Employees more productive in the morning

Productivity is a complex concept that employers are always trying to harness. However, as every employee works differently and comes from a unique background, their approach to work is often divergent.

This idea has been reinforced by the results of a recently released study by The Creative Group. A total of 400 marketing executives from a range of company sizes were polled on what time of the day they feel most productive and creative.

Like the old saying goes, "The early bird catches the worm", and in this case, the morning was the key for productivity and creativity among respondents. The majority (59 per cent) of marketing executives regard 8am to 12pm as their optimum productivity time. A similar percentage (61 per cent) also indicated this is the time where they feel the most creative.

Diane Domeyer, executive director of The Creative Group, explained why this might be the case.

"Creative professionals are known for being night owls but, the truth is, many actually perform at their peak in the morning, when they feel refreshed and relatively free of distractions," she said.

"Starting the day on a strong note can mean the difference between getting ahead or falling behind at work, and avoiding long hours at the office."

Unsurprisingly, the least creative and productive times of the day were between 6pm and 10pm and between midnight and 6am.

The Creative Group offered some suggestions to employers to help their workers become more productive and fight the fatigue that can develop in the afternoon. This included creating to-do lists, limiting social media and internet distractions, taking small breaks and breaking projects into achievable tasks.

Another way to improve productivity across your businesses is to install workflow automation software. By eliminating needless data entry on payroll and billing, employees can have more time to finish other tasks and reduce working outside of their regular hours.