For just a moment, picture that you have a job as a salesperson. Now imagine that you have a call scheduled today with a really valuable client. Multiple agents from their offices have come together to discuss whether to hire your company for the job. As the call goes on, voices go up and down…and are sometimes difficult to hear. But you’re hearing most of it.
And it sounds distorted and even less clear when you continue cranking the volume up. So you simply make do, interpreting what’s being said the best you can. You’re very good at that.
There comes a point in the conversation where things become particularly hard to hear. This is the point where the potential client asks “so exactly how will your firm help us solve this?””
You freeze. You have no idea what their company’s issue is because you didn’t catch the last part of the discussion. Your boss is counting on you to seal this deal. What can you do?
Do you request they repeat themselves? They might think you weren’t paying attention. Do you begin using a lot of sales jargon? No, they’ll see right through that.
People go through situations like this every day when they are at work. Sometimes, they try to pretend they’re okay and wing it.
But how is untreated hearing loss really impacting your work as a whole? The following will help us find out.
Lower wages
The Better Hearing Institute surveyed 80,000 people using the same method the Census Bureau uses to get a representative sampling.
They found that people who have untreated hearing loss earn around $12,000 less per year than those who can hear.
Hey, that’s not fair!
Hearing loss effects your general performance so it’s not difficult to understand the above example. The deal couldn’t be closed, unfortunately. Everything was going great until the client thought he wasn’t paying attention to them. They decided to work with a company that listens better.
His commission on this contract would have been more than $1000.
The situation was misconstrued. But how do you think this affected his career? How might things have been different if he were wearing his hearing aids?
Injuries on at work
Individuals who have neglected hearing loss are nearly 30% more likely to incur a serious on-the-job injury according to a study carried out by the American Medical Association. Studies also show a 300% increased risk of having a serious fall and ending up in the emergency room.
And it might come as a surprise that individuals with minor hearing loss had the highest risk among those who have hearing loss. Perhaps, their hearing loss is mild enough that they don’t even know about it.
Even if you have hearing loss, you can still have a successful career
You have a lot to offer an employer:
- Confidence
- Personality
- Empathy
- Skills
- Experience
Hearing loss shouldn’t dominate these. However, that doesn’t mean it won’t be a factor. It may be impacting your job more than you realize. Take actions to lessen the impact like:
- So that you have it in writing, it’s not a bad idea to write a sincere accommodations letter for your boss.
- When you’re speaking with people, make certain you look directly at them. Try to keep phone conversations to a minimum.
- Asking for a written outline/agenda before a meeting. Discussions will be easier to keep up with.
- Know that you aren’t required to reveal that you have hearing loss during an interview. And the interviewer can’t ask. But the other consideration is whether your hearing loss will have an effect on your ability to have a good interview. You will probably need to make the interviewer aware of your condition if that’s the situation.
- 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. You will need hearing aids that will work with this technology to use one.
- Speak up when a task is beyond your abilities. Your boss might, for example, ask you to go and do some work in an area of the building that can be really noisy. Offer to do something else to make up for it. That way, it never seems like you aren’t doing your part.
- Keep a brightly lit work area. Even if you don’t read lips, being able to see them can help you discern what’s being said.
- Use your hearing aids while you’re at work every day, at all times. When you do this, lots of of the accommodations aren’t necessary.
Working with hearing loss
Even if you have mild hearing loss, it can still effect your work performance. But getting it treated will frequently get rid of any obstacles you face with neglected hearing loss. We can help so call us!