Reply to: Managing a good friend (got him hired)

[landl]

If he was a real mate...

...as others have said, he'd be working harder than everyone else NOT to undermine you.

This guy is just a free loader and you should get rid of him guilt free before he does any real damage. By all means, if it eases your conscience, sit him down for a last chance chat and give him a week to prove himself, it might be the wake up call he needs.

Otherwise, just get rid. You've done him a favour hiring him and he's been a berk to let you down.

IMHO

[blacjac]

Is this a caption competition? Ooh good, I like those.

'Suck!'

Pull my finger

[Mich the Tester]

Is this a caption competition? Ooh good, I like those.

'Suck!'

[TimberWolf]

[Pondlife]

When it comes to mates and work/money it's simple...

If you lend a mate some cash and never see them again, it's money well spent. Same situation here, if he's taking the p1ss and your sacking him means you're no longer mates, so be it. He's let you down by being an arse and put your livleyhood at risk, not really friend behaviour IMHO.

Don't lose sleep over it.

[Doggy Styles]

There's nothing to think about.
As others have said, sack him.

I agree with sas. I've known contractors who have been terminated for much less.

The client has hired you to do a job. That comes first. This fellow is letting you down. You need to replace him.

[Mich the Tester]

Don't beat yourself up too much about this one, I think behind this was the fact you were traveling to a new country and wanted to see a friendly face.

Yes, and there are 35 million other people in Canada among whom you might find some more worthwhile friends instead.

[Mich the Tester]

Any thoughts?

Yes. This person is not your friend. I have enemies like him. A friend would not undermine you in this way. Sack him.

[alreadypacked]

Thanks guys - I agree with everything that was said.

I'll need to have a sit down and really think this through.

I even had a chat with my dad about this (he knows this guy), and he even told me not to hire him... but I did anyways...

Well, I guess I'm learning my lesson now.

Don't beat yourself up too much about this one, I think behind this was the fact you were traveling to a new country and wanted to see a friendly face.

[Doggy Styles]

I've had friends or relatives help get me contracts in their firm. That makes me work harder so as not to let them down.

[sasguru]

I'll need to have a sit down and really think this through.

.

No you don't need to do that.
There'snothing to think about.
As others have said, sack him.

[jmo21]

You say he's a good mate. But obviously he isn't giving you the respect & effort you need.

The OP and this kind of story always remind of something someone once said to me.

Never hire a friend, whether you are the owner or just a manager.

If something goes wrong, you could end up ruining the friendship.

[Freamon]

Tell him the client have run out of budget and you have to let him go. Then tell the client you sacked him.

[MaryPoppins]

This guy is obviously not up to the job and is bitter. Bitter that you have done better. That's not a mate you want around. Thats not a real mate.

Yep, agreed.

[MarillionFan]

(I understand the other thread now)

You say he's a good mate. But obviously he isn't giving you the respect & effort you need.

It's a difficult one. When I first left Uni I got a job with a small soft consultancy(12 people). It was owned by two guys and one(the IT director) had hired a friend of his.

They were both in their 50s. The IT Director had started his own albeit small consultancy and had hired this friend of his. This guy was always (I could have been my own boss, I never had the chance, he was lucky to have started his own business). Never pulled his weight, always rude.The truth was he was extremely bitter and jealous. He was in on the dot at 9am. Coffee / computer magazine routine for the 1st hour. First out of the door at 5pm. Always took exactly an hour for lunch. Christ he was bitter. He also was off sick, had a heart attack, and the small consultancy paid him full wages, kept him off. But obviously wanted to know when he would be back. God this guy bitched.

He came back and within six months died of a heart attack. The IT Director was gutted. But worst to come was banned from the funeral and the guys wife blamed him for the stress he had put him under. Basically the guy had whined and bitched for years about how he never had a chance.

There are two things I took from this

1) Take every opportunity you can. Nobody owes you jack and I wouldn't want to get to the end of my life saying 'could have, would have, not my fault'

2) Know when to make the cut. This guy is obviously not up to the job and is bitter. Bitter that you have done better. That's not a mate you want around. Thats not a real mate.