The Pros And Cons Of Hiring Friends And Relatives

More and more employers come to realize the importance of hiring the right people nowadays. Loyal employees who are interested in the welfare of the company are a real treasure. The problem is that finding treasure is not an easy task. While some business executives puzzle over finding the right people, others choose an easy path. That is they decide to hire their friends and relatives whom they know perfectly well. Certainly, there are numerous advantages of hiring people from one’s surrounding. Still, there are always two sides of a coin. That is why it is the high time to examine the advantages and disadvantages of hiring friends and relatives.

The first obvious advantage is cheap labor. Friends and family members are more prone to work odd hours for less money. It is especially true during the lean start-up months. Besides, relatives will support one working long hours in time of need and not demanding much money for that. At the same time, one can hope for specific tax deductions. In particular, they are available when paying for health insurance for a spouse or child. The second advantage is unconditional loyalty. As Julie Tappero writes, “relatives have a vested interest in seeing you and your business succeed” (Tappero n.pag). The third advantage is a built-in familiarity. The one who hires his or her relatives know who they are. Besides, one is aware of the relatives’ potential. On the one hand, relatives and friends cannot fake their resume. On the other hand, the need for background checks disappears.

Nevertheless, employment of one’s friends and relatives has its drawbacks. The first disadvantage is nepotism, “especially if you have multiple employees” (Prickett n.pag.). Those friends or relatives one employs may count on special privileges. It can soon bring to the creation of the impression of favoritism. In turn, it will cause the tension among other employees. The second disadvantage is that family knows one’s weak points. It may lead to manipulations and abuses. The third demerit is blurring between home and work life. It is especially true when it comes to conflicts. Unresolved family disputes may persist at the workplace.

Thus, when employing friends and relatives one should be very attentive. Though hiring those he/she knows has certain advantages, the results may be unexpected. Managers should always remain fair and pay attention to professional skills of their potential employees. They should have a detailed job description and measure each candidate against its main points. Besides, being aware of one’s work ethic is crucial for efficient cooperation. It is important for prevention of emergence of “LUZIRS” (lazy, undisciplined, zero-interest, irresponsible, rude, slackers) as David Whitlock calls them (Whitlock n.pag). After all, hiring irresponsible friend is the same as hiring by “gut feeling” (Lousig-Nont 47) or someone’s recommendation. In other words, hardly ever it brings a good result.

How It Works

To sum up, there are both advantages and disadvantages of hiring friends and relatives. On the one hand, there are three merits of such a venture. First, friends and family members are a cheap labor force. Second, they are trustworthy, and one can be sure they would put every their effort into the business. Third, they are familiar to one more than anyone else. They can make a perfect employee. On the other hand, working with one’s friends and family members has its pitfalls. Among the most common ones are nepotism, an inclination of manipulations and mixing work with private life. These disadvantages make one think twice before working with friends and relatives. Thus, before hiring people from one’s surrounding he/she should think whether it is worth it.