Should employers be fearful of side hustles? No.

So, I think we’ve now established what a side hustle is, and the fact that they’re growing in popularity. It’s clear to see that side hustling is here to stay, and that’s no bad thing in my mind, for reasons which I’ll go on to shortly. 

However, in an employer’s mind, the very thought that many of their staff could already have side hustles (or are seriously thinking about setting them up), may, at first thought, cause worry and apprehension. Maybe their staff won’t be able to get the balance right and they’ll get burnout. Or perhaps they’ll work on their side project in company time or using company property? Or worse, maybe they’ll eventually quit once their side hustle takes off. I understand these worries, they are understandable and I’m sure relatable to many. In fact, they are backed up by research.

However, I also believe that employers must not live in fear of the side hustle. As I said, they’re not going away. So, you have no choice but to change your perspective and start to see them for all the good things they will bring to your team and ultimately your business. If you really think about it, by side hustling, your employees are:

• Upskilling themselves, and bringing these new skills back to the office, where others can benefit
• Building their confidence and resilience by being their own boss and pushing themselves outside of their comfort zone
• Forming a better understanding of who they are and how they work, enabling them to bring their whole selves to work, and do that work in a way that suits them best – which can only be a good thing
• Gaining experience of new environments, new industries and new ways of doing things, meaning they are far more likely to bring this level of open mindedness and big picture thinking back to their day job
• Constantly solving problems and taking risks independently, and translating this approach to help drive creative thinking and innovation in your own business

When we look internally in my own business at people development and succession planning, we are often looking for broader roles and projects to stretch our future leaders so that they become more rounded and skilled in preparation for their next step up. If they are learning some of those broader skills in their side hustle, that actually helps the situation.

And lastly, and most importantly, your side hustling employees will likely feel happier and more fulfilled because they are spending time creating or working on something they are passionate about. That’s not a threat to their day job – in fact, it puts them in a great position to give their all in the time that they are working for you. As Danny Harmer, Chief People Office at Metro Bank says in this HR Magazine article, “If someone has interests and things that fulfil them they’ll be happy. As long as someone comes to work for us and they love their job, they fit with the culture and they’re aligned to our business, it’s fine.” 

The way we work is constantly evolving, and I think the rise in side hustles is a great example of that. So, I’d love to hear from those of you who have a side hustle – what is yours, does your employer know about it, and what skills has it taught you?