Top 3 challenges? Loud talkers, noisy recreation, open concept offices: survey
Nearly six in 10 (57 per cent) of Canadians battle distraction at work, which leads to up to two hours per day of lost productivity, according to a survey by coworking company iQ Offices.
The biggest distraction in the workplace are loud talkers and chatty colleagues (54 per cent) followed by physical workspace issues such as “noisy recreation areas within the space” and a “distracting open-concept work environment” (49 per cent), open floor offices or unassigned (43 per cent) and time-wasting meetings (38 per cent).
“Canadians overwhelmingly highlight design, physical environment productivity challenges like nomad seating arrangements, noise and distracting open-concept design — ahead of other workload-related challenges, such as excessive email (17 per cent) or unexpected extra work (19 per cent),” says Kane Willmott, CEO and co-founder of iQ Offices.
A U.S. study in 2018 found open-concept offices can lead to reduced collaboration.
Boosting productivity
Nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of the workers say they’d choose “slightly less money to work in a conveniently located… beautiful workspace designed for productivity and employee satisfaction.”
People say they need a conveniently located workplace (60 per cent), the ability to work remotely (50 per cent), an attractively designed workspace with natural light (43 per cent) and privacy at work (38 per cent) to help them optimize their workplace potential.
Nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) of the respondents estimated they could save up to two hours a day if they worked in an office that was designed to minimize distraction, according to the survey of more than 1,500 workers.
“Imagine what your business could accomplish if you gave the one to two hours of daily lost productivity back to your team. Better work-life balance, better business performance,” says Wilmott. “My top productivity hacks are white noise systems, extra sound-deadening materials, private work areas and office management support services.”
A separate U.S. study released earlier this year found a quiet location, dedicated office space and comfortable chair or desk are most needed for people to be productive at work.
