Chatty coworkers, noisy offices among biggest distractions
Monday and Tuesday, especially in the morning, are when employees are most productive, according to a survey by staffing firm Accountemps.
More than half of workers surveyed in Canada said their productivity peaks at the beginning of the week, with Tuesday (35 per cent) ahead of Monday (25 per cent) by 10 percentage points. After Wednesday (18 per cent), worker productivity dips: 12 per cent of employees do their best work on Thursdays, followed by 10 per cent on Fridays.
Two-fifths (41 per cent) of workers are most productive in the early morning and 31 per cent late morning, found the survey.
When it comes to the location for peak productivity, employees are divided: 44 per cent say they work best in a private office with a closed door, while 33 per cent prefer working in an open office with coworkers. One-fifth (19 per cent) say they are most productive working from home, found the survey of more than 400 workers.
"Great leaders recognize that the path to productivity looks different for everyone," says Koula Vasilopoulos, district president at Accountemps in Calgary. "Managers should remain flexible and empower employees with the environment, tools and options that best support their preferred, and most effective, work style."
As for the biggest distractions, overly chatty and social coworkers topped the list (28 per cent), followed by office noise and unnecessary conference calls or meetings (both at 23 per cent), unnecessary emails (20 per cent) and cell phone use (seven per cent).
"Professionals need to take responsibility for their own productivity," says Vasilopoulos. "Be cognizant of where you are when you're doing your best work and proactively find ways to replicate that environment. Whether this means brainstorming in the morning because that's when you're most creative, reducing distractions with a pair of headphones or putting up a sign to indicate you're unavailable, knowing your own productivity needs can help you better manage your time and to-do list."
