Why Bringing Your Parents to a Job Interview Isn’t a Good Idea

Never in a million years had we imagined we’d be saying this, but here it goes: Bringing your parents to a job interview is NOT a good idea—or your wife. If you’re a hiring manager wondering where our rant comes from, you should learn that 1 in 4 Gen Z candidates admit to bringing a parent to a job interview. Don’t you find that shocking?

7 in 10 Gen Zers Ask Their Parents to Help Them Find a Job

A recent survey of US job seekers aged 18 to 27 by ResumeTemplates.com highlighted the reliance of Gen Z job seekers on parental support. The findings revealed that 70% of these young adults asked their parents for help during their job search.

The most striking statistic is that 25% of Gen Zers got their parents to job interviews. You’ll agree that while parental involvement can provide valuable support, bringing a parent to a job interview can significantly undermine a candidate’s image.

Parents: Don’t Attend Job Interview with your Gen Z Kids

There are three main reasons why parents of Gen Z children should trust their kids to attend job interviews by themselves:

• When a candidate brings a parent to an interview, it raises questions about their independence and self-confidence. The presence of a parent can signal to the employer that the candidate lacks the maturity or confidence needed to handle the role’s responsibilities independently.
• Job interviews are professional engagements where candidates are expected to represent themselves. A parent’s presence can disrupt the professional dynamic, making it difficult for the interviewer to assess the candidate’s communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and overall fit for the company culture. This unusual arrangement can also be seen as unprofessional, potentially putting off hiring managers.
• Bringing a parent to an interview might imply that the candidate isn’t ready to pass the job interview independently. This will most likely reflect poorly on the candidate.

How Can Gen Z Parents Support Job-Seeking Children?

While directly involving parents in the interview process is not advisable, there are many alternative ways for parents to support their Gen Z children in their job search journey.

1. Parents can play a crucial role in preparing their children for interviews by conducting mock interviews, providing feedback on responses, and helping them research potential employers. This will build the candidate’s confidence and performance during interviews.
2. Parents can also help by proofreading CVs, email communications, job applications and cover letters, correcting grammatical errors, and ensuring the documents are polished and professional. This will give candidates a better chance of making a positive impression.
3. Parents can provide moral support. Job searching can be stressful, so offering encouragement, understanding, and a listening ear can relieve some of the pressures of finding an entry-level job.
4. Parents can offer guidance on interviewing etiquette and share their best advice on dressing for interviews, conducting themselves during meetings and effective communication when talking to hiring managers.
5. Parents can share networking opportunities, such as introducing them to contacts in relevant industries, suggesting networking events, and providing recommendations.

Hiring Managers: Share Your Experiences

We’ve never found ourselves in this situation, even though some of our most experienced recruitment consultants have worked in this industry for over 23 years. However, we have had the occasional awkward job interview interruptions we all joke about. Similar to what happened to the infamous expert whose children gatecrashed his BBC News TV interview.

This survey got us curious, so we now need to know: Has your organisation ever encountered a candidate who brought their parent to an interview? How did it impact your perception of the candidate? Tell us in the comments!