You get along with your employees. But should you befriend them? As one of Dade County’s top staffing agencies, Future Force can tell you that the answer is “no.” While it’s important to be respectful and have good relationships with each of your staff members, forming friendships with them crosses a line into dangerous territory. Here’s why:
- It could paint you in a bad light. For instance, what if one of your friends, who also happens to be your subordinate, gets promoted to a better position. It could be perceived that they were awarded the opportunity because of your relationship with them, not because they earned it.
- Friends expect special treatment. When you’re friends with staff members, they’re going to expect you to treat them a certain way. But as the boss, it’s your job to treat everyone the same. However, you may be tempted to go “easy” on an employee’s poor performance because he or she is your friend. This can not only impact the morale on your team, but productivity, as well.
- Your staff members may not want to be friends with you. You go out of your way to form friendships with employees, only to get the cold shoulder. What gives? It could be because they don’t want to be friends with you; they want their boss to be their boss, not their best friend.
- On the flip side, there are probably staff members that want to be friends with you. But what if you don’t want to be friends with them? How do you make sure they don’t feel left out? If you don’t befriend them too, it could negatively impact your relationship with them.
- As the boss, it’s your job to make tough decisions. If you have to fire a friend, or lay them off, how are you going to handle it? Probably not well – and it will likely kill your relationship. Also, if you’re friends with an employee, they may share information with you in confidence…but if it impacts the company, then it could be your responsibility to act on it, breaking their confidence and your friendship in the process.
Forming friendships with your employees is only a recipe for disaster. Be open, caring and honest with your staff, but also create boundaries that keep the relationships professional.
Need help hiring for your team? Call Future Force. As one of Dade County’s top staffing agencies, we can help by providing you with fast access to quality employees.
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