Just picture for a minute you’re a salesperson. Today, you’re having a very important call with a potential client. Numerous representatives from their offices have gathered to talk about whether to hire your business for the job. As the call continues, voices rise and fall…and are sometimes hard to hear. But you’re pretty sure you got the gist of it.
And it sounds distorted and even less clear when you keep turning the volume up. So you just read between the lines the best you can. You’ve become fairly good at that.
As you listen, the voices sound specifically muffled for around a minute. Then all of a sudden you hear, “so what can your company do to help us with this”?”
You panic. You didn’t catch the last few minutes and aren’t certain what issue they’re trying to solve. Your boss is counting on you to close this deal. What can you do?
Do you request they repeat themselves? They may think you weren’t paying attention. What about resorting to some slick sales jargon? No, that will be too conspicuous.
Every single day, individuals everywhere go through scenarios like this at work. Oftentimes, they try to pretend they’re okay and wing it.
So in general, how is your work being affected by your hearing loss? The following will help us find out.
Unequal pay
A representative sampling of 80,000 individuals was collected by The Better Hearing Institute using the same method that the Census Bureau uses.
People who have disregarded hearing loss earn, on average, $12,000 less per year.
That doesn’t seem fair!
Hearing loss effects your general performance so it’s not hard to understand the above example. The deal couldn’t be closed, unfortunately. When they thought that the salesperson wasn’t paying attention to them, they pulled out. They decided to go with a company that listens better.
He missed out on a $1000 commission.
It was just a misunderstanding. But how do you think this affected his career? How might things have been different if he were wearing his hearing aids?
Injuries on the job
Individuals who have neglected hearing loss are nearly 30% more likely to sustain a serious on-the-job injury according to a study conducted by the American Medical Association. Studies also show a 300% increased risk of having a significant fall and winding up in the emergency room.
And individuals with only minor hearing loss were at the greatest risk, surprisingly! Maybe they don’t realize that hearing loss of any kind impairs a person at work.
Even if you have hearing loss, you can still have a successful career
You have a lot to offer an employer:
- Experience
- Confidence
- Empathy
- Skills
- Personality
These positive qualities shouldn’t be dominated by hearing loss. But it is often a factor. You might not even realize how great an impact on your job it’s having. Take steps to minimize the impact like:
- Never disregard using your hearing aids at work and all of the rest of the time. When you do, many of the accommodations aren’t necessary.
- Before a meeting, ask if you can get a written agenda and overview. It will be easier to follow the discussion.
- Know that you’re not required to reveal that you have hearing loss when you’re interviewing. And the interviewer may not ask. But the other side is whether your hearing loss will have an impact on your ability to have a successful interview. You will most likely need to inform the interviewer of your condition if that’s the case.
- Compose a sincere accommodations letter to your boss. This way, you have it in writing.
- Keep a well lit work area. Being able to see lips can help you follow even if you’re not a lip reader.
- Ask for a phone that is HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible). The sound doesn’t go through background noise but instead goes directly into your ear. In order to use this technology you will require a hearing aid that’s appropriate.
- If a job is going to surpass your capability you need to speak up. Your boss might, for instance, ask you to go and do some work in a part of the building that can be very noisy. Offer to do a different job to make up for it. This way, it will never seem as if you’re not doing your part.
- When you’re talking to people, make sure you look directly at them. Try to keep phone conversations to a minimum.
Hearing loss at work
Hearing loss can impact your work, even if it’s minor. But having it treated will frequently eliminate any obstacles you face with neglected hearing impairment. We can help so call us!