You hired your friend. Now you can’t fire them.

You needed help. Your friend needed work. It felt like the right move. Loyal. Trustworthy. Someone who believed in you.

Six months in, they’re underperforming. Missing deadlines. Creating tension. But firing them means losing the friendship. Hurting the family. Making every holiday awkward.

So you keep them. You work around them. You cover for them. And your best people notice. They start carrying the weight. They start resenting you for it.

This is how loyalty kills companies. Not because you hired the wrong person. Because you can’t fire them when it’s obvious you should.

Hire for merit. Always. Friends and family can invest. They can advise. They can cheer you on. They shouldn’t be on your payroll unless they’re the best person for the job.

Hire for competence. Not comfort.