For just a moment, picture that you’re working as a salesperson. Today, you’re on a very important call with a potential client. Your company is being considered for a job and several people from your business have come together on a conference call. As the call proceeds, voices go up and down…and are sometimes hard to hear. But you’re getting most of it.
Turning up the speaker just makes it sound more distorted. So you simply do your best, reading between the lines. You’re really good at that.
As you try to listen, the voices sound particularly muffled for around a minute. Then suddenly you hear, “so what can your company do to help us with this”?”
You freeze. You didn’t catch the last few minutes and aren’t sure what issue they’re attempting to resolve. Your boss is depending on you to seal this deal. What do you do?
Do you request they repeat themselves? They’ll think you were distracted. Do you start using a lot of sales jargon? No, that will be too obvious.
Every single day, individuals everywhere go through scenarios like this while working. They try to read between the lines and get by.
So in general, how is your work being affected by your hearing loss? Let’s find out.
Lower wages
A representative sampling of 80,000 individuals was obtained by The Better Hearing Institute utilizing the same method that the Census Bureau uses.
Individuals who have disregarded hearing loss earn, on average, $12,000 less per year.
That doesn’t seem fair!
Hearing loss impacts your general performance so it’s not difficult to understand the above example. Sadly, he didn’t close the deal. When they thought that the salesperson wasn’t listening to them, they pulled out. They didn’t want to deal with a company that doesn’t listen.
He lost out on a $1000 commission.
It was only a misunderstanding. But how do you think this affected his career? If he was wearing hearing aids, imagine how different things may have been.
Injuries on at work
People who have untreated hearing loss are nearly 30% more likely to sustain a significant workplace injury according to a study carried out by the American Medical Association. Studies also show a 300% increased danger of having a significant fall and winding up in the emergency room.
And people with only minor hearing loss were at the greatest risk, unexpectedly! Perhaps they don’t realize that hearing loss of any kind impairs an individual at work.
Even if you have hearing loss, you can still be successful at work
You have a lot to offer an employer:
- Confidence
- Skills
- Personality
- Experience
- Empathy
Hearing loss shouldn’t overshadow these. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not a factor. It could be affecting your job more than you know. Here are a few ways to reduce that impact:
- Ask for a phone that is HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible). The sound doesn’t go through background noise but rather goes straight into your ear. You will need hearing aids that will work with this technology to use one.
- Before attending a meeting, find out if you can get a written agenda and overview. It will be easier to keep up with the discussion.
- Know that you aren’t required to reveal that you have hearing loss when you’re interviewing. And the interviewer can’t ask. But the other side is whether your hearing loss will have an effect on your ability to have a good interview. In that case, you may choose to divulge this before the interview.
- Keep a brightly lit work area. Being able to see lips can help you follow along even if you don’t read lips.
- If a job is going to surpass your capability you need to speak up. For instance, your boss may want you to cover for someone who works in a really loud part of the building. In order to make up for it, offer to undertake a different task. By doing that, your boss won’t think you’re just trying to get out of doing work.
- So that you have it in writing, it’s not a bad idea to compose a respectful accommodations letter for your boss.
- Look directly at people when you’re conversing with them. Try not to have phone conversations as much as you can.
- Never neglect wearing your hearing aids while you’re working and all of the rest of the time. If you’re wearing your hearing aids you may not even require many of the accommodations.
Hearing loss at work
Even if you have slight hearing loss, it can still effect your work performance. But having it treated will frequently minimize any obstacles you face with neglected hearing loss. We can help so give us a call!
