From noise to knowledge: what happens when workplaces learn to listen

This article is the second in a three-part series examining noise in the modern workplace. The first article, The Unheard Productivity Crisis: Why Noise Is the Next Workplace Metric, explored why noise has become one of the most persistent and underestimated challenges facing today’s offices.

Research by Leesman shows that noise consistently ranks among the lowest-rated aspects of workplace experience, despite being important to a majority of employees. This, combined with findings by the independent acoustic experts Quiet Mark that acoustic conditions now influence employment decisions – with many potential hires considering workplace noise levels before accepting a role – starts to paint a stark picture of how we are currently designing office space.

Noise affects both people and the spaces they occupy. It shapes how employees feel, how they communicate, and how much effort it takes to stay focused throughout the day. Awareness of the issue, however, is only the starting point. The next step is understanding how sound behaves in workplaces and how those behaviours affect the work experience.

In this second article, the focus shifts from awareness to insight. We examine how workplaces can listen to both their people and their spaces by using data, sensing technologies, and sound design to understand better acoustic environments, specifically how organisations can interpret sound patterns over time and translate those insights into environments that support healthier, more effective work.

From noise to information

Most organisations think about sound only when it becomes a problem. Complaints rise. Concentration drops. Fatigue sets in. At that point, noise is treated as an interruption to be managed rather than a signal to be understood.

Listening to a workplace means changing that perspective. Instead of asking whether an office is too loud, organisations begin to ask when sound becomes disruptive, where it concentrates, and how it changes throughout the day. Sound becomes a pattern rather than a moment.

These patterns reveal how spaces are actually used. They reflect activity cycles, density shifts, collaboration rhythms, and mismatches between design intent and lived experience. In this way, sound becomes a lens into workplace behaviour.

Sound as a data layer

Modern workplaces already rely on data to understand space utilisation, environmental quality, and performance. Sound is increasingly being recognised as another layer of insight.

Environmental sensing technologies allow organisations to observe sound trends across zones, time periods, and use cases. These tools do not record conversations or identify individuals. Instead, they capture characteristics such as variability, consistency, and the presence of speech activity as a general condition.

This is about listening to both people and space, and understanding how each shapes the experience of work.

What emerges is a clearer picture of how sound behaves across the workplace. Leaders can see when focus areas become active, when collaboration zones spill beyond their boundaries, or when hybrid meetings place strain on surrounding spaces.

Interpreting sound patterns

Data alone does not create insight. Interpretation is what turns listening into understanding.

When organisations examine sound patterns over time, consistent rhythms emerge. Certain hours create greater strain on focus. Certain days amplify variability. Specific layouts contribute to repeated disruption.

These insights help leaders ask better questions. Are spaces supporting the work they were designed for? Are behavioural norms aligned with how environments are intended to function? Are employees compensating for acoustic shortcomings through extra effort?

Interpreting sound patterns also helps explain why some employees experience greater fatigue than others. It reveals how cumulative listening effort builds across the day and how acoustic conditions contribute to end-of-day exhaustion.

The role of sound design

Listening and interpretation naturally lead to design decisions. Sound design is the practice of finding the right balance between silence and sound, rather than attempting to eliminate noise.

Effective workplaces recognise that silence is not always the goal. Collaboration, learning, and social connection all depend on sound. At the same time, focused work and clear communication require moments of acoustic calm. Sound design helps organisations navigate this balance by shaping environments that support different types of work at different times.

This includes aligning activities with appropriate spaces, using materials and layouts that manage how sound travels, and introducing soundscapes that help reduce disruption without overwhelming the environment. It also involves behavioural cues that signal how spaces are intended to be used.

When sound design is approached as balance rather than suppression, employees experience greater comfort, reduced fatigue, and a stronger sense of control over their workday.

Healthier and more effective work

The goal of listening to workplaces is not measurement for its own sake. It is experience.

When sound is better understood and intentionally shaped, communication improves, fatigue decreases, and focus becomes easier to sustain. Meetings flow more smoothly. Collaboration feels less draining. Employees report a greater sense of ease throughout the day.

These outcomes support both wellbeing and performance. They also build trust. Employees recognise when organisations are paying attention to how work actually feels, not just how it looks on paper.

What comes next

Listening to workplaces is only the beginning. Insight creates responsibility.

In the third and final article in this series, we will explore how leaders translate understanding into action. We will examine the roles of leadership, culture, and policy in shaping a positive work experience, and how organisations establish norms that sustain healthier, more effective environments over time.

Sound tells a story. The question is whether workplaces are prepared to hear it and act on what it reveals.

Bill Schiffmiller is the Founder of Akoio® and a Forbes contributor on accessibility and auditory health matters. A lifelong hearing aid user and former leader of Accessibility Initiatives at Apple Retail, he is currently President of the Board at the Hearing, Speech & Deaf Center (HSDC). An entrepreneur and inventor, Bill holds patents in 11 countries and advises organizations on the impact of noise, sound, and hearing on health, performance, and business.