Pop music productivity boost to employers’ ears

It will be music to the ears of millions of people across the globe to hear that listening to our favourite tunes at work can dramatically improve efficiency.

Research from UK based Mindlab International indicates that workers listening to music improve their data entry, proofreading and problem solving skills; whilst listening to no music at all could make for the least productive workforce of all.

Almost nine out of ten (88%) participants of the office-based experiment produced their most accurate work whilst listening to music and 81% finished their tasks faster if music was played.

According to the researchers, the job you are performing and the results you are wishing for, should dictate the music you listen to at the time. For example, accountants should listen to classical music as it is the most effective at improving maths skills.

And whilst pop music could improve your speed – 58% of accomplices carried out data entry tasks faster while listening to pop songs – dance music made proofreading 20% faster and spell-checking 75% more accurate.

Dr David Lewis, chairman of Mindlab International said: “The MusicWorks experiment revealed a positive correlation between music and productivity – overall it showed that when listening to music, nine out of 10 people performed better.

“Music is an incredibly powerful management tool in increasing the efficiency of a workforce.

‘It can exert a highly beneficial influence over employee morale and motivation, helping enhance output and even boosting a company’s bottom line.”