Hybrid work and collaboration have become a permanent feature of the enterprise landscape. Meetings no longer take place in a single room; they now span offices, homes, and time zones. While video often dominates conversations about hybrid collaboration, research from IDC shows that audio quality is the real driver of productivity, employee engagement, and organisational performance.
When employees struggle to hear or be heard, collaboration slows, decisions are delayed, and frustration builds. For IT leaders, this moves beyond a technical concern and becomes a fundamental business performance risk. Clear audio directly translates into measurable ROI by enabling faster decision-making, building a stronger culture, and ensuring a consistent employee experience across the workforce.
What are the hidden costs of poor audio?
The costs of poor audio are far-reaching. Poor audio during meetings can disrupt the flow of ideas, leading to miscommunication, mistakes, and delays. IDC found that nearly half of organisations report productivity loss due to unclear sound, while 49 percent say poor audio undermines decision-making.
For employees, the impact is just as significant.
Almost half experience fatigue from straining through badly managed meetings, and many cite frustration that weakens their motivation and sense of value. These issues quickly add up. What may seem like a minor inconvenience in one meeting becomes a recurring cost across hundreds of meetings each month.
Externally, the consequences are just as damaging, with 40 percent of organisations admitting that poor audio harms corporate image in front of clients and partners.
Thriving organisations understand the importance of investing in quality audio
IDC’s research highlights a clear divide between thriving organisations and those struggling to adapt. Companies that report stronger financial performance are more likely to have invested in professional, standardised audio solutions across their meeting environments.
While only 10 percent of organisations currently have a fully standardised approach, those that do consistently report higher satisfaction, greater productivity, and stronger agility. The difference lies not only in quality but in reliability.
When every meeting room delivers the same clarity and consistency, employees and clients can focus on the discussion rather than the technology. These marginal gains accumulate, turning a technical investment into a sustained driver of return.
Benefits of clear audio compound over time
The positive impact of audio investment is immediate and measurable. Organisations that have prioritised professional audio report that 90 percent of employees feel meetings are more equitable, ensuring every voice is heard.
73 percent say better audio improves well-being and creates a sense of being valued, which in turn strengthens retention and reduces the costly cycle of attrition. From a client perspective, 90 percent of staff believe clear audio improves the organisation’s external image, reinforcing trust and professionalism.
As decision-making becomes faster and collaboration more natural, the benefits extend beyond the meeting room, improving agility and sharpening competitive advantage.
For IT leaders, the message is clear: audio must move from being treated as a technical add-on to being recognised as a strategic enabler of performance. Quick, low-cost fixes too often trap organisations in a cycle of poor decisions, disengaged employees, and wasted resources.
Breaking this cycle requires commitment to standardisation, procurement decisions led by those who use the technology daily, and a focus on quality and usability over price alone. By elevating audio to a strategic priority, organisations can transform hybrid meetings from points of friction into engines of productivity and collaboration, realising tangible ROI in both the short and long term.
Learn how organisations are improving work collaboration and achieving a higher ROI by investing in high-quality audio in today’s hybrid workplace.
The full IDC InfoBrief, sponsored by Shure, explores in detail how leading organisations are achieving measurable returns by rethinking their approach to audio.
Download the report to gain the insights, data, and best practices that will help you unlock productivity, improve employee experience, and position your organisation for long-term success in the hybrid era.