For context, I work full time managing a clothing customisation shop with my manager coming in two days a week. We’ve been trying to hire someone for a while with no avail and today she’s asked me if I have any friends I’d like to hire and train from scratch.
One friend comes to mind who’s been my friend from school (both 25/26 now). She only got her first job about 2 years ago due to mental health problems. However, she’s progressed really well being promoted from part time to full after putting in the effort and showing what she can do.
On one hand I know this job will definitely give her a set of skills she’s never had before, could definitely help her with her confidence, is a great pay so will help financially too. We joked last time we seen each other about me hiring if it ever became available. She would be working the same hours as me so we’d always be in together so I’ll be there to help her unless I have holidays booked.
However, I’m also worried that hiring a friend is a bad idea and could ruin our friendship which I really don’t want. I’m not worried about her doing a bad job as she’s great at time management and working hard etc, it’s more just the fact of facing a friend every day, will it impact our friendship??
Any advice would be great, pro’s/con’s. Thank you!
8 comments
Although I’ve never been in this position a rule I’ve always set for myself is never hire family or friends – unless you are willing to lose a friendship
If you think it will benefit her, I would do it for altruistic reasons. If she can develop as a person through the opportunity you give her, then that’s one of the best things a friend can do for another.
If it all goes pear shaped, then that’s a risk you take.
In my experience, it’s a bad idea to recommend or pull in anyone for a job. If they don’t cut the mustard, it makes you look like a dick for doing so.
Personally I wouldn’t recommend anyone for a job unless I’d actually worked with them and knew they were good or at least had the right mindset to develop.
Working together shouldn’t be an issue but if anything starts to slip it can become an issue. You can also get into situations where your manager withholds information from you as he is worried you will pass it on to your friend.
It is one of those things which would probably be fine but if it doesn’t go well it can impact you both.
I’ve hired friends over the years, with mixed results – although none has resulted in falling out with them. I do seem to have an aptitude for separating work & leisure, in that I treat them exactly the same as anyone else while at work. As long as you feel comfortable in that scenario, and feel confident they can treat you like any other manager, I say go for it.
I hired my best friend and her sister. It didn’t go well.
They both didn’t work enough and when I was doing team meetings and saying things they had to improve on they didn’t think they were included because they were friends.
It can work but you need both parties to be able to separate business and personal.
I’ve had a friend who worked for me as an employee, he was paid a good rate and everything done above board as any other employee would be. I have another friend who is self employed, he’d do work for me, I’d do work for him. We both invoice each other for the work we do just as if they were any other customer.
Proceed with caution. I’ve gone as far as introducing someone, but there are risks in working with a friend
You might get sick of the sight of each other
Work/personal issues might bleed together
You might be seen as favouring her or the opposite
As your manager has specifically asked you to think of people, I’d say she needs to independently get through the interview process and should not be managed by you in any way, and ideally you would not be scheduled together most of the time.