In the early stages of building a business, executives are challenged to staff the organization quickly and often on a limited budget. There is a need to build a team you can trust and get them up to speed fast. All of a sudden, people are coming out of the woodwork, offering to help. And this often includes friends and family members. And it can be very tempting to bring them on board – after all, you know them, you like them, and you trust them.

Before you succumb to the temptation to hire your best friend or sister-in-law, here are some questions to consider before:
-What skills are required to fulfill the job? Do they have these skills?
-Are their skills equal to or better than others who are interested in the job?
-Would you hire them to do this job if they WEREN’T a friend or family member?
-How would you respond to others who might question why you chose to hire them?
-What are your unvoiced expectations of them because they are a friend or family member? Are they
realistic?
-Can you envision giving them work direction/telling them what to do?
-How will you feel about giving them feedback if their performance doesn’t meet expectations?
-Are you truly willing and able to treat them both fairly and impartially as an employee first and
friend/family member second?
-Are you willing to risk damaging the relationship in the event that you need to fire them?

And the acid test…
-Are you prepared to see them at the company holiday party year after year?

There are situations and circumstances where hiring a friend or family member may in fact be the best decision. I simply pose the questions above to help you make sure that it is indeed the best decision.

Are you wrestling with a sticky executive hiring or team building decision? Contact the Bailey Group for consultation.