I think the question of how upset the friend is going to be depends on how big the friends company(s) is. A big company is less likely to take it personally tha

I think the question of how upset the friend is going to be depends on how big the friends company(s) is. A big company is less likely to take it personally than a 5 person team. That said, if the only reason for not hiring the person is the potential to upset your friend, then you have a moral responsibility to hire that person, come what may. I would hope that friends would understand that, especially if you can show that you did not head hunt that hire. But people are not always that straight forward.