Hiring Friends to Work for You. Is It a Good Idea?
There are pros and cons in hiring your friends to work for the company that you have established. On one hand, you are hiring someone whom you already know and trust. If you have a solid friendship that took years to form, you are certain that this is someone who will help you strengthen your company. On the other hand, your friend might be too complacent because you are the boss. The key is to treat your friends just like anyone else. You can still hire a friend but not as a friend but because he is qualified for the job. Here are some important considerations.
Don’t hire because you want to help
This is a common mistake. You don’t just hire someone because you feel bad about them. If you have a friend who is in need of money, give them a loan or just donate a certain amount of money. Hiring them is a totally different story. They might not have the skills to carry out the job well. They will underperform and you end up breaking your friendship along the way. Even if your intention is good, it is not the best option moving forward.
Find out if they have the right skill set
Again, treat them like any other job applicant. Look at their skills and personality instead of just helping them out. They might have a good educational background or experiences to help you grow the company. They might have also worked with other huge companies before and their knowledge could be transferred in making your company even bigger. The fact that you already established trust is just a bonus.
Tell them what you want from them
Before you hire your qualified friend to do the job, make sure everything is clear. Let them know that even if you are friends, you should still maintain professional relationship at work. You should also let them know that they won’t have special treatment just because they are your friends. This will not just make them perform better but also avoid any awkwardness between them and other employees.
An intimate friend is a different story
Although you can still hire a close friend, hiring someone whom you are with on an intimate level is a totally different story. You might want to take a step back if you are planning to do it. You don’t want the stress of your work to affect your relationship with each other. Besides, you want to have something else to talk about other than work.
In the end, you have to be very careful when hiring friends to do the job. Don’t give them special treatment. You should also separate your personal relationship from work. You must also learn how to respect each other. This is a huge risk for both of you but if you are willing to take the risk, nothing should stop you.
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