Do you want your business to thrive? Hire an employee with a side gig.
By day I work in marketing. By night and on weekends I write for the internet. It’s a side hustle that I’ve been doing for the past decade now, enabling me to put a little extra money in my pocket and pursue my passion.
A recent report by CareerBuilder found that 29 percent of more than 3,200 workers have a second job. The trend is more popular among Millennials, 44 percent of who hold down multiple gigs.
Most companies used to frown on moonlighting, but that shouldn’t be the case. According to the study, 71 percent of the workers polled said they had no intentions of turning their side jobs into a full time career, Additionally, employees with side hustles are often more productive, have characteristics employers want, and think creatively.
Here are some other reasons why workers with side gigs excel at their jobs.
They Gain Skills Off the Clock
Building their own empire gives employees real-world, hands-on experience that they can use in their day jobs. The accountant that moonlights as a web designer can bring some of that creativity to the table of his 9 to 5er, offering creative solutions to otherwise stagnant problems.
Entrepreneurial Employees Make the Best Workers
Self-starting, innovative and proactive workers help a company to thrive. These traits are generally what employers are looking for in qualified applicants. Given that side hustlers often experience challenges of running their own business, they are problem-solvers and a real asset to any type of business in any industry.
They Won’t Ask for Raises Constantly
Folks with side hustles aren’t necessarily motivated by money; they’re driven by passion. Despite this, their side job gives them the extra income that they need, so there is a high chance that they won’t be asking for that biannual pay hike.
They Think Outside of the Box
Entrepreneurial employees are often creative thinkers and thrive on a challenge. At its core, entrepreneurship is about creating something brand new. So if your business needs a fresh take on a stale product or marketing plan, a side hustling employee may be able to enlighten you.
Though there is multiple perks of a side hustle worker, employers still must protect themselves from any risk that may pose a threat for their business.
Transparency
An employee with a side gig should feel comfortable enough at their workplace to declare that they have a side job. This omission is meant to provide transparency and that the employee has nothing to hide. Also, the worker should make it clear that they are not performing their side hustle during company hours.
Noncompetitive Side Hustles
The employer should make it crystal clear that the side gig shouldn’t pose a competitive threat to their core business. This means that the employee should not be doing any work for direct or indirect competition.
Working in the evenings and on weekend mornings has definitely made me a better employee. I can better relate to my employer’s struggles of running a thriving business and it makes me a more well rounded individual. The passion I pour into my writing gig energizes me, and energy in turn flows back into my day job.
[via inc.com]