrals and repeat business become natural outcomes rather than marketing objectives.

Paul Mauro, Founder of Smart Financial Lifestyle, understands that trust grows when leaders consistently demonstrate that they’re thinking beyond immediate results. With more than five decades of financial planning experience, Mauro has long emphasized building lasting relationships over chasing short-term gains.

“The strongest business relationships I’ve seen were never built around quick wins, but were built because people believed the advice they received today would still make sense years later. That’s true whether you’re managing investments, leading a company, or serving clients in any profession. Short-term thinking produces short-term trust because people recognize when decisions are made for immediate benefit instead of lasting value. Leaders who consistently make decisions with tomorrow in mind create confidence that extends well beyond individual transactions. Over time, that becomes one of the most valuable competitive advantages any business can have.”

His perspective highlights an important lesson for organizations of every size: trust compounds much like any other valuable investment. It grows gradually, strengthens through consistency, and delivers its greatest returns over the long run.

Technology, automation, and changing workplace expectations continue to reshape business, but trust remains one factor that cannot be outsourced or accelerated.

The companies that build lasting cultures and loyal customers are often those whose leaders consistently demonstrate reliability, transparency, and integrity through everyday actions. While products, services, and strategies evolve, the human need to trust the people behind them remains remarkably constant.

For businesses looking to strengthen performance, investing in trust may prove to be one of the highest-return decisions they can make.