Multifaceted, multitalented workers are more valuable than ever.

BY XINTIAN TINA WANG, EDITORIAL ASSISTANT@TINA_WANGXT

For Inc.

Photo:  Movers+Shakers CEO Evan Horowitz, the Snow Agency founders Daniel Snow and Jonathan Snow, 47 Samurai founder Brad White, and Peppercomm founder Steve Cody. Photos: Courtesy subjects

“Slashing,” or engaging in several vocations simultaneously, is not a new phenomenon. Employees have long pursued side hustles and interests outside their 9-to-5 routine, making names for themselves as writers/musicians, bankers/freelance designers, and coders/photographers. But slash careers are on the rise. According to a recent survey from software company Zapier, 40 percent of Americans dabbled in a side hustle in 2022, compared to 34 percent in December 2020. That’s a boon to employers.

It might not seem like it at first glance: Hiring slashers means hiring workers who by definition have their attention and energy pulled in multiple directions. But experts say that slashers can actually be better employees. Moreover, hiring them is “a winning strategy for both surviving and prospering in today’s changing economy,” says Marci Alboher, author of One Person/Multiple Careers: The Original Guide to the Slash Career.

Inc. sat down with a few Inc. 5000 honorees to find out exactly why hiring slashers is so beneficial for businesses.

Daniel Snow, 29, and Jonathan Snow, 32, are the founders of Florida-based digital marketing agency the Snow Agency, which hit No. 47 on the 2022 Inc. 5000. They make a habit of hiring employees with multiple professional identities: Knowing each employee’s skills and interests up front helps them connect the right people to the right projects.

“It’s really important to understand what your employees enjoy doing and how we can incorporate that into their day-to-day job,” says Jonathan Snow. “If our clients want to do any campaigns related to boxing or makeup, we can rely on our employees’ passion to produce better work.” The company reached over $8 million in revenue in 2021.

Encouraging employees to cultivate other interests also boosts team morale. Daniel and Jonathan Snow, who both pursue outside ventures of their own, help employees develop their hobbies through various Slack channels. Right now, the most popular channels focus on music, DIY hacks, films, and TV shows.

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