Four Audio Considerations for Your Work-From-Home Office

4 Audio Considerations

If you’ve spent the past months joining work meetings from your kitchen, bedroom, or home office, you’ll already know how tricky poor audio can make things. Catching every word and nuance isn’t easy if your audio equipment isn’t top notch. Or perhaps the in-office audio solution isn’t up to the task of connecting home- and office-based colleagues.

Research suggests that a hybrid model of home- and office-based working will be a permanent feature in the office of the future. So, here are a few questions you need to think about to ensure your voice counts when you’re working from home.

1 - DO YOU WORK IN A BUSY HOME WITH A LOT OF BACK GROUND NOISE – PETS, DOORBELLS, KIDS, ETC?

Invest in good quality headphones, such as AONIC 50 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones, from Shure’s home office range. Or better still, talk to your employer about adding home audio equipment to the technology being deployed to support the new work-from-home business model.

2 - DO YOU COLLABORATE REGULARLY WITH COLLEAGUES WORKING IN OFFICE MEETING ROOMS?

Don’t miss out on a single word. If virtual meetings are becoming a permanent feature of your workplace, the conversation must shift to how IT leaders can enable seamless high-quality audio in meeting rooms. It can prioritize the voice over unwanted noise, help reduce echo and pick up voices clearly from every part of the room. The result? It’s easier for people working from home to fully integrate into the meeting. So, start the conversation today.

3 - ARE YOU TIRED BY THE END OF THE DAY?

Back-to-back audio calls have become an everyday occurrence in the hybrid home- and office-based workplace. Simply sitting through virtual meetings without a break is tiring enough. But add in constantly being asked to repeat yourself or speak louder, and it’s no wonder that meeting fatigue is a growing issue. Make sure you are being heard and understood the first time by using a great external (or USB) microphone to capture your voice.

4 - HOW LONG IS YOUR AVERAGE VIRTUAL MEETING?

The average duration of a meeting is now between 31 to 60 minutes. That’s a long time to spend on a call if you are straining to hear every word. So, you have a choice: either insist on shorter meetings or get the audio tech set-up you deserve. Seamless audio that is natural, high quality, reliable and easy to use can shorten meeting times, boosting productivity, and cutting costs.