By: Seomul Evans
Submitted: 2009-02-10 03:27:05 | Word Count: 664
So you’re starting your own business. You’re looking for space to rent for your office, and might need some clerical assistance at some point. So why not find a friend with whom to share office space and hire your sister for your part time work? Sound too close for comfort? Here are 6 reasons to consider hiring friends and family to work for you.
1. They’re Trustworthy. When you hire friends and/or family, you can rest assured that they’re doing what you’ve asked them to do. They value the relationship too much to let you down, so they’re going to give the job everything they’ve got. Compare that to the trustworthiness of an employee you’ve only just met. You’ll rest easier when you know who you’ve got working for you. Don’t abuse the relationship, however. Treat them with the same professionalism and respect you would treat any other employee, and don’t take advantage of them.
[ advertisement ]
2. They Care About Whether or Not You Succeed. Your friends and family want to see you succeed, so they’re going to do whatever they can to make that happen, even if it includes working extra hours and going above and beyond.
3. There are No Surprises. You know your friends and family well enough to anticipate what you might expect from a working relationship. When you hire someone you don’t know, you may be surprised later on by their work habits, annoying personality traits, or inappropriate behavior. Not so with friends and family. You can use what you’ve gleaned from your relationship to extrapolate what kind of employees they might be. You can make an educated decision before hiring about whether or not you could have a successful working relationship with a friend or family member.
4. They’ll Be Truthful. You’ve probably worked with people who will tell the boss exactly what he wants to hear to avoid making waves or calling attention to themselves. Friends and family, on the other hand, will tell you what you need to hear rather than what you want to hear.
5. You Know Their Motives. If you’ve been through the process of hiring someone before, you know that there are plenty of people out there who apply for a job simply to have a job. When you hire friends and family, you know whether they want to work for you simply for a paycheck or because they’re truly invested in what you’re doing. If they aren’t genuinely interested in what you’re doing and in being part of growing your business, don’t hire them!
6. They’re Loyal. If you hire a friend or family member because she’s truly interested in your company, because she cares about whether or not you succeed, and because she’s someone you can trust, then you can rest assured that she will also be loyal to you and your business. She’ll focus her time and energy on making your business successful, and she won’t bail out as soon as a better offer comes along.
Let it also be said that if you choose to hire friends and family, you need to be very clear about your boundaries. If you consistently ask them to give and do more and more simply because you know that they will do almost anything to help you succeed, then you’re taking advantage of their loyalty to you. And if you ever feel like the business relationship that you’ve forged with a friend or family member is putting a strain on your personal relationship, open the lines of communication to talk about what’s going on. The last thing you want to do is to ruin a personal relationship because of a business relationship. But if the chemistry is right and you trust your instincts, hiring a friend or family member may be the smartest business move you ever make!
