Work from home has provided professionals with an opportunity to pursue their passions after hours and supplement their income while doing so. This is making side hustles a new norm. A recent survey found that 70% of respondents believed 'side hustles' or 'ethical moonlighting' are the real shot to fame, and 69% expressed an interest in earning money from their hobbies.

Moonlighting has historically been perceived as negative and most often frowned upon. However, the pandemic and the new hybrid work model are allowing organizations to be more flexible.

In a recent post, we noted that most organisations and executives are still figuring out how to deal with the surge of side hustles. Some companies, on the other hand, have not only accepted it but are using it as a critical lever to boost employee productivity and engagement.

We asked professionals across sectors on LinkedIn: Should organisations be okay with their employees having a side hustle? 

Organisations should be okay with employees having a side hustle, according to 86 percent of the professionals who voted (1,026) in the poll. However, 14% of employers are still hesitant to allow employees to work side jobs.

The bigger picture

We live in an employee-driven world. Organisations that do not adapt to changing talent priorities will eventually perish. Given the changing nature of work and workplace, leaders and organisations that they lead need to deeply internalise a culture of agility and flexibility.

“What a person does outside of regular paid work hours is none of the employer's business! Unless, the employee is stealing leads, customers, time, or resources naturally,” says HR consultant at Ian Hopfe. 

In order to be successful, organisations need to cultivate a culture of open and transparent communication, which includes adopting side gigs. Having multiple skills and being able to take on a variety of projects is slowly but steadily becoming a trend. If we all look at the bigger picture, the expertise in one domain does fuelS excellence in another. Instead of resisting the change, organisations must look at this as an opportunity to create multiple avenues of learning and growth for their talent within the same ecosystem. 

Leaders and organisations must understand why people take on side hustles before jumping to conclusions. Then, based on that, find opportunities within the organisation to meet these needs. It may entail adjusting salary or reorganising jobs in order to improve employees' overall development. 

Learn more about these emerging work trends shaping your talent strategies at People Matters EX Conference 2022. Get insights to create an exponential EX that drives 10X performance.