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Text 7.
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When Not To Hire Your Friends

In this ever-changing society there are old habits that never seem to fade away. Rather than hiring professionals on the basis of education and experience, some employers prefer to take on their friends. Naturally this old hiring procedure provides more holes in business progress than Swiss cheese. The result is an astronomical amount of time, money, and energy wasted on newly hired employees who either quit or are eventually terminated. Worse is the company with the incompetent employee who never quits or is not terminated, but never makes a meaningful contribution to the company. To prevent this nightmare of hiring one disaster after another, a "filter system" to remove unqualified candidates from the hiring pool is essential.
Hiring a friend could be the smartest thing that you've ever done or it could wreck your company. So think twice before putting a pal on the payroll. On the one hand, a friend represents a known quality: he or she is trustworthy (you assume), reliable (you hope) and often willing to make sacrifices. On the other hand, having a friend as an employee can confuse everyone in your organization about who's entitled to what and whether burdens will be fairly divided. Friendship assumes equality, and you can't have equality in a hierarchy.
Here are the instances when you shouldn't try to recruit a friend:
When you are not sure if your friend is qualified. There's nothing wrong with asking for a resume from someone you know. Check references too, asking problem questions about your friend's skills, performance and dedication.
When your friend's personality doesn't jibe with the job. You have one advantage that you lack when interviewing the typical off-the-street candidate: you know your bud's quirks. The challenge is to assess them with a clear eye.
When your friend isn't prepared to take Orders from you. What you think is directive your buddy may consider a suggestion - setting you up for stress you could do without. That's why it's important to establish who's the boss right from the start. Tell him/her at the outset, 'Working here may change our relationship. Can you handle that?"
When you doubt you'll be able to treat your friend like any other employee. Just as you'd never hire a friend for charitable reasons, don't give him a job and then make special allowances. Nothing poisons company morale more than an unhealthy dose of favoritism. So when it comes to annual reviews, establish goals that are measurable, quantifiable and objective.
When you wouldn't be prepared to fire your friend if necessary. Honesty can be painful. So when you decide to fire your friend you should keep in mind that your friendship can be damaged beyond repair. Think twice before hiring a friend you'd really hate to lose.