Poll: Do you hire relatives?

kdspa

Does your company have a policy on hiring relatives of current employees? If so, can you give a quick summary of what the policy entails?

Thanks!

ray a

We encourage ee's to submit their relatives and friends for consideration. Only one rule, One relative can't work for the other.

Paul in Cannon Beach

Interesting question. Hiring relatives hasn't been a bad thing for us. Like Ray mentioned, its good to avoid situations where relatives are supervising eachother or making employment decisions.

It probably depends on your type of organization, size, and the market for labor in your area.

In a small rural area like ours, you cant turn away applicants simply because they are related to eachother.

In a very small organization, hiring relatives could be a problem. From what I have heard, family run businesses are often very difficult work environments.

HRCalico

I do the same as Ray; Paul makes good points. I put together a list of all the relations once, and I think there were 30 or so on the list, among probably 60 employees at that time. If a relative comes in, we evaluate them pretty much exactly like any other applicant. The only thing is that if I am undecided based on their work history about whether or not to bring them in for an interview, I will lean towards yes. They have to do well at the interview, though, to get the job. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

neveradull

Here is what works for us:

1.No person will hold a job over which an immediate family member exercises supervisory authority.

2.No person will hold a job while an immediate family member serves on the Board, its committees, Policy Council or Delegate agency Board if that Board or committee has authority to order personnel actions affecting the position. Members of the immediate family are defined to include: grandparents, husband, wife, father, father-in-law, mother, mother-in-law, brother, brother-in-law, sister, sister-in-law, son, son-in-law, daughter, daughter-in-law and all immediate step family members.

HCCADC

Ditto

ray a

Keep in mind, if the relative you hire doesn't work out, then you can't hold them to a different standard just because of the relationship. I tell them that their relationship may have helped them get in the door, but won't keep them here - they are on their own once they are hired. I have fired children of directors.

Leo

We hire relatives. None are direct reports.

Open1

Yes, we hire relatives as well. Our policy is that there must not be a "conflict of interest" between the two positions, be it supervisory, or accounting/money handling, or something else. We used to let them work in the same department, but the other employees felt "ganged up against" so we avoid that now.

Half of the president's family works here (I've had a few touchy situations, but nothing serious, mostly people afraid of saying something that might offend the boss if it got back to him), and my own son is an AR/Escrow clerk. Once his co-workers found out he knows none of the HR secrets, he has had no problems. I busted the entire AR department (including my own kid) for sneaking out early the Friday before Memorial Day. They didn't think anyone would miss them, heh heh.

DB

This company has 145 full-time employees, 70 part-timers and is not a family business. I'm not orginally from the local area and not related to anyone. After two weeks on the job I asked my boss for a family tree. It was more useful than the org chart. Between blood relatives and in-laws I was so confused.

Hiring relatives can work out but there is usually a snag at some point. Avoid any chain of command - direct or indirect. Do not grandfather anyone. This has become a nightmare for us since some of those grandfathered are still 10-20 years away from retirement.

Good luck.

Paul in Cannon Beach

"grandfathered"? Intentional pun?

WT

Our policy is that we reserve the right to refuse to hire relatives for no other reason but being relatives. We have had some real battles over this issue and have come to the conclusion that the problems caused by having relatives work here are not worth the value of the work they may do. We have just had too many relatives not work out. Let me tell you that letting a son go because he is lazy while keeping the father employed can lead to a good deal of stress in the workplace.

E Wart

I think hiring relatives is fine, but I firmly believe they should NOT report to each other. (I guess I was influenced by personal experience. When I was in college I worked one summer as an aid with a head start program. They thought they were being nice to me, and assigned me to work with my Mother. I know this was the hardest job I ever had. I had to come home each day and take a nap I was so tired. However, this is the way I was brought up.)
When I took my present job, I have had to just live with it. I work in manufacturing. We have a supv. who has or has had her brother, son and nephew and significant other working for her and her mother worked in another dept. You can't tell me she didn't show favortism. I think this was a real moral problem, but what can I do.
I think the GM has finally understood and is limiting her relatives.
However, I still firmly believe that family members SHOULD NOT report to each other... but can work for the same company.
E Wart

Sue2

We do the same as "Neveradull".

Dutch2

We hire all types of family members /realtives, we do not allow one to report to another. As with any other ee's: some work out... some do not.