Is Monday The Best Time To Start An Employee?

  Posted on 30/11/2018

Is Monday the best time to start a new job?

Whenever a job is offered to a suitable candidate, many employers feel Monday is the best time for the new candidate to start. Monday is normally the first day of the working week. But is Monday the best time for a new employee to start?

Consider the following…

What is your work environment and culture like on a Monday morning? Are staff chatting about what they did at the weekend? Are they moaning about having to return to work after two days off with their family and friends?

Remember also that Monday mornings are often very busy. Many existing office employees are catching up on emails and preparing for up and coming departmental meetings. If the new employee is to attend these meetings, remember that they are new, and it may be quite intimidating for them. Also consider that their line manager may be at the meeting – a new employee may also feel left out. This is important as you want a new employee to have an important first impression of the business, and to settle into the company as quickly as possible.

Research has found that a good time to start an employee is on a Wednesday or Thursday. Wednesday – often called “hump day” (because you over the brow of the working week hill) is a good day to start someone; a new employee has the opportunity to work for three days and settle in. Thursday, however, is often seen to be the better day for a new employee to start; that’s because the workplace environment is now past the anti-Monday sentiment and closer to the positive Friday feeling.

Allowing employees to start mid-week (when there is a happier and more productive atmosphere) creates less pressure for them. Consider that you don’t want to overwhelm a new employee – they’re just getting to remember people’s names, how the coffee machine works, where the water cooler is etc.

If Monday mornings are your company’s first day of the week, always consider that your organisation is not up to full productivity on that day.

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