So you are starting your own business. You are 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 are Trustworthy. When you hire friends and/or family, you can rest assured that They are doing what You have asked them to do. They value the relationship too much to let you down, so They are going to give the job everything they have got. Compare that to the trustworthiness of an employee You have only just met. You will rest easier when you know who You have got working for you. Do not abuse the relationship, however. Treat them with the same professionalism and respect you would treat any other employee, and Do not take advantage of them.
2. They Care About Whether or Not You Succeed. Your friends and family want to see you succeed, so They are 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 Do not 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 have 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 will Be Truthful. You have 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 have 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 pay check or because They are truly invested in what you are doing. If they are not genuinely interested in what you are doing and in being part of growing your business, Do not hire them!
6. They are Loyal. If you hire a friend or family member because she is truly interested in your company, because she cares about whether or not you succeed, and because she is someone you can trust, then you can rest assured that she will also be loyal to you and your business. She will focus her time and energy on making your business successful, and she would not 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 are taking advantage of their loyalty to you. And if you ever feel like the business relationship that You have forged with a friend or family member is putting a strain on your personal relationship, open the lines of communication to talk about what is 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!
Seomul Evans is a marketing expert with a leading Search Engine Marketing Company specializing in Meta Search Engines and a contributor of online marketing articles
