Every company operates an internal communication system. Communication is very important whether it’s a big multinational or a small start-up. Management always stresses maintaining communication with the employees to ensure a better workflow. Companies distribute important announcements, bonuses, holidays, etc., via their mode of communication. Many companies have intricately designed newsletters as well. These newsletters and employee emails are distributed among employees on different regularities- weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc.
It is not enough to just design emails and newsletters for the employees. What is the use of all the effort if they never open it? Our mailboxes are often flooded with advertisements, junk mail, and such. People don’t check their emails every day unless they are required to. Companies should find out the best time to send emails to their employees if they want them to actually read the emails.
The Best Day to Send Emails
Monday
Monday is probably top of the list for being the worst day to send emails. People just start to get back to work after the weekend. They are in no rush to scan through their emails on the first day of the working days. People often like to laze around on the weekends. So, they are not so happy when Monday rolls around, and they have to jump back into a hectic routine.
Many newsletters and weekly emails are scheduled to be sent out on Mondays. If you decide to crowd the mailbox further with work emails, there is a high chance of the emails not being opened.
Tuesday to Thursday
After Monday, employees are in a groove with their tasks. Their productivity is at its most during this time. Employees are likely to check their mailbox for new emails between their work. From Tuesday to Thursday, you can send out emails on any day with the expectation of having them opened.
Friday
Friday is a hit-or-miss when it comes to sending employee emails. The chances of employees actually checking their mailbox on this day is 50-50. There are two sets of employees- one who likes to get everything wrapped up before the weekend so they can start fresh next week. They are the ones who will check their emails on Friday and sort through them before their leisure weekends.
The other category of employees is those who just need the weekend to start. They do not care about what comes next week. These employees will just wrap up the tasks at hand and call it a day. They will not check their emails on a Friday for fear of having their weekend ruined.
If you miss out on sending an email on the peak days (Tuesday to Thursday), you can consider Friday since you have a 50% chance of the emails being opened.
Weekends
You might think weekends are a good time to send emails since people relax and have plenty of time on their hands. Maybe they will pop open the mailbox and dig through the mail in hopes of finding something worthwhile. The number of people who associate themselves with checking emails on the weekend is dangerously low.
Your employees will avoid anything work-related on weekends or on their days off if they can help with it. They will definitely not open a working mail on their day off. So avoid the weekends to send out emails if you wish for them to be opened.
The Best Time to Send Mails
Many people consider early mornings to be the best time for sending mail since employees might check their mailboxes before starting the day. But, how do you know your employee even has the time to check their emails in the morning? What if their alarm did not go off, and they were just rushing to get ready for work? They will not have the time to check their emails when looking for a fresh pair of socks.
A good time to send emails is from 10 AM to 12 PM. By this time, employees are at their workstations, and they are in full productivity mode. They will go through their emails between work and add any important announcements to their calendar.
Another decent time to send emails is in the afternoon, somewhere between 1 and 3 PM. Many employees have lunch breaks during this time. They will probably check their emails during lunch or after getting back from lunch.
Avoid sending emails during after-hours. Like with weekends, most employees will not even bother checking their emails after they call it a day.
Worth the Click
You can pick the best time to send out employee emails and still have them unopened if your emails are not worth reading. Your emails should catch your employees’ attention, so they are compelled to click on them. If they find your email uninteresting or think it will just waste their time, they will probably ignore it or just put it in the trash.
If it is an important announcement, make sure you mention it clearly in the subject. As for regular work emails or scheduled company emails, make them interesting. No one will open your emails unless they are intrigued enough.
Bottom Line
In this digital age, everyone is bombarded with emails, no matter their age or profession. You can find newsletters flooding a teenager’s mailbox because they browsed through some websites at one point. People are often lazy or unbothered to actually unsubscribe from unwanted emails. You need to ensure your emails will not be lost in the sea of unwanted junk. The key is to stay relevant to reach your target audience.
If you are confident about your email content and are still not being opened, you pick the wrong time to send them. You need the best time to send emails to employees if you want the emails to be received and opened.