The surprising Gen Z habit shaking up job interviews: Bringing their parents along
Typically, when a company interviews a person, they expect to meet the candidate to get to know them. With Gen Zers, they are getting to the parents too.
Part of growing up is the autonomy that comes with it, setting out on one’s own and dealing with any difficulties that lie along the road ahead as they are encountered. However, there is a concerning trend among Gen Z workers according to a recent study, they’re bringing their parents with them when interviewing for a job.
This behavior is troubling not just for those in human resources but also harming the child’s credibility and growth in their professional lives as well as potentially their job prospects.
Gen Z parents are getting directly involved in their children’s career
A recent survey by ResumeTemplates found that 77% of Gen Z respondents said they had brought their mother or father with them to a job interview. Around 40% admitted that their parents sat in on the interview, and almost 35% of Gen Z respondents said their parents answered questions on their behalf.
But Gen Z parent involvement doesn’t end there. Nearly eight out of ten respondents said that their parents communicate with their boss, 45% of them said their parents did so all the time or often.
They are discussing all types of aspects of their child’s work life with their managers including work place conflicts (50%), scheduling time off (49%), getting a raise (46%) and pushing for a promotion (44%).
Bulldozing parents may be plowing over child’s future prospects
Every parent wants the best for their child, but this direct involvement in the interview process as well as once their child has been onboarded could be causing them harm.
“Early-career professionals need to develop the confidence and skills to navigate workplace conversations independently,” said Julia Toothacre, chief career strategist at ResumeTemplates.
“I support parents helping with resumes, offering professional insights, or reviewing performance evaluations. These actions can give Gen Z a clearer understanding of the workplace and position parents as valuable mentors, especially if they’ve worked in similar fields,” she added.
However, Toothacre said that this support should be “behind the scenes... they shouldn’t participate directly.”
Bulldozing parents getting directly involved in their child’s career “not only undermines the child’s credibility but also risks stunting their professional growth and ability to navigate challenging situations.”
Furthermore, Toothacre said, that this behavior can damage an employee’s reputation. “Managers and coworkers may interpret this behavior as a lack of maturity,” she explained.
The career strategist recommends that if an employee feels unsure about how to approach a situation that they should turn to HR for support, not their parents.
HR staff are ready and willing to aid employees in their professional development, offering guidance, help with wording and even role-playing conversations to resolve issues, as well as to get that raise or promotion they are seeking.
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