In this chapter, you learned about the process of recruiting into an organization. Recruitment can be a long and difficult process. If you have ever had to find people to fill a position, you probably wanted to find any shortcut possible. Traditionally, recruitment can involve going to universities, posting jobs on websites, and reaching out to relevant professional organizations in the area. Sometimes, however, hiring managers may supplement or forgo these processes and instead recruit through their own personal social network. For example, a restaurant owner may ask his friends if any of their children are interested in working as a server rather than advertising a job opening for a new server.

There are many benefits to recruiting from one’s friends and family. It will probably be easier, quicker, and cheaper than more formal methods of recruiting. Hiring through personal connections can also be tempting because the hiring manager is likely to know more about the candidate than they would about a typical job applicant. Yet there are also drawbacks to hiring through one’s social network. It may be hard to be objective when dealing with an employee who is also a friend (or a friend of a friend). Will it be easy not to play favorites when it comes time to decide on a promotion? What about evaluating performance? If someone hires his or her neighbor’s child, will this supervisor feel comfortable telling the server that he or she is doing a bad job?

Questions 

1. How often do personal connections affect recruitment and selection? Is it okay to use a recommendation from a current employee in the selection process? 

2. Is it fair to hire a friend or acquaintance? How might using one’s social network to find job candidates affect diversity in the workplace? 

3. Will an employee who is friends with the boss be as motivated as an employee who isn’t? Why or why not?