Have you ever heard song in the car and suddenly find yourself in the middle of a spontaneous yet seemingly fully choreographed dance session? Perhaps you have had an emotional response to music you’ve heard, like a song that reminded you of dancing with someone you love. The pull of music is deeply personal and can impact an attitude for the whole day.
Studies have shown that listening to music directly impacts work performance. It relieves stress, makes people more creative, and causes many people to be more focused. In fact, the Mozart Effect claims that listening to certain kinds of music impacts spatial-temporal reasoning. So it would stand to reason that certain types of music have more of an influence than others. Below are 3 of the top music genres that increase employee productivity.
- Classical/Instrumental and Jazz: Best for work that requires numbers, attention to detail, spelling, and accuracy. Music without lyrics has been known to be particularly effective in regards to productivity. This was the basis for most studies of the Mozart Effect and boosts overall performance.
- Ambient or Nature Sounds: Similar to white noise, these sounds can mask intelligible speech and lessen distractions. The result is increased cognitive functioning and ability to concentrate, which leads to worker satisfaction.
- Pop: Depending on your style, this may be a good option, especially if you do data entry, proofreading, or something similar. It also results in less overall mistakes and tends to leave workers in a good mood, which has additional indirect effects.
Personal preference and working style always play a role as people work better listening to music they like. Some styles may also work better for certain people in specific industries.
Background music can be used to create an atmosphere of productivity and efficiency or even relaxation and calm. Contact us at (630) 518-9600 to discuss options for background music at your business.
