Subscribe Ask the Editors Search Entire site Smallbiz Bookstore Msg. Greg R. Oldham, a business professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, says letting employees use personal stereo headsets may help. The effects of background music have been studied extensively, Oldham says, and the findings docu-menting productivity increases are impressive. But there will always be people who object to background music, and headsets can eliminate the problem.
Headsets allow individuals to listen to the music they prefer whenever they wish.
In a research project to measure the effect of stereo headsets in the workplace, Oldham found marked productivity gains. Providing music via stereo headsets appears to be an effective way to boost productivity, particularly for workers doing relatively simple, routine jobs. What's more, Oldham points out, as a strategy for enhancing productivity, headsets are easy to implement and extremely affordable. If you're considering introducing headsets into your workplace, however, Oldham offers words of caution. Headset users may have difficulty hearing alarms, warnings or instructions, and those who listen to music at high levels may experience permanent hearing loss.