Office workers in the Central Business District at Raffles Place on Sept 22, 2021.Many companies still draw the line at moonlighting — but what if it actually increases employee engagement and productivity? Here’s why this chief executive allows his staff to take up side jobs.One day in 2007, an employee came to me with a bold request: He wanted to take on a side job.
Content creators can improve their creative abilities by taking on various external writing, filming, or editing projects. Managers can deepen their understanding of business trends by working with startups.Despite this, moonlighting — while not illegal — is still frowned upon by most employers, and many companies include a clause against it in their employment contracts.
To this end, should employers aim only to squeeze every last bit of productivity out of their employees? Or should they aim instead to encourage their workers to develop motivation to contribute to the best of their ability and compensate them accordingly?The proof is in my company’s low turnover rate, which hovers around 5 per cent — far below the rate of 15 per cent we were seeing before allowing our employees to moonlight, as well as the global average voluntary turnover rate of 14.
As workplace flexibility continues to climb to the top of many people’s career priorities, top talents expect more from their employers. First, emphasise transparency and communication. Open up channels and processes for anyone with a side job to communicate that information with their managers and team members.