Do I have to hire my boss's boss's daughter?

[Yomuma]

I work for a mid sized company, managing a team as a mid/senior level manager. This week my boss, the sales director, told me the business has decided to recruit some additional resource into my team. Interviews would start immediately. The role would be entry level and we ideally want to recruit externally.
This was unusual on a number of fronts. Firstly, I hadn't asked for any extra resource, and I don't need any at an entry level role in particular. Secondly, we usually look internally first as the individual has an understanding of the company / systems etc.
Upshot is, there is already a candidate in the running, and the interview is tomorrow. Today I found out thale candidate is my managing directors daughter. She has no experience as she has just finished college, but I don't know anything else about her.
My concern is that this is a conflict of interest. I spoke to my line manager, the sales director and her view is "we have no choice, we just have to hire her". But what if she is rubbish? How do I raise performance issues? What if she takes against someone in the team and tells her dad? What if we fall out and her opinion of me as her line manager marks my cards?
But the flip side is, I don't know how I can get out of it if my boss thinks we just need to hire her.
We do have an HR director but I don't think going to him would go down well with my MD.
AIBU to worry? Should I just hire her and hope she is good and it is a non issue?

Such is life unfortunately! It's poor form but at least the boss is attempting to fake some kind of formal employment process to try and make everyone feel a little less awkward...
As it's entry level think you should hire her and take it a step at a time. I would perhaps take your boss to one side early on and let them know that your excited to take her on and be very positive but ask if they would be the best person to report performance updates to or whether they would feel more comfortable delegating to someone else, seeing as they are closely related?

I have been there, albeit with a slightly less direct relationship, and it’s not fun. Indeed, when I interviewed the person it was blatant that they hadn’t the first clue about marketing - my area - and I straight up said that the person wasn’t a good fit for the department’s needs before being told that I wasn’t getting a choice and that we were hiring her, end of. And that I had to do my best to teach her.

So in your shoes I would insist on having a CV before the interview, because you need to have some clue of the background. I would also look at creating a task that gives you a chance to see what her native aptitude is for your area. And then agree a start date that leaves you time to consider how best to use her so that she is being productive and/or learning from the start.

You do at least have a cut-out between you and her dad, so if there are performance or team issues you can always take them to your line manager to handle. But it may be that she’s keen to earn a good reputation and conscious that being a nepobaby may make things hard for her with the team, so you might get lucky in the long run and have someone on board who is in some ways more motivated than other junior staff because her stake in the company is personal.

As for the one I had to hire? For all her lack of experience she was bright and willing to learn, and while it took time I would rather have spent elsewhere, she did ultimately prove to be a useful member of the team until she finally got her dream job in a different field. So it may work out. Good luck!

Who owns the business?

My bosses daughter caused the end of the company - never ever would I work in that situation again.

@Yomuma I'd run a proper formal interview process with advertisements in multiple job sites and hire the best candidate. If the bosses dd is the best she gets the job if not it goes to whomever is.
You need to cover your arse with this as if you hire her just because she is the bosses dd and she seriously bucks up it will come back on you.
Also as he hasn't specifically told you to hire her if you go the formal hiring process legally he can't come after you (though he might anyway), but it does put the ball back in his crt so to speak and he will either have to tell you specifically to hire her or do it himself either way all her fuck ups are on him not you

Unfortunately, nepotism can kill a business.

Reframe this. You have to hire her - that’s a given. Turn it to your advantage. Be a great boss, make sure she gets plenty of training, mentor her. Next thing you know she’s told her dad how great a leader you are and you get promoted.

And in the real world of work

Spoilt brats do not give other people credit, they shit on you.