LISTEN TO EPISODE 114

SCOTT DOW: 

"If you have a remote team, especially in the tech space, you've got to ask yourself this: "How many of my employees have a side hustle?" And "how many of my employees have another full-time gig?"

Here's why:

45% of Americans have a side hustle, and 5% and growing have a second full-time job - at least one additional full-time job. That's what the data shows. Look it up yourself. And if you need any more proof, check out overemployed.com. It's an eye-opener.

So, some of your quiet quitters aren't headed to the beach. They're not headed to the gym or the park. They're headed to the bank, because they've got a second or a third paycheck to deposit.

If you've got a team of eight, chances are pretty good that four of them have a side hustle. And one of those are double dipping. They have another full-time gig.

It's not a crime, but let's treat it like one. A prosecutor has to establish a suspect's means, motives, and opportunity.

• Remote workers have the means. All they need is a laptop, a WiFi connection, and maybe a second screen. And there's plenty of websites and communities that share over-employment best practices.
• They have the motives. Job insecurity, inflation, maybe they didn't get the pay increase they were after - who does? You name it!
• And they had the opportunity, because you're not looking over their shoulder. They're working remotely, and they've already quietly quit.

Now, that doesn't mean that every remote worker is guilty or needs to be viewed as a suspect. But some of them should be. Over-employed double dippers.

• Take a lot of PTO.
• They use all their sick days.
• They take these occasional sabbaticals, and they miss meetings.
• They have scheduling conflicts, obscure calendars, and their work product begins to suffer.
• They miss deadlines.
• They're not as active on LinkedIn because they're flying under the radar, and they respond to emails at really odd hours.

It doesn't make them bad people, and some of them do good work. In fact, many of them are your more talented employees. They're in demand, but you're sharing them with another boss and another company.

And here's the problem: We're in a recession, and the stakes are really, really high. You're being asked to do a lot more with a lot less, and you're accountable for your entire team's performance. You've got a lot on the line, but your remote workers have the means, motives, and opportunity to pursue a polygamous career, and many of them will.

These are opposing forces, and they're here to stay.

So what do you do? Don't go rounding up your suspects. If you think that someone's double dipping, treat them like a quiet quitter. We explain how in episode 97, and I encourage you to take a quick listen. Raise your expectations, engage more, give more timely feedback, and hold them accountable.

If your company is paying people to work full-time, it deserves a full day's work. But if you manage them like part-timers, that's what they'll become."

OUTRO 

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