Akosua is a very smart professional with vast experience in communications and marketing. Due to her zeal and her sense of commercial awareness, her friend employed her to manage his clothing business. Within 2 years of managing sales for the business, there was an increase in revenue and profit, but guess what? Akosua left the company.
Well, you may be wondering why she left a company she helped build for another. Sometimes we think working with family or friends may be the best option but, did you know, that hiring family and friends to handle your business may be the worst decision any business owner or employer can make?
Here are 5 reasons why you should never hire family or friends as an employer.
1. Poor Performance or Project Delays
Ideally, every employer hires based on competence and the right attitude for the job. Hiring family and friends is not illegal, yet due this special relationship you have with them they may tend not to perform their task as expected. Sometimes people who fall within the family and friends zone take standard rules for granted and may cause the business to fail.
Imagine an employee who is your relative lacks the requisite skills and you still employ them for the job just because “you want to help family first”, what do you think would be the end result? This will totally affect the business and sometimes delay very important projects just because you chose a relationship over competence.
As an employer it is therefore essential that you hire people who are qualified and BEST fit the role to move your business forward.
2. You Get Unsolicited Advice
Family and friends may tend to provide you with unsolicited advice when you employ them. As a business owner, you have a vision to achieve. Stick to it. Do not allow these relatives and friends to feel they have a better idea of managing your business rather than you. The fact that they are family or friends does not mean you welcome every suggestion they present to you. You must act as a professional and set boundaries with family or friends you work with.
But in the situation where you have very competent family members as a special aid or advisor, that is a great opportunity to leverage on their knowledge, advice and direction for the benefit of the business.
3. It Affects Relationships
In the working environment, emotions play a vital role in the engagement and performance of employees. Whether positive or negative it affects the business. When close relations are hired, they always have this sense of entitlement and may expect to be treated differently from other employees.
Ideally, employees expect to be treated fairly, yet that sense of favouritism may creep up if relationships are not managed properly and professionally in the working environment.
As an employer or CEO no matter how close you are with your family or friends it is important that you maintain a professional relationship at work.
4. Unrealistic Expectations
A CEO of a manufacturing company in Kumasi hired 5 family members in his company. As a typical Ghanaian who wants to help his family have a better life, his family members whom he thought will have his business at heart and help the business grow rather caused the business to collapse.
That’s a sad event isn’t it? This is a clear indication that the CEO assumed that the family members will give their all to achieve the business success but he was wrong. However, both parties can fall victim to such unrealistic expectations.
As a CEO or business owner, if you consider hiring, always make sure you hire people who are qualified, understand your business and are positive about achieving the business goals.
5. Disciplining Difficulties
Earlier in this article we saw Akosua left a clothing company she helped build for a friend. Why? Disciplining difficulties.
In the working environment, transgressions are bound to happen. This could be a simple mistake, or abuse of privileges, absenteeism without authority, insubordination, among others. Employees who are guilty of such misconduct typically face some sort of disciplinary actions in any cultured organisation.
As a CEO or employer, when family or friends fault at work, it is very right to sanction them but since you find yourself on the other side of the fence it becomes difficult to deal with it, because it may affect your personal relationship with them. And this is one of the most difficult situations working with family and friends, which sometimes you may be pushed to do the worst, which is to fire them for the sake and growth of the business.
What if Family or Friends Are the Best Fit?
However, if your family member or close friend has the qualities and competencies for the job and you believe they best fit the job description, nothing stops you from hiring them. Because sometimes these special relationships may be the specific reason why such people are the ideal fit for the job.
These instances are rare and most often happens in the case of family owned businesses where it is mandatory that the next generation is highly trained and groomed for specific roles in the company.
If you are a CEO or business owner looking to grow your business with the right people, we recommend you always focus on professionals with the right skills and attitude for the job.
Take advantage of the Jobberman new BEST MATCH recruitment solutions and hire only the most qualified and best fit for the job in just 10 working days.
With the BEST MATCH, you take full charge of the process. You advertise, sort for the best and get candidates ranked for you in just 10 working days.
Have you ever worked with family or friends before? What was your experience? Share with us in the comments section.
