Episode 42. Hiring friends and family
Would you hire a friend or family member? In this episode of Startup Survival, we’re tackling a controversial topic as I share what I’ve learned from mixing business and personal relationships.
One of the benefits of being an entrepreneur is that you can hire the people you want to be around. You’re also in a position to help others who you know would benefit from the experience and the paycheck. Sometimes the partnership is fantastic; with strong boundaries in place, you can both grow professionally while becoming closer personally. Other times (possibly more often than not), it could lead to tension both in and out of the workplace.
So, should you hire friends or family? It depends! At the end of this episode, I share the questions you should ask yourself when considering whether to hire someone close to you.
Episode highlights
1:33 I’ve continued to work successfully with a friend thanks to the really strong boundary he established between the business and the personal relationship.
3:19 I’ve also mixed business and family with poor results because we failed to discuss whether it was a good idea and whether it would serve us both.
4:10 Yes, this is a mistake I’ve repeated: in another situation, I was trying to do someone a favor I didn’t really think it all the way through or I would’ve realized it was unlikely to go well.
6:09 There are some very important boundaries and questions that you have to set up for yourself if you’re considering hiring a friend or family. You have to dig in to understand what your motivation is behind the decision.