Gen Z’s Parents in Job Interviews?

As a parent of four daughters, I get it. It’s natural to want to help your kids gain a foothold in today’s tough job market. However, a recent U.S. survey of 831 full-time Gen Z workers gave me pause.  

Are today’s parents crossing the line?

Of the Gen Z workers surveyed:

• ‍77% have brought a parent to a job interview
• 53% had a parent speak with a hiring manager
• 45% say a parent regularly talks to their current manager
• 31% had a parent write their resumé

I can see helping your kid out before the interview—for example, editing a resumé, practising questions, preparing a job-ready outfit, suggesting a follow-up thank you email—but I draw the line at parents joining an interview or speaking with an employee’s manager.

‍

I see all sides of the hiring table

From my vantage point (a parent with 36+ years in the business of recruiting), I understand where job seekers, employers and parents are coming from and what they want:

• Young job seekers are struggling. Canada’s youth unemployment rate remains stubbornly high (14.5% in August), making it hard for many young candidates to land that first critical job. Our uncertain economy is causing some employers to pause or scale back hiring, which means fewer entry-level jobs these days. Lastly, layer on AI. It’s automating the application process, which means more resumés for employers to review and more competition for every job. No wonder these early-career professionals want support.  

• Employers want to hire the most talented candidate (not their parent). Hiring managers are being flooded with resumés thanks to a competitive market and AI (as many as 30% more applications, according to some studies). Since many of these applications look similar, employers will aim to verify a candidate’s skills during the interview. They’ll look for things like communication skills, critical thinking, judgment and yes, independence. There’s a time and place for parents to be involved—and it’s before the interview, not during it.

• Parents want to help their children succeed. It’s natural for parents to teach their children key skills, including many professional skills. And, as I highlight below, there are many acceptable ways to support an adult child’s career—everything from coaching and mentoring to editing and networking.

‍

Where parents can really help

• Eyes on materials. A second set of eyes on a resumé and LinkedIn profile always helps, especially if the reviewer/editor is skilled in English and writing. Parents with these skills can proofread resumés, cover letters and LinkedIn profiles. Tip: We have LOTS of resources to help format these materials so they stand out—guidance on everything from cover letters to resumés to LinkedIn.

• Coaching for interviews. Chances are, as a parent, you’ve been in many interviews (either as a hiring manager or a candidate) and have tips to share. Here’s how you can help your adult child:  
  
  • Run mock interviews with your child, pretending you’re the hiring manager.  
  • Ask tough questions and pressure-test their answers.  
  • Offer advice on making eye contact, speaking clearly and proper body language (for example, when I was 16, my mom told me to keep my hands together on my lap, so I wouldn’t fidget—I got the job!).  ‍
    
    • Tip: Run the job description through a program like ChatGPT and ask it to generate a series of interview questions, including difficult ones about things like salary. Role-play the answers until your child is confident. This essential job search resource list includes lots of content on interviews.

• Tap your network. Good people know good people, and a warm intro to them goes a long way in helping a young job seeker gain a foothold. All parents, even those who have not had long careers, have a network—people they get to know through their day-to-day (e.g., people at their bank, other parents in their community, people they volunteer with, members of their book club etc.). If your child is looking for work, help them get the word out. Talk to your network, tell them about your child’s skills and experience, set up those coffee chats (let your child attend them solo!). And by all means, if you’re connected to someone at a company where your child has applied, a friendly note can go a long way in helping your child stand out.

• Logistics & mindset. Your child has landed an interview? Fabulous news! Your support paid off. Here’s where you can help now: Support them in choosing an outfit, planning their travel (even offer a ride), prepping questions and calming their nerves with friendly, supportive advice. That’s it. The rest is on them.

‍

Where parental help hurts (and why employers push back)

• Sitting (or calling) in on interviews. When parents participate in interviews, it undermines the candidate’s credibility and skews the assessment. After all, who is being hired for the job? Employers need to hear the candidate’s words and assess their skills, not the parent’s.  

• Applying online for jobs or sending resumés – on behalf of your offspring. You can imagine the surprise of the recruiter who contacts the job seeker about a role only to learn they never applied for it, but dad did! It’s best for the job seeker to apply on their own, with guidance on how to stand out or how to follow-up.

• Making the angry/hurt parent call post-disappointment. Job searching is tough, and the outcomes of an interview process can really sting for candidates who are unsuccessful. That said, parental follow-up after the interview doesn’t land with the hiring manager. Encourage the job seeker to learn more and find out how they can improve next time. Avoid contacting the hiring manager yourself.  

• Negotiating on their behalf. No one likes negotiating a salary. It can be awkward, especially for those early in their career who aren’t sure of salary ranges and what is a reasonable ask. However, compensation conversations test preparedness, professionalism and judgment. They will always be part of every career, so it’s best to leave them to the candidate—your child. Sure, help them practise and offer guidance, but your child must do the actual talking. Here are some tips to negotiate a job offer.  

• Calling the manager about performance, time off or promotions. As with compensation conversations, these matters are part of every career, and your child needs to take charge. They’re confidential employer-employee conversations, and your involvement as a parent raises privacy issues and signals a lack of independence. My advice: let your child do all the talking on these topics with their manager. If your child has a valid concern about any of these issues, encourage them to contact HR.  

‍

Advice for candidates: Set kind, clear boundaries with your parents

What if you’re not asking your parents for help with the job search—they’re asking to be included?  

Try something like this: “I’d really appreciate connections to people in your network, advice on my resumé and even some help practising interview questions. But for the interview itself and any follow-ups, I need to handle those myself because that’s part of the evaluation.”  

Then, follow through: send your own emails, make your own calls and debrief with your parent afterward.

‍

Advice for parents: Be a coach, not a proxy

If you’re tempted to “just jump in,” remember the long game. The goal is to help your child become a confident, capable professional who can advocate for themselves.  

Coach behind the scenes; don’t insert your years of experience in an interview or in messages to an employer.

‍

Advice for employers: Respond professionally when it happens

What if you’re a hiring manager who is greeted by a candidate AND their parent in an interview? Or perhaps you’ve received a phone call from a parent asking about their child’s candidacy?  

Here are some ways to politely re-establish boundaries:

• Acknowledge and reset: “We appreciate the support at home. For fairness and confidentiality, we’ll continue the process directly with the candidate.”

• Don’t blame the candidate: Early-career candidates might think parental involvement is normal. Try to evaluate the candidate’s skills and maturity on their own merits—after you re-establish the boundary.

• Educate up front: Add a friendly line in interview emails: “Interviews are 1:1 between the candidate and our team.”

• Reminder that privacy is paramount: While you may be tempted to tell a parent that their job-seeking offspring arrived late, disheveled or unprepared for your interview, remember that the candidate has a right to privacy.  

‍

Bottom line: Parents can be powerful allies—off the field, not on it.  

It’s acceptable to offer guidance, open doors by sharing your network and always cheer loudly because everyone needs a friendly support network. But let your (adult) child take the meeting, make their own case and own the outcome. That’s how they grow—and how employers gain the confidence to hire them.