Harvard Business Publishing

I buy the premise that people often ask their parents for advice before taking a job. The Army recruiting is smart, SkyWest's tactics are tricky...

But if a potential employer asked me if I wanted material sent to my parents I think the conversation would be over. I couldn't work somewhere that felt so much like primary school.

I agree with Julian's post. Although an interesting idea HR professionals must manage this with caution.

I would even dare to say that the current parent generation is historically the least influencial of all generations in the career choices of their children. My parents would have had very little choice in their field of study and many employment opportunities would have been generated through the paternal network.

This notion of parent approval is particularly relevant in professions where there is a risk in pushing their children in that field: the army being prime example as loss of life is a reality. I can think of other industries such as the tobacco or alcohol industries where this may also apply because of the social perceptions implied.

I doubt however that there is such a need in professions such as management consulting, tax, audit, law, medicine, etc.

Well, i feel that article represents an interesting tactic to tackle Gen Yers to Organizations.
But, i am bit doubtfully as if the majority of Gen Yers in Globle level get the assistance of their parents in their job selections.
The point is when it come to globle perspective, the level of Education & knowledge of parents will vary drastically from different region to region. If parents are low Educated & Lacking the Up to date knowledge of Business Organizations, then the Input they make on their child's decisions may not be the best. Under such circumstances how could one expect that the majority of Gen Yers seek assistance of their parents in their job Related Decision Making ?

I am a professional recruiter and have worked both in external executive search as well as within corporate recruiting.

Frankly, with very few exceptions, the "gen y's" are not involving their parents to the levels that so many would have you believe. Do people looking to make their first entry into the professional world discuss the situation with their parents? Of course - but not any more so then prior generations. If anything, it may be the parent trying to insert themselves into the process.

It strikes me that too much has gone into trying to label, parse, code, identify and catalog this next generation of people entering the work force. And this research is driven primarily for marketing purposes (look into micro-marketing). But I am not selling a product. I am providing entree into the work world.

Am I saying that companies don't need to be aware of the needs and wants of potential employees? Of course not. But I am saying that these things can become self fulfilling, and sometimes self-destructive, prophecies.

Give this generation some credit. They do think for themselves.
I teach GenYers and work with them daily outside the classroom. They're a vital bunch. Yes, they seek adult help in evaluating life choices. What generation hasn't? But they don't simply rely on parents. They include professors, employers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and other adults whose opinions they trust. How is that so unique? What good decision has ever been made in isolation? Isn't consultation and data review exactly what any well-minded executive of any well-run corporation does before tackling new markets or taking on a new business challenge? The article presents good advice if you're looking for yes-candidates who lack the ability to think for themselves and the gumption to get the information needed to make their own decisions. But for those looking for candidates who "think outside the box"? Hah!

I don't see this so much as 'parent approval' but rather as 'parent awareness. It really focuses on brand awareness and the idea of Gen Y hearing positive 'chatter' around a company. It opens up an opportunity for both parents and Gen Y'ers to have an informed discussion around choice. Of course at the end of the day each individual has to make their own decision with as much information as they can obtain.

I love the management tip of the day.

I do want to take issue with today's tip, however. You suggest that Gen Y'ers parents should be included in the recruitment and hiring process. I couldn't disagree more! As an employer, I expect the applicant to present him or her self as a responsible adult. I am not hiring the family unit. While parents are a good sounding board for young workers, they have no place in the recruitment or interview process. If someone suggested that I include their parents in an interview, they would be shown the door. Parents aren't with us for ever and the workplace is a good starting point to get used to that idea.

I would like to know why the Harvard Business Review thinks it is good practice?

Mark P. Duckett

I would be interested in hearing what Gen Yer's have to say on the subject. I am assuming the above commentators are not. There is a shift going on right now, and it will rock our world, especially how work gets done. Gen Yer's are leading the charge with the assistance of an evolution of technology that is in their DNA. To ignore this important generational shift would be a mistake.

I am Baby Boomer with 3 Gen X children who come to my wife and I for advice on their next important move. They don't always listen, but they ask!

I could not imagine too many Australian GEN-Y's involving their parents in the way you suggest.

However, I would have confidence that many GEN-Y's would informally discuss their options with Mum or Dad over a "barbie" (Aussie for BBQ).

It strikes me that this issue really is only applicable to entry level jobs such as after college or graduate school. Having read about all the "helicopter parents" that expect to have contact and influence over a professor's evaluation of the child's college performance, this makes sense. But it may be more about the overly-involved parents wanting to steer their kids into the "right" kind of jobs rather than the candidate really wanting Mom and Dad to be heavily involved in the hiring decision.

For those young employees-to-be who do value personal independence, it will be a turn off to suggest the parents receive info, briefings and marketing focus from the recruiting companies. This is really a slippery position or tactic from which to try to improve the hiring stats. What does it say about the young person's ability to make decisions on the job when Mom or Dad can't be reached to discuss what needs to happen at the office?

As a Gen Y'er, I would be extremely uncomfortable if the company I considered working for thought that I need 'parental approval' in making the decision to work for them. Sure, I value my parents' opinion and would definitely consult them. Being a young adult from Sri Lanka, where unlike in the US, living with your parents until marriage and even afterwards is the norm rather than the exception, the bond I share with my parents is a very close one. However, I would feel that the company does not treat me as a responsible adult, which is what I aspire to be by joining the working world.

I think this is a great article! I am a young, smart, savvy senior manager fresh out of college. I can talk up a storm about strategy, funders, marketing etc. but when HR starts talking to me about my Roth IRA, Medical coverage, etc. I run to grab a phone and call home.

Like so many baby boomers my mom is an awesome professional who has advanced her career later in life. She's my total role model when it comes to navigating the world of work. I run emails by her, check in with her for advice about big "next moves" and trust her gut instinct when it comes to dealing with difficult employees.

Granted, if my employer would ask to call her or send her a packet of info about my job I would probably feel patronized and discredited, its a strong observation that whether they realize it or not, recruiters are speaking to many of our parents.

Interesting. Parent's blessings are important but they are not the sole decision makers of a child's chocie, not for me atleast. I guess the idea here is to get the brand accepted by a host of 'stakeholders' which could go beyond parents to opinion leaders such as tutors etc. However I'd not forget the applicant in the process. This would be similar to wooing the parents of the one that you are crazy about and not getting 'her spark'...cheers!

I would be interested if many of the negative comments (apart from the ones that identified themselves as a gen Y) were actually made by members of Y Generation. My experience with dealing with the graduates newly recruited into the financial services sector was an observation that many of them did discuss which firm they should join, with their parents.

The amount of discussion seemed to depend on context. If a parent was employed in a similar sector, of course they would ask their parents what they thought. To say out right "not" to the idea of using parents as a conduit is short sighted to say the least.