Accountemps Survey Suggests Productivity Peaks on Tuesdays

 A new survey from Accountemps indicates that Tuesday is ranked as the day considered the most productive by HR managers. Thursday and Friday were virtually tied for the least productive days of the week. Nearly 40 percent of polled HR managers reported Tuesday as the most productive day. Tuesday has long been cited as the most productive day in similar surveys over multiple decades.

When asked “In your opinion, on which day of the week are employees generally most productive?” participants replied:

• Monday – 24 percent

• Tuesday – 39 percent

• Wednesday – 14 percent

• Thursday – 3 percent

• Friday – 3 percent

• No particular day – 14 percent

• Don’t know – 3 percent

“Many workers spend Monday catching up from the previous week and planning the one ahead,” said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps. “On Tuesday, employees may begin to have time to focus on individual tasks and become more productive. The goal should be to maintain the positive momentum established on Tuesday throughout the week.”

In order to increase productivity throughout the week, Accountemps recommends: cutting in half daily to-do lists in order to focus on top priorities; focusing on single projects at a time to ensure quality; taking on the most critical or challenging tasks during the most productive time of day (employee-specific); avoiding distractions such as mobile devices, email, and social media; and utilizing productivity apps, such as digital calendars, task-management, and other time-saving programs, to track projects and stay current.