Meetings are ubiquitous in the corporate world.

According to research by Zippia, as of 2023, approximately 55 million meetings were held in the US each week. That’s more than 11 million a day and 1 billion a year. According to a 2023 Microsoft report, American workers spent an average of 7.5 hours a week in meetings.

That’s a whole lot of touch-bases, one-on-ones, brainstorms, check-ins, kick-offs, and debriefs. But as popular as it is to bash meetings  (i.e. “this could’ve been an email”), leaders know that that a good meeting is arguably one of the most effective executive communications tools. Done right, meetings are a powerful way to share ideas and build consensus, all with a uniquely human touch.

That’s not to say there’s no room for improvement.  71% of  meetings are considered unproductive (an average of 31 hours per month per worker), with an estimated $37 billion is lost per year to unproductive meetings.

Getting to the bottom of meeting mayhem isn’t easy. Inefficient meetings are rooted in everything from organizational culture and trust issues to hybrid work and company values (or lack thereof).

But at least some of that unproductivity is due to when the meetings are scheduled. For bosses and executives, here’s a handy guide for the best time to schedule meetings to achieve maximum communication impact.

When to schedule meetings

The best time to schedule a meeting is obviously a moving target. It depends on work schedules and all the other competing commitments on a busy day. But that hasn’t stopped a number of studies from trying to pinpoint the optimal meeting time.

A 2016 Cognition study found that the best time to make a decision was in the morning. Research by Fellow, a meeting scheduling app, suggests that the sweet spot falls between 10 a.m. and noon. That’s the best time for productivity and decision-making. “This is true for everyone regardless of role, industry, or location,” writes Mara Calvello.

However, if the aim is high attendance, then scheduling a meeting between 2:30 and 3 p.m. is optimal. YouCanBookMe‘s research suggests that the best time and day is 2:30 on a Tuesday.

In 2023, 43% of meetings logged on business platform Calendly fell between 2 and 6 p.m. while a paltry 3% occurred between 8 and 9 a.m. Wednesday was the most popular day for work meetings while Tuesday took the top spot for virtual meetings.

Data also shows that nearly a quarter of in-person or virtual meetings took place between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m — so much for work-life balance!

When NOT to schedule meetings

No surprise here: Monday morning takes top spot of time slot to avoid at all costs when it comes to scheduling a chinwag. After the weekend, employees are often at their most productive as they catch up on outstanding tasks and plan the week, and a meeting will just get in the way.

In general, early morning meetings are to be avoided. They can interfere with things like sleep, childcare and school drop-offs, working out, and eating.

However, there are exceptions. Early morning work hours are hallmarks of the healthcare and finance industries and education. And it may be necessary to schedule early morning meetings to coordinate global teams across time zones.

Leaders know that meetings are necessary for businesses thrive. To get the most communication value out of your meeting, whatever it’s purpose, try to schedule it when your employees are at their peak attentiveness. You might save yourself some time and money in the long run.

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