Installing soundproof telephone booths in open-plan offices is a timely measure when employees find it difficult to concentrate, the number of calls and the need for privacy are increasing, or noise is interfering with productivity. These are clear signs that the office environment would benefit from quiet retreats. Phone booths give employees the opportunity to conduct confidential conversations without interruption, while improving the acoustic environment of the entire office.
When should a telephone booth be installed in an open-plan office?
The challenges of an open-plan office often become apparent when employees find it increasingly difficult to concentrate and their productivity suffers. The need for soundproofed rooms is obvious when there are a lot of telephone conversations in the office and employees need privacy for confidential calls. Your office probably needs telephone booths if employees are constantly looking for quiet corners or leaving the room to make calls.
Concrete signs of this need include increased complaints about noise in the office, concentration problems and employee frustration when they cannot find a quiet space for phone calls. It is also noteworthy that employees regularly move to corridors or stairwells to make their calls – this is a clear signal that the office does not provide appropriate facilities for different work needs.
What are the benefits of telephone booths in an open-plan office environment?
Telephone booths bring a range of benefits to open-plan office environments, the most significant of which are related to improving acoustics and creating a peaceful working environment. Telephone booths equipped with high-quality sound insulation significantly reduce distractions and create peaceful islands for tasks that require concentration. Optimising office space with telephone booths has a positive effect on the well-being of the entire work community.
Studies show that employee satisfaction increases by up to 25 per cent when they have the opportunity to retreat to a quiet space when needed. Many companies also report an improvement in overall satisfaction with the working environment after introducing phone booths. For example, a technology company that installed INTO POD PHONE telephone booths, found that the stress experienced by employees had decreased by 30 per cent during the six-month follow-up period.
Telephone booths also offer privacy, which is important for confidential conversations. In telephone booths, sensitive conversations can be held without worrying that the content of the conversation will be overheard. This is particularly important for companies that regularly handle customers' personal information or confidential business strategies.
How do telephone booths affect employee productivity?
Telephone booths have a significant impact on employee efficiency. Studies show that concentration is interrupted on average every 11 minutes in an open-plan office, and it takes around 25 minutes to refocus. Soundproof telephone booths significantly reduce these interruptions, leading to more efficient working hours and better cognitive performance.
Employees' ability to concentrate improves in a quiet environment, which is reflected in higher-quality work. When there are dedicated spaces for phone calls, there is less need to leave the workstation to find a quieter place. This saves time and keeps employees more productive. Work efficiency in an open-plan office increases when distractions are reduced and employees can focus fully on their tasks.
Telephone booths also have a positive effect on employee job satisfaction. When employees feel that they have control over their own working environment, it increases their well-being at work and reduces stress. This is directly reflected in productivity and quality of work.
What kind of telephone booth is best suited to different types of open-plan offices?
There are various telephone booth models available for open-plan offices, with features that vary depending on the intended use. Acoustic properties are a key selection criterion – a high-quality telephone booth offers a low speech transmission index (STI value), which means that conversations held in the booth cannot be clearly heard outside. INTO POD PHONE models are specially designed to provide excellent sound insulation for private calls.
The intended use should be taken into account when selecting the size. Single-person telephone booths, such as the POD PHONE SMALL, are suitable for quick calls and short conversations. Larger models, such as POD 1, offer more space and are suitable for longer phone calls and tasks that require concentration. If the space is also used for small meetings, POD 2 is a functional solution for 1-2 people.
Materials and design are also important selection criteria. Modern office design requires that telephone booths fit in visually with the overall look of the office. INTO Concept's telephone booths represent Nordic design, combining style and functionality. The clean design also allows the booths to be placed side by side without leaving space for dust or dirt to accumulate between them.
How many telephone booths does an open-plan office need?
Determining the optimal number of telephone booths is essential for the efficient use of office space. The general recommendation is one telephone booth for every 10–15 employees, but the number may vary depending on the size of the office and the work profiles of the employees. The size of the office must be taken into account in relation to the available floor space – too many booths can make the space feel cramped, while too few can lead to queues.
The number of calls and the nature of the work have a significant impact on the number required. An office where there are a lot of telephone conversations or work that requires concentration will need more telephone booths. On the other hand, if the office mainly works on collaborative projects, the need may be less.
We recommend conducting a usage survey before purchasing telephone booths. By monitoring how often employees need private space, you can get a more accurate picture of their actual needs. In small offices (fewer than 20 people), 1-2 telephone booths are often sufficient, while in larger office environments (50+ people), the number may increase to 5-8 booths or more.
How should telephone booths be positioned in an open-plan office?
The placement of telephone booths in an open-plan office requires strategic planning. The optimal location takes into account ease of use, noise control, traffic routes and visual appearance. Telephone booths should be placed in easily accessible locations, but not directly on the main traffic routes, where constant movement can disturb calls.
A practical solution has been to place telephone booths at the edges of the office or in different parts of the office so that they are within reasonable reach of all employees. This reduces the need to walk across the entire office to make a phone call and balances the utilisation rate of the booths.
Avoid placing telephone booths too close to noisy areas such as coffee rooms or printers. Telephone booths that are too close together can also cause sound to travel from one booth to another, reducing privacy. INTO POD telephone booths can be installed without modifications to existing structures, making them a flexible solution that can be moved to a new location if necessary.
The impact of telephone booths on the future of open-plan offices
Telephone booths are an important part of the modern working environment, where flexibility and employee-centredness are emphasised. They represent a shift towards multi-space offices, which offer different spaces for different tasks. In the future, the importance of phone booths will only increase as hybrid working becomes more common and office spaces are required to be more adaptable.
The key benefits of telephone booths – providing privacy, improving acoustics and increasing employee productivity – play a key role in the development of workspaces. Future trends will emphasise the integration of technology into phone booths, enabling video conferencing and other digital solutions to be seamlessly incorporated into the functionality of phone booths.
INTO Concept is a pioneer in workplace design, and our POD room solutions meet the requirements of the modern office. Phone booths play a key role in transforming office spaces into more flexible environments that support employee well-being. Investing in high-quality phone booths is an investment in employee comfort, productivity and the success of the entire company.
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