1 in 5 say parents should tag along for job interviews
September 10, 2008 by Sam NarisiPosted in: Entry level recruiting, In This Week's E-Newsletter, Interviewing, Latest News & Views
Here’s a Canadian trend HR managers hope won’t cross the American border anytime soon:
One in five people think parents should be allowed to attend their children’s job interviews, according to a recent survey by Canadian consulting firm RSM Richter.
Respondents included people age 18 and older. It’s mostly the parents that want to be there with their children, but a surprising number of folks under 35 years old (10%) think it’s a good idea, too.
All in all, 47% of people think moms and dads should be heavily involved in career decisions. In fact, 53% said parents should review employment contracts and offer letters.
What do you think? How involved should parents be in their children’s careers? How would obvious parental involvement affect your hiring decisions? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Tags: Canada, job interviews, parents
September 12th, 2008 at 11:40 am
I had a parent call me once and wanted to know why his son wasn’t chosen for the open position we had. After a few seconds I realized the guy really wanted to know, so I started going through my notes with the father, and told him exactly why his son didn’t receive an offer. He showed up to the interview 15 minutes late (with no excuse), wore a ratty t-shirt and jeans, and rolled his eyes when I told him what the rate of pay would be ($13/hr for a part-time position). He also had no questions for me about the company, hours expected to work, possibilities for full-time employment, etc… The kid was a loser and I let his father know he probably wouldn’t be receiving ANY offers until he changed his ways. Was kind of fun, but I wouldn’t want to have to answer to a parent after every interview…
September 12th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Not ever at our company. Anyone over 18 who wants a job needs to be able and willing to do an interview and do the job without “mommy and daddy” being there to monitor the situation. That is what being an adult means.
Too many parents get a kind of remorse just as their children become adults and try to assert control that they no longer have the right to. This is not good for either the children or their parents.
Yes, there are things that parents could do or say to improve on the process of a job interview. That is not the point. We are hiring the child. The child needs to be able to go throught the hiring process without support from the parent.
September 12th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
I think by the time an individual is really looking for a career job then that person should be taught by parent what, how to conduct themself in an interview. Maybe not all parents do that with their children but as a responsible parent that is when they need to train / teach their children, before the interview. If they are under age maybe but that leaves one think if this person can do the job by themself
September 12th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
If you need your mommy to get a job, then your not adult enough to work in an adult world. I do not want to talk to mommy or daddy.
September 12th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
My initial reaction is, if they are an adult, the employment agreement is between the prospective employee and the company. If an adult child wants to get their parent’s feedback and input, that’s their choice. But I wouldn’t feel comfortable talking to anyone other than the candidate when negotiating an agreement. We’re not hiring the parents. And if they can’t handle making an employment decision without a parent being present, I don’t know that I want to hire them.
September 12th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
This stems from parents not wanting to cut the apron strings. If an adult is looking for a job they should seek guidance BEFORE the interview. There is no problem with allowing a parent or attorney to review an employment contract before it is signed, but I don’t think the parent is doing their adult child any favors by implying that the young adult is incapable of handling life’s situations and should just let mom or dad do it for them. It’s just “enabling” the young adult to put off taking the final step into the world as a fully functioning, independent adult.
September 12th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
I’ve had parents call to try and set up interviews for their kids for professional level jobs. I wanted to say to the parent, are you also coming to work with your child if we hire him/her? That might be a good deal, two employees for the price of one. I agree with R.B. if the parent is involved on the back end and doesn’t interface with the prospective employer, that’s not a problem.
It’s the everybody gets a trophy generation….
September 12th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Part of the candidate selection process is the actual interview! If they can present themselves well (in dress, and attitude) and fill out an application by themselves, then that is part of proving they can handle the job. If mommy and daddy want to be there, then they need to just keep on supporting their offspring – because there will be NO accountability on the part of the child.
And, you DO NOT want to get me started on parents that call in for their children; to call in sick, to ask about their schedule, or to resign . . . UNACCEPTABLE!
If you don’t want to be treated like an adult (read: get paid, appreciate benefits of a full time job, etc.) then stay home with your mommy and daddy!
September 12th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Our job as parents would be to teach them how to dress and conduct themselves in an interview. As an HR person I feel I am potentially hiring the young person in front of me and not their parent(s). I want to know what this potential employee has to say without a parent interjecting. Some of our best learned tools have come from failures. I see this as one of the first steps in becoming an adult. Parents are making things too easy on young people now and they do not know how to handle hard life situations on their own because we have done too much for them. There is nothing wrong with the young person going home and discussing the offer or contract with a parent but to have them part of the interview is unacceptable in my opinion.
September 12th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Right on Lisa!
September 12th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
This is absolutely ludicrous. Kids today have enough trouble with accountability. Why in the world would a responsible individual ready to go into the job market even consider taking a parent or parents along on a job interview. (Guess the key word here is “responsible”). If they need a parent along – I sure wouldn’t hire them – nor would I even consider conducting an interview with a parent present in the same room. There might be extenuating circumstances where they might need a ride to the interview (which I might question as well), but that is where it would end. The parent would be asked to wait and would not be present during any interview I would conduct.
September 15th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
I would be highly embarrassed as an adult if my parents were to call about MY interview or job offer. That’s why it’s called being grown up. Who needs the job, the candidate or the parents?
November 21st, 2008 at 2:54 pm
While I attended college, we were required to take a ‘Professional Development’ class. This is were we learned the proper dress, answering of questions, questions to ask back, proper language to use etc.
Having mommy and daddy there is just insane. Not only will it appear that you are unable to handle adult situations on your own but also shows you are irresponsible and childish. It is just sad how the people in the article actually think it is a great idea!