- My manager supports me taking on side hustles/moonlighting
- My manager opposes me taking on side hustles/moonlighting
- I don’t know/I’m not sure
Despite the poor way the question was asked, the results were extremely interesting once compared against the responses of already identified, high performing teams. Respondents in high performing teams were almost twice as likely to say their manager supported side hustles. (44% vs. 25%)
This feels counter intuitive because you’d think the employees would be tired, burned out, and not delivering their best work for their employer. You might also assume management only wants staff working on their projects. But, in fact, engagement isn’t a zero-sum game. Research shows if you’re captivated in one area of your life, the experience tends to seep over, making you more invested in everything you do.
This begs two questions. One, is this a conversation we should be having with our clients? Two, is there some application of this concept in our own personal lives? It’s easy to get burned out in recruiting, and for many of you, the idea of a side hustle is inconceivable, given your current workload. That said, we believe it still warrants exploration.
People wildly underestimate what they can accomplish over 5 years. What if you allocated 1- 3 hours per week to something you found entertaining, and allowed you to mentally stretch outside of direct placement? Ideally, you’d want something you could invest time into now, but wouldn’t require a tremendous amount of effort to deliver once you’ve finished building. We want to plant this seed, and have you start thinking about what you could do.
Stop working in a silo! Get the support you need from expert coaches and a group of high performing peers. Learn more below.

Tricia Tamkin, headhunter, advisor, coach, and gladiator. Tricia has spoken at over 50 recruiting events, been quoted in multiple national publications, and her name is often dropped in groups as the solution to any recruiters’ challenges. She brings over 30 years of deep recruiting experience and offers counsel in a way which is perspective changing and entertaining.