Hiring Non-Family Employees

First generation family leaders tend to be take-charge, full-court press and dominant personalities. However, quite often when the company has achieved significant growth under first generation leadership, it will need to bring in non-family talent in order to maintain and nurture this level of success. This often happens as the second generation enters the business sphere.

Non-family executives are frequently employed to provide seasoned leadership and mentoring for the next generation. Other valuable non-family employees and managers who are recruited and promoted within the family business become key managers, or as some call them, good soldiers. These are people who just like working for a good family firm with good policies and good practices and treats them well. These employees take great pride in their position and can become excellent long-term employees that are critical to the success of any family business.

When recruiting non-family members into a family-owned business, it is important to review all the details of the position with the applicants—especially as the position relates to the family traditions and plans for family member employment and leadership of the company. Be totally open, put everything on the table so the applicants know exactly where they stand and recognize that becoming a CEO, or even an officer or the company, is probably not in the cards for them.

It is also important to discuss your business philosophy or your recipe for success openly with all applicants. Some family businesses are run very professionally, with things absolutely above board and they pride themselves on that. For others it is cut-throat—it is bottom-line and money—and if this is the case in your family business you better put that on the table and find out if the non-family applicant is in alignment with this philosophy.

All employees typically want to grow professionally and personally in their work. Motivated employees are an important investment for any family-owned company. To retain valuable non-family employees, make sure they are challenged with exciting vision and given an opportunity to participate in the development and execution of that vision.