I do a lot of recruiting for my job.  Our organization spends a lot of time at prestigious universities looking for candidates who we feel can kick butt and take names. My friends and relatives know I do a lot of hiring, so they send a lot of their friends and relatives resumes, or even their own, to me.

This puts me in a pickle.I want to be a good friend and help people out, but I have a good reputation at work, and that reputation is on the line if I recommend someone who turns out to be a stooge.This double-edged sword is a sharp one. On the one hand, you can work with people you know you will like and you don’t have to face the overwhelming task of recruiting and hiring strangers. On the other hand, will you still like them if they flake off at work?

Moreover, will they like you if you have to lay down the law? It’s best to enter into this with all the rules established. They need to understand that you are not going to treat them the same outside and inside of work. You need them to understand your expectations.

Doing reviews for people you have an outside relationship with is tough as well. You don’t want to ruin a friendship, but everyone has places they can improve.

I think it is important to remember that it is easier to find new employees than to find new friends. A friendship is much more flexible than a professional relationship is. Don’t confuse loyalty with competence. In general, I would say it isn’t a good idea to hire people you know unless you know they will rock the house with their performance. There is just too much that can go wrong.

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