by Daniel Ciciora

Side gigs are prevalent in today’s society. They enable people to have creative outlets outside their 9-to-5 jobs while simultaneously making extra cash. If you think about what the country looked like in the late 2000s when the gig economy came to fruition, the nation had slipped into an economic slumber known as the Great Recession.

People began taking nontraditional gigs out of necessity, but here we are, 10 years down the road and many workers have figured out how to turn their side hustles into lucrative businesses that ensure they have well-rounded skill sets.

Where once employers were confused by applicants whose resumes boasted a variety of skills, wise leaders are learning to specifically look for candidates who can incorporate what they’ve learned from their side hustles. It’s no longer about being solely focused on the once-siloed departments that comprise entire companies, it’s about finding people who can fit into multiple roles and fluidly move from one area to the next, as needed.

With this in mind, here’s a look at why prospective hires with side hustles have something to offer to companies that are smart enough to see the advantages.

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The pros of hiring employees with side gigs

Pro #1 of hiring employees with side gigs: They’re a Driven Bunch

People who successfully operate a side hustle know they’re not going to sit around at a desk, waiting to collect their pensions whether they show up to work or not. In fact, if you ask some of today’s youngest workers they probably won’t even know what a pension is. Strategic side-hustlers know how to make jobs work for them. They get up and do rather than waiting for the world to hand them paycheques and life-long success. They put their names on sole proprietorships, serve on nonprofit boards and generally find ways to get things done.

Pro #2 of hiring employees with side gigs: They’re Out-of-the-Box Thinkers

Just as diverse workplaces are often companies where ideas are more free-flowing, individual workers who encompass diversified skills are able to approach problems and find solutions in ways other workers can’t. They have a unique perspective because they can call upon their talents to tackle situations as they arise. Every encounter with something new or unusual is an experience they put in their buckets, summoning that knowledge when necessary. Workers who experience the same situations daily will have more limited resources to utilize if creative problem-solving is required.

Pro #3 of hiring employees with side gigs: They’re More Engaged

Some employers are under the impression that people who have separate gigs won’t devote the time and attention they should if they’re brought onto the payroll. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Side hustlers don’t grumble about how their lives could be so much better if they just didn’t work there. Instead, they do whatever it takes to make their lives better when they’re not at work. They utilize their outside experiences to make their companies better places.

Once upon a time, “skilled” employees were those whose backgrounds focused on a specific sector of talents and abilities. Twenty years ago it would have been extremely uncommon to find accountants who also wrote marketing collateral or attorneys who enjoyed balancing the books of small businesses. Wise employers are taking notice of workers whose knowledge spans the horizons of multiple disciplines. It’s the new marker of competitive advantages.

Check out a few great ideas for side hustles here

Photo Credit: Caleb Minear, Unsplash