For those of us who are used to the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. regular work hours, getting your day started at 5 a.m. might seem like an unimaginable task, but for others, it's a way to get ahead, The Wall Street Journal reported May 15.
The early bird gets the worm mentality is a common one for many company leaders, like Apple CEO Tim Cook and General Motors CEO Mary Barra, who start their day before many of their employees are even out of bed.
Matt Kiger, senior vice president for digital sales at Townsquare Media, told the Journal that employees who sleep in risk missing an important window where many executives are, "awake and accessible in the mornings."
"I thought, 'What is it going to take to break through?'" Mr. Kiger told the publication. "'It's going to take being there when my boss comes in, already at my desk making phone calls.'"
Matt Sunshine, CEO of Center for Sales Strategy in Tampa, Fla., told the Journal that if people want to get his attention, the best time is first thing in the morning.
"Because people know I’m an early riser, I think that does influence other people to do the same," Mr. Sunshine said.
Rising with the sun could also have benefits for your health. A study done by the University of Colorado Boulder and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard found depression risk was cut by 23% for those who woke up just one hour earlier.
But the 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. before the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. doesn't resonate with everyone, as flexibility is key to many workers in a post-pandemic world.
An 8 a.m. work meeting has proved to not be as favorable to many now, according to a Korn Ferry report, and can cause disruptions for those who have established routines during that time.
Large healthcare companies are also coming up with ways to address their employees' wants and needs.
Louisville, Ky.-based Baptist Health and Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealth Group made the move in 2023 to relocate their corporate headquarters and find smaller locations due to more employees choosing the flexibility of remote work.
"Are you solving for a productivity question or a culture question?" asked David Vied, global sector leader of Korn Ferry's medical devices and diagnostics practice.