If you are thinking of hiring a family member, be sure you hire the right family member. Just like non-family, you need to consider the person’s work ethic and skill level.
Be sure you’re hiring the right person, with the right skills for the specific vacancy you have. If you have a need for someone with marketing savvy or computer skills, make sure your family member has those skills. Otherwise, you’ll either end up having to do the work yourself, or other members of your team will have to do it, breeding resentment amongst your team. And you’ll be put in the position of having to consider whether to fire a family member. Terminating an employee is not an easy job. Firing your mother?well, that seems an impossible job!
Once you’ve hired a family member, remember to avoid giving them any special treatment or privileges that the rest of your team doesn’t have.
If your team doesn’t have flex-time or telecommuting privileges, nor should your family member. If family members begin taking advantage of their personal relationship with you and show up late, leave early or work against your company standards, address the problem immediately.
Showing favouritism or avoiding conflict because it may be uncomfortable will only lead to larger problems in the long run.
Make Equal Pay For Equal Work your motto. Even when there’s a confidentiality policy about salaries and pay, people talk. The key to hiring and employing family is fair treatment, and this goes for payment too. Pay should always be related to skill level and work contribution. Making a point to treat family like you treat non-family team members will ease any tension.
