Every business owner has encountered this question before: \u201cIs it worth hiring family members or friends?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>

On the one hand, it seems easy to turn to the people in your life for help running your business. On the other hand, it can be a recipe for both professional and personal disaster. With that in mind, let\u2019s take a look at the biggest reasons you shouldn\u2019t hire family members, as well as a few tips to use if you still want to hire within the family.<\/p>

5 Reasons You Shouldn\u2019t Hire a Family Member<\/strong><\/h3>

1. It could potentially ruin your relationship
   <\/strong><\/strong>
   So this is probably the most obvious drawback to hiring family members or friends: If it doesn\u2019t work out, it could potentially ruin your relationship for good. It takes a really strong and mature person to not take getting fired personally, so if you end up dismissing your family member, there\u2019s a 99% chance your relationship will go sour.
   
   Consider your relationship with your family member or friend and how much it means to you.
   What would you do if that relationship changed?
   Is this a relationship that\u2019s pivotal to your happiness?
   If there\u2019s too much at stake, I recommend avoiding hiring that person.
   
   
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2. It could make other employees frustrated.
   <\/strong><\/strong>
   Nepotism \u2014 the practice of hiring family members \u2014 can be a major complaint for employees, and for good reason. When managed improperly, nepotism can give off the appearance of favoritism, which can be frustrating and downright demoralizing to top-performing employees.
   
   This is especially true if you hire a family member who doesn\u2019t live up to the performance standards you\u2019ve set for the other employees.
   Talented employees are really hard to find. Nepotism can be a fast way to scare them off, so proceed with caution before hiring your cousin\u2019s brother-in-law because he needs a job.
   
   
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3. You might be hiring for the wrong reasons.
   <\/strong>
   When I first started my copywriting business, I had a lot of people ask me if I could send work their way. Some of the more frequent askers were family members. I didn\u2019t mind the asking, because I had no qualms about telling them I didn\u2019t want to hire family members. Fortunately, no one took it personally, but I know I got lucky there.
   
   If, however, you have a harder time saying no to a family member asking to work for you, you\u2019re already hiring for the wrong reasons.\u00a0Benevolence, sympathy, and feelings of obligation are the worst reasons to hire family members.\u00a0These feelings can make it difficult for you to treat that family member as you would any other employee.
   
   
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4. It could affect how customers see you.
   <\/strong><\/strong>
   The people you hire communicates volumes about your business to customers. If you hire the best of the best, you\u2019re a consummate professional who will treat customers with respect. If you hire only family members or friends, you\u2019re running the risk of communicating to customers that you\u2019re not as concerned with getting the best talent possible.
   While it may not be fair, it is a reality you need to be aware of, and it\u2019s a reality that could impact your business\u2019s bottom line.
   
   
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5. It may be tougher to enforce your rules and standards.
   <\/strong>
   As a successful small business owner, you got to where you are today because you worked hard and ensured that anyone else you hired was held to your exacting standards. If you hire a family member because they\u2019re family \u2014 and not because they\u2019re the best at what they do \u2014 there\u2019s little chance they\u2019ll meet your standards.
   And that can definitely mess things up for your business!
   
   
   <\/li><\/ol>

   <\/p>

   So You Want to Hire Family or Friends<\/strong><\/h3>

   If you read the previous section and still think that a family member or friend would make a great hire, here\u2019s how to do it without running the risk of damaging your business or your relationship:<\/p>

   1. Have a tough conversation with them.
      <\/strong>
      Let that person know upfront how you operate your business, as well as the standards you will hold them to as an employee of your business. You should outline the expectations that you\u2019ll have of them, including what will happen if they don\u2019t meet those expectations.While it doesn\u2019t need to be an overly aggressive conversation, the point here is that you want to spell out to your family member that they will be held to the same performance expectations as any other employee.
      
      
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   2. Have a tough conversation with yourself.
      <\/strong><\/strong>

      \u00a0<\/p>

      
      I mean this, too. Ask yourself how you\u2019ll react in situations where your family member might need to be reprimanded or, in a worst-case scenario, fired. Will you be able to have those hard conversations? Or will you be tempted to avoid them for the sake of not wanting to upset them?<\/p>

      If you have the slightest inclination that you\u2019ll be uncomfortable treating your family member as an employee, don\u2019t hire them. It\u2019s really as simple as that.
      
      <\/p><\/li>

   3. Get your employees\u2019 blessings.
      <\/strong><\/strong>
      If you already have a team of employees in the door, it\u2019s worth asking them if they\u2019d be bothered by your bringing on a family member. This tip might not be useful if you\u2019re not particularly close with your employees, but I\u2019ve seen plenty of crews get upended because their boss hired a family member without discussing it with them first.Your employees are incredibly valuable to your business; don\u2019t risk damaging their morale and productivity by bringing on a family member who might not be a good fit.

      \u00a0<\/strong><\/p><\/li>

   4. Keep family issues at the door.
      <\/strong><\/strong>
      Family and friends can come with their own issues and drama, so you have to be good at keeping that separate as soon as you walk through the doors of your business. For example, if there\u2019s a huge fight going on in the family and you\u2019re on opposite sides of the issue, don\u2019t bring it up at work. Be sure to communicate this with your family member as well, so that you\u2019re both on the same page.

      \u00a0<\/strong><\/p><\/li>

   5. Don\u2019t bring work home with you.
      <\/strong><\/strong>
      On the opposite end from the tip above, keep any work issues where it belongs \u2014 at work. Too many family relationships and friendships are ruined when people bring work issues to family functions or outings. Work on setting up those personal and professional boundaries so you can preserve your relationships.
      
      
      
      <\/strong>

      \u00a0<\/p>

      Have you ever hired a family member or friend? How did it turn out? Tell us in the comments below!<\/strong><\/p>

      Source: SimplyBusiness<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Every business owner has encountered this question before: \u201cIs it worth hiring family members or friends?\u201d On the one hand, it seems easy to turn to the people in your life for help running your business. On the other hand, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11284,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[34],"tags":[47,41],"yoast_head":"\n