Post #23: The Moonlighting Ground Report
Moonlighting, or working a second job in addition to one’s primary employment, is a topic that has generated quite a debate in the past few months.
While the thoughts on this topic are very polarized, we wanted to uncover the ground reality of what is happening out there.
Not very long ago, we surveyed 3000+ developers to understand their experience and attitude towards Moonlighting. We recently released a full-length report on everything we learned from that survey.
This week’s newsletter captures some interesting tidbits from “The Moonlighting Ground Report”.
Moonlighting - A topic that has put India’s $130 Billion tech industry in a major discourse.
While Wipro’s chairman Rishad Premji called Moonlighting “cheating and unacceptable”, Rajeev Chandrasekhar (Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship of India) supports this practice and claims that this era of the Indian workforce has seen a structural shift in the attitude of tech professionals.
But has it really though?
Understanding the Spectrum - Who is Moonlighting?
Out of the 3085 tech professionals we surveyed, only 23% (707) professionals claimed they are Moonlighting or have Moonlighted before. In fact, just 7.36% of the folks claimed they are currently Moonlighting.
Another interesting pattern we noticed is that the experience level influences the likeliness of side hustles.
We noticed that almost 31% of the respondents with 0-1 years of experience were involved in Moonlighting and this percentage reduced as the experience increased.
However, what came as a surprise was the spike in Moonlighting among the senior folks (7+ years of experience). While we don’t know the exact reasons why, we think this could be because of the experience and efficiency they bring to the table or because they’re looking for newer challenges to help them grow.
Why do these people choose to Moonlight?
The answer is simple - money! Well, not really.
Contrary to popular belief, only 47% of the respondents claimed they were doing this to make some extra money. The #1 reason for people to Moonlight is to learn and apply new skills with 73.41% of the respondents choosing this as a reason.
Does Moonlighting really hamper productivity at the primary job?
Out of the 707 people who are Moonlighting, 74% of the folks said they’re spending less than 10 hours a week Moonlighting for other companies. That accounts for <2 hours a day.
Is it really hampering the employee’s productivity at their primary job? You tell me!
What does the future hold?
Moonlighting is becoming more prevalent in the tech industry, driven by factors such as increased demand for good talent, an increase in remote work opportunities, and the rise of the gig economy.
Here are a few reasons why we think Moonlighting will gain more momentum in the coming years.
Tech advancements
Technological advancements may create new opportunities for Moonlighting. From platforms that help you discover such opportunities, to tools that help you manage this better, this space is seeing a lot of innovation.Change in employment laws
Changes in employment laws and regulations may impact the Moonlighting industry, such as laws related to overtime pay, tax obligations, and worker classification.Increased awareness
Companies are likely to become more aware of Moonlighting and its potential impact on their operations and employees. Some companies may choose to restrict Moonlighting, while others may adopt a more flexible policy that encourages it.Continued growth
The Moonlighting industry is likely to continue to grow, driven by factors such as the increasing demand for skilled workers, the rise of the gig economy, and the trend toward remote work.
If you’d like to get into more detail on this topic, make sure to check out “The Moonlighting Ground Report” by Cutshort.
That’s all the updates we have for you this week. See you in the next newsletter with more exciting stuff to share!