The youngest generation in the workforce, more commonly known as Gen Z, has long been getting flak for caring a little too much for work-life balance, or so the older generation of the workforce says. However, it seems they will be getting more bad press, as a survey from Resume Templates revealed that nearly half of these young workers are getting their parents involved in their job responsibilities.
Are these parents just getting a little too supportive of their children?
American political pop culture podcast I’ve Had It hosts Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan once talked about the survey’s numbers, highlighting how 79% of Gen Zs say their parents communicate with their manager, 73% get their help for completing work assignments, while 57% bring their parents to work.
Appalled by the numbers, Angie said, “If this is what is happening in real time. We have bigger problems than I even thought,” while Jennifer responded with: “If my child called me and said I want you to come to work and look over my performance review I would say, I will come to your office and pick you up. We’re gonna go take you somewhere to get some help. I have failed as a parent. We both need to go somewhere and get some help.”
Resume Templates surveyed 831 Gen Z full-time workers to understand how involved their parents were in their job search and current role.
The thing is, while some commentators were just as surprised as the podcast hosts, it was more unsurprising to many.
One who works in a start-up company said, “It’s absolutely happening,” while another, who introduced herself as a Millennial manager, added, “Yes, it happens! Crazy!” A third even described it as “professional babysitting.”
A digital media and technology company co-founder and CEO shared she had experienced it firsthand: “This has happened to me at my company. They asked for special approval for family vacation despite their Gen Z child already using all their sick and vacation days that year. Another one sent in questions about benefits.”
Hiring managers or those working in human resources also jumped in, sharing their experience with Gen Z workers and job seekers. One said, “I’m a hiring manager, and I’ve had parents jump on the Zoom interview. It’s UNSETTLING.” Another added that the issue was “definitely” global, saying, “I work in HR in South Africa and all I will say…I take a lot of deep breaths”
However, others pointed the fault to moms or parents of Gen Zs as the “real problem”, blaming them for “not encouraging their children to have a mind of their own and teaching independence and a good work ethic.”
Parents can be supportive, but as Resume Templates’ chief career strategist, Julia Toothacre said, they can do it “behind the scenes.” If they don’t, they just might be risking stunting their children’s professional growth and ability to navigate challenging situations.
Still, some defended the young cohort, with one business owner saying, “It’s not all, I have more than 50 Gen Z employees and interns, and they are fantastic workers, contributors, and critical thinkers. Never had a single parent contact me. [I] just want to stand up for our team.” /TISG
Read also: Two-thirds of Gen Z plan to switch jobs but struggle to stand out in a competitive market
