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Millennial employment trends: bringing parents to the interview

Posted on October 23rd, 2013 Read time: 1 minutes

Years of helicopter parenting have had an effect on the mille​nnial generation of Americans. Last year, 8 percent of recent college graduates brought their parents to job interviews, with 3 percent allowing their parents to sit in, according to a survey by Addeco.

The trend certainly confuses managers from older generations. Millennials who bring their parents could seem dependent and unprepared to older workers who forged their career path independently. If the interviewer senses heavy parental guidance, candidates might appear passive about their future. Employers might assume the applicants lack self-reliance and responsibility, traits usually valued by companies.

But this is not the case for everyone. Some companies are eager to meet the parents of young workers to boost morale and encourage young talent to stay, The Wall Street Journal reported. Employers know that for some millennials, mom and dad's opinion will greatly influence if they stay at the job. Pleasing the parents can be important to keep skilled workers on board, or encourage temporary workers to accept full-time positions.

But before inviting parents to the interview, millennials should get to know the company first. If the business is more traditional, it might be a good idea to travel solo.

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