Sep 4, 2025
Interviewing for your first job can be nerve-racking, but Gen Z (those born between 1996 and 2010) are relying on an unexpected source for hands-on support: their parents.
A 2025 survey from Resume Templates found that 77% of Gen Z workers admit to bringing a parent to a job interview — and more than half said the parent spoke to the hiring manager on their behalf.
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Gen Zers who spent their formative years (ages 10 to 24) in the pandemic — now 15 to 29 — may not think twice about it. Still, experts say it’s changing how they’re seen at work.
"The idea of a parent going with their child to a job interview or speaking to their boss is absurd,” said Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich.
Is Gen Z prepared for the workforce?
The Resume Templates survey polled 831 Gen Z adults employed full-time, and the findings extended beyond the hiring process. Nearly three-quarters of respondents admitted to getting parental help with work assignments, while 45% said a parent had spoken directly to their manager.
It's worth noting that the survey polled full-time workers, not 15-year-olds bagging groceries at the local grocery store. While it may not be as unusual for a parent to speak to a manager about their minor child, the individuals surveyed in this poll were adults holding full-time roles.
And hiring managers are noticing the difference. A Resume.org survey of more than 750 hiring managers found that:
- 56% said Gen Z applicants came unprepared to interviews.
- 47% said candidates lacked professionalism.
- 11% reported seeing a candidate bring a parent, partner, or friend to the interview.
One in six hiring managers also noted that Gen Z applicants used their phones during the interview — a habit rarely associated with earlier generations, who often didn't have cell phones until their mid-to-late 20s.
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What is the impact of parental involvement in the workplace?
Bringing a parent into the hiring process — or even allowing them to interact with a boss after the candidate is hired — can undermine a candidate’s credibility, experts say. It signals to employers that the applicant may lack maturity, independence, or problem-solving skills. Those perceptions can make it harder for young workers to land jobs, earn promotions, or be trusted with responsibility.
What has caused this shift? Experts suspect that it's a combination of helicopter parenting styles and the remote-first situation that emerged during the pandemic.
“There’s certainly the hangover from going through some really key years where you learn some professional behavior, where we were all in a remote, very computer-based, head-down to your keyboard environment,” Brandi Britton, Robert Half Executive Director and Career Expert, shared with Fortune.
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Career consultant Julia Toothacre believes the trend stems from missed developmental milestones and weaker social skills, leaving younger workers more dependent on their parents.
“They’re asking for support because they don’t know what to do, or they don’t feel confident in what to do in the world of work,” Toothacre said. “So, they’re turning to the people that they know the best, which are parents, to say, ‘What do I do?”
However, experts caution that the longer this trend persists, the more it could reinforce stereotypes about Gen Z being “unprofessional” or “unprepared.” And while some argue these behaviors might fade as Gen Z matures and gains workplace experience, these habits could leave lasting impressions.
“Parents are supposed to support your children and prepare them for the future. You’re supposed to prepare them but not do things for them as adults,” said Descovich.
Every generation faces challenges entering the workforce, but Gen Z’s appear uniquely shaped by technology, helicopter parenting and the pandemic’s disruption of formative years when they may have worked entry-level, in-person jobs.
While parents can still play a supportive role, by helping edit resumes or conducting mock interviews, experts say the line must be drawn at the office door.
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Danielle is a personal finance writer based in Ohio. Her work has appeared in numerous publications including Motley Fool and Business Insider. She believes financial literacy key to helping people build a life they love.
