An agency social worker is asked by a supervisee about job candidates. The social worker's sister recently graduated and is an outstanding student. The best course is:

• A. Recommend her as he knows that she will be an outstanding employee
• B. Not recommend her, but tell his sister to send in her resume to the supervisee
• C. Not recommend her and help the supervisee identify other sources for qualified candidates
• D. Tell the supervisee that he cannot recommend his sister as it would be a conflict, but will ask her for the names of friends who would be good candidates

Answer: (C)

This item tests how a social worker handles conflicts of interest and nepotism in recruitment. Recommending a relative for a job creates real or perceived bias, which can undermine fairness and erode trust in the hiring process. The strongest course is to avoid advocating for the sister and instead help the supervisee pursue qualified candidates through standard channels, ensuring the search is open and objective. This approach protects the integrity of the process, reduces the risk of favoritism, and aligns with ethical expectations to keep professional boundaries and decisions free from family influence.

Choosing to promote a relative, even if they are outstanding, would place personal interest above merit and could violate agency policies on nepotism or conflict of interest. Encouraging the sister to apply through the usual channels or discussing other sources of candidates keeps the focus on qualifications and ensures all applicants are judged fairly. Similarly, suggesting the sister should directly apply or asking for names of friends would continue to blur boundaries and invite bias, which is not appropriate in ethical social work practice.