The remote work revolution has given freedom and flexibility to millions of people. We just surveyed 585 of them to better understand how it’s changed their lives — and led to some amazing side projects.
What Employees Are Saying About Flex Time and Side Projects?
Here are the results of an incredibly timely survey.
70% of tech employees have started a new side project since the onset of the COVID pandemic.
Only 30% kept with their normal, work-dominated life.
No surprise, the increase in side projects was largely due to having newfound flexibility due to the shift to remote work.
On Productive Time, Passion Projects and Creativity
Employees are reporting that working from home allows for more creativity and productive work, as we discussed in The Future of Work survey. 80% of the employees we surveyed feel more productive at home than in the office.
Flexible work schedules are enabling increased pursuits of curiosity and creativity.
We're witnessing a widespread Pursuit of Happiness on a scale never seen before.
Q4. We asked respondents to list their specific side projects, and here's are some of their answers, verbatim:
Coding, writing, podcasting, renovating homes, launching online reseller store, music, Etsy, spiritual coaching, finance, stock trading, making videos, crafts, woodworking, learning new instruments, sewing, acting, voice over work, robotics.
The percentage of people pursuing side projects is astonishing. But, equally astonishing is the amount of time people are devoting to their side projects. This signifies a major shift in how we spend our days and organize our lives.
Passion Project?
The following two findings signify something important: 1) that people's side projects are a way of Pursuing Happiness, and that 2) they intend to make that Pursuit of Happiness their career. The "Great Resignation" and quiet quitting weren't just bull market trends of 2020 and 2021; they were the beginning of a shift toward living more meaningful lives.
Replacing your day job?
People have every intention of replacing their day jobs with their side projects. What does this mean for the future of work? Of labor? Of hiring? Of employee benefits and retention? The implications are massive.
A SHIFT in our culture:
While the specific questions about side-projects are fascinating, the following two questions are the most important findings of this survey— they signify the biggest shift in our culture in centuries.
How we "define" ourselves and find meaning is changing. Look at the change from pre-pandemic to post-pandemic.
Credit: Side Project Report
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