Have you ever worked for a company that gives you equipment like headsets and says "you get what you get". How do you think that would make anyone feel who has to use a tool like a headset 8-10 hours a day? The answer, probably not so good.
Happier employees
Upfront it might seem like purchasing headsets is easy. They're all Bluetooth or just plug in and should work properly, right? Unfortunately that's not the case and there's many nuances to headsets people overlook. Experienced managers who have been tasked to order headsets at some point in their career, I can guarantee found this out the hard way.
Surveying your employees before you buy new headsets makes everyone feel valued and allows you to identify specific needs. For example, some employees may require a noise canceling headset, whereas a different employee needs a wireless headset with a long battery and range.
Also, Most people know which headset wearing style preference they like most. So, if you put everyone in a box and deploy one model for everyone, be ready for some unhappy campers and workers comp claims.
Enhanced communications
Surveying your team can help you first find the preferences of each employee, then from there you can narrow down the right headset choices. I didn't say the cheapest headset choices, i said the right headset choices. This point is very important!
Not all headsets are created equal and there's hundreds of different headset choices available online that are all made for different applications. Typically speaking you don't want to use a gaming headset or earbuds for a work environment where calls and meetings are most important. Customers find gaming headsets to be to bulky and unprofessional on video meetings, and earbuds just dont give good enough microphone quality or noise cancellation.
When you invest in the right headsets, you come across more professional because the communication experience is much more consistent for employees and callers. What I mean by that is, you avoid people using whichever headset or earbuds they have laying around that aren't made for work. Nuances of work headsets makes all the difference. Try deploying 50 earbuds of your choice to a team of people in an open office, and you will quickly pay whatever it takes to make the problem go away of the very many complaints you will hear.
Listen to the difference for yourself and you can be the judge.
Avoid wasted spend
It's extremely common to invest in headsets, only for you to find out the headsets aren't compatible, users are complaining, or headsets are breaking and constantly needing to be replaced. This is even worse when you don't hear about the problems until after the return period. Mistakes like this can cost you your job! So, it's extremely important to order the right headsets the first time, and well worth working with a vendor that can advise you on the right compatible headsets with after sale support that doesn't make you want to scream.
Better user adoption
When you give your team a hand being part of the decision for which headset they can use, it makes people feel valued and increases loyalty. Instead of your employees venting to co-workers or customers about how cheap your company is, instead the tune will change to how well they're treated and creates a culture of employees going above the call of duty.
Questions to ask when surveying your team
- Do you have a preference of wearing style? (dual speakers, earpiece, fully enclosing cushions)
- Is the work environment noisy? (if so a headset with a noise canceling microphone is a must. Earbuds wont cut it in this area)
- Which devices do you need a headset to connect to?
- Do you want a wired headset to avoid dealing with charging a battery, or would you find yourself more productive if you could move around while on calls?
