Five Guidelines for Hiring Family or Friends

Hiring friends and family draws as many strong, diverse opinions as discussions about politics.

I have worked with companies whose policy was to encourage nepotism with the idea that hiring family would instill loyalty. On the opposite end, some of my clients prohibit hiring any family members for fear of clouding people's judgment or influencing the person to whom the new hire is related.

From my own experience, here are the plusses of hiring a family member or friend:

• You know the person's strengths and weaknesses.

• In most cases, they are loyal.

• If times get tough, they usually won't bail out and start looking for another job.

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