Tag Archive for: friends

In our last article, we pointed out some interesting cautions to take when thinking about hiring friends and family. However, just as many endeavors come with pros and cons, so does this one! So, if you’re in the position of expanding your business and taking on new employees, make sure to keep reading about why it may benefit you to consider close friends or family…

Keeping Family on Board…

  1. You Know Them Best: We hope this does not come as a surprise that whether we’re talking about your spouse, partner, friend, family member, sibling, past coworker, or any other close relationship you have, you likely know more about them than most other people in the world! Knowing all of the strengths of the person you hire before even placing them in a position is an enormous benefit for your business model. We encourage you to, again, evaluate the responsibilities of your open role in detail to be able to fully consider if this person would take over in a positive way.
  2. Surpassing Onboarding: Especially for those of you in a time crunch, on a start-up timeline, or crammed for expansion, hiring someone that you know, love, and trust will allow you to diminish the time it takes to run background checks, tests, and a whole bunch of time-consuming onboarding tasks. Time, as we know it, is the most scarce resource in the world! So lack of it may prove one of the best moments to ask a favor of a loved one.
    • Extra Tip: Look out for opportunities where you may require a temporary, informal favor! While this by no means should encourage you to ask for hours of volunteer work from your friends or family, bringing someone on to nail out a quick business problem, solidify the launch of a new role or opportunity, or to take some of the burdens off of your shoulders could prove enormously useful and beneficial to your entire company.
  3. Pre-Established Trust: In the same way that you will most likely be well aware of this person’s strengths to use to both their and your own advantage, it is more likely than not that you will be taking someone on with an already solidified level of trust. When this comes to delegating tasks and giving up certain responsibilities that you are used to mandating on your own, it is crucial to be able to hand off your duties to someone you know will prove their worth!
  4. They Care About You! While your business will always be your own “baby,” the people closest to you will also feel a personal investment in your success. Hiring someone who already feels an attachment to your company and its initiatives is someone who will stand by your side through thick and thin.

Now that you know the pros and cons of including those that you love in your business, you are ready to take on the hiring process!

Searching for a new position? Check out our open jobs list!

Missed Monday? Find out why NOT to hire people you “cannot” fire here!

Attention all business owners and start-up entrepreneurs! Are you battling the task of expanding your team, hiring new members, or deciding whether to add on new roles within your company? Well, we’re sure that during the time between the start of your company and today, you’ve been faced with the opportunity (or favor) to hire a family member or close friend. While there are pros to doing so, we definitely want to make you aware of some cautions to look out for in your business model.

To Hire Close Family and Friends…?

  1. Emotional Involvement: Most likely the first thought to cross your mind when you think about walking into an office alongside your spouse, sibling, college roommate, best friend, cousin, or any other person of a close relationship is the emotional attachment. After all, these people aren’t just strangers that you met during an interview, they are some of the most important people in your life! We hope that the relationships you hold most closely to you are those that will last a lifetime. However, having the emotional capacity to leave your thoughts and feelings out of business decisions is no easy feat. Make sure to weigh the concrete, measurable value each of these people brings to your business model. Are they going to act as resources or are you going to hire additional work obligations?
  2. Superiority and Business Hierarchy: You must remember that you are, in fact, the boss of this organization. The blood, sweat, and tears implored into this operation are those of your own, and there is no one else in this world who values the success of this company in the same way that you do! For that reason, you must remain capable of implementing orders, providing direction, and ultimately offering critique to each of your employees. If you are someone who will be more uncomfortable than confident in this type of setting, think twice before adding someone you feel close to to your team.
  3. Others will Assume Favoritism: There is no doubt about it… the moment that you add a family member or friend to your team, they will immediately become the perceived favorite amongst all of your employees. Battling this assumption will not prove easy, and in some instances may lead you to feel as if you must treat this person unfavorably just to prove a point. Be cautious of this when determining which role to place your friend/family member into so as to maintain a fairly perceived environment as a collective team and company.
  4. Unequal Expectations: This point relates most closely to the employee that you are actually hiring. This person may come in with preconceived notions about how you run your business. Whether this benefits or hinders your ability to set expectations of this person’s responsibilities, it is crucial to both your and their success to set measurable and clear goals for the month and/or year. This way, there will be no room left for debate as to whether this person is performing well based off of their perception, or below the belt.

We hope that you each find yourselves in the position of hiring others at one point in your professional lives! What an accomplishment to be had, and also one that comes with a massive responsibility. Follow these guidelines and you are set to make clear cut and beneficial decisions for both yourself and your corporation.

Searching for a new position? Check out our open jobs list! 

Read our recent blog to find out the benefits of exploring different internships during your college career!