How Better Hearing Can Help Your Career

According to research, more than 10% of employees in the workplace experience a diagnosed hearing problem, while another 30% suspect they have a hearing problem but are yet to seek treatment. In addition, according to a 2011 Better Hearing Institute study, hearing loss poses a significant obstacle to performance, productivity, and career success, translating to lower earnings and poor livelihood.

Most employees who experience hearing loss report that it impacts their job performance. Complaints range from the inability to understand instructions and hold conversations, leading to stress. Below are ways that improving your hearing can help your career.

Improves Communication

Communication is a critical aspect of any workplace. When you’re experiencing hearing loss, comprehending instructions from management, tending to clients’ needs, or working in groups during projects becomes problematic. According to a study by Better Hearing Institute in 2007, workers suspecting to experience hearing loss mostly complained of their inability to converse over phone calls or with coworkers. With in-the-ear (ITE), behind-the-ear (BTE) and in-the-canal (ITC) hearing aids, they could communicate more effectively, hence improving job performance and reducing stress.

Boosts Your Confidence

Self-confidence in your workplace contributes significantly to job performance. A self-support survey conducted on hearing aid users revealed that their confidence, self-image and work-relations greatly improved. By treating hearing loss and wearing hearing aids, regardless of the stigma surrounding them, you can positively perceive yourself, enjoy your career life and boost your confidence with better productivity.

Reduces Your Cognitive Load

When you have untreated hearing loss, there’s more that’s affected other than your hearing ability. Hearing loss causes an extra burden on the part of your brain responsible for processing and identifying sound. Conversely, you’re unable to concentrate and retain memory, which leads to decreased productivity at work. Also, you become susceptible to physical and mental exhaustion. Using ITC, ITE and BTE hearing aids can help you improve your processing speed and memory by decreasing the cognitive load.

It Proves You to Be a Problem Solver

Many people in the workplace take health problems lightly until they become severe. With hearing loss especially, the stigma surrounding the use of hearing aids makes many employees hesitant to visit an audiologist and seek treatment. What many don’t know is the effect it has on their job performance. With today’s variety of hearing aids, you can get ITC, ITE and BTE hearing aids that are less conspicuous due to their small size and color that can camouflage with your skin or hair. Explaining your hearing loss and addressing it by visiting an audiologist sends a message that you’re willing to deal head-on with any problem that can keep you from achieving peak performance in your career.

It Keeps You Technologically Advanced

Hearing technology today is more advanced than it was a few years ago. Hearing aids are digital, meaning the incoming sound is digitally processed into mathematical equations to enable complex manipulation. Digital hearing aid technology allows the separation of sound into different frequency bands and regions depending on the level of hearing loss.

When you visit an audiologist, you can get customized hearing aids that are technologically advanced with artificial intelligence, Bluetooth connectivity, smartphone apps, rechargeable batteries and tinnitus masking features. With these, you can customize your listening situation and improve your career life beyond just communication.

Increase Your Earning Potential

Untreated hearing loss leads to poor job performance that impacts annual incomes. In addition, people experiencing hearing loss have higher chances of making errors that can cost them their jobs. Furthermore, employees who seek treatment from audiologists and wear hearing aids stand better chances of getting employment than those who fail to, due to their high performance and productivity.

Opens You Up to New Opportunities

When you’re experiencing hearing loss, you barely want to engage in activities that involve a lot of communication. As a result, you end up missing out on events that involve networking, interacting with customers or negotiating deals. Hearing loss also keeps you in a bubble where you’re afraid to seek new opportunities such as training and courses that would help you climb the career ladder. Seeking help with hearing loss from an audiologist makes it simpler to participate in career aspects and opens you up to experiences that enrich it.

Hearing loss is slowly becoming a health epidemic that needs to be dealt with promptly. Regardless of age, hearing loss can affect your performance in life aspects, such as your career. Therefore, getting hearing check-ups from an audiologist is vital to keep you in top performance at work by improving communication and confidence. Call us today at (530) 392-4533 to learn more about Imagine Hearing Solutions.