Survey: 3 in 4 Gen Zers bring parents to job interviews

More than three out of four (77 percent) Gen Z workers reported that they had brought a parent along on a job interview, according to a recent survey from the job-seeker-resource website ResumeTemplates.com. The survey, commissioned by ResumeTemplates.com, was conducted by Pollfish in July 2025 among 831 Gen Z workers who are employed full time to gauge how involved their parents were in their most recent job search and their current role. Findings from the study revealed a significant degree of parental involvement in not just the hiring process surrounding Gen Z workers but also their day-to-day job duties once employed. Almost three-quarters (73 percent) of the respondents reported that they had their parents help them complete work assignments and nearly half (45 percent) regularly have a parent talk to their current manager. Other examples of parental involvement cited in the findings included the following: • 90 percent of Gen Z respondents had their parents help them find jobs to apply for • 31 percent had a parent write their entire resume • 29 percent had their parents write their cover letters • 53 percent had a parent speak with a hiring manager on their behalf • 57 percent have brought a parent to their current workplace • 86 percent have their parents review their performance reviews • 83 percent have their parents pack their lunch for work Julia Toothacre, a chief career strategist at ResumeTemplates.com, said of the findings, “I support parents helping with resumes, offering professional insights, or reviewing performance evaluations. These actions can give Gen Z a clearer understanding of the workplace and position parents as valuable mentors, especially if they’ve worked in similar fields.”  But Toothacre also cautioned, “Parents can be supportive behind the scenes, but they shouldn’t participate directly. It not only undermines the child’s credibility but also risks stunting their professional growth and ability to navigate challenging situations. Additionally, managers and coworkers may interpret this behavior as a lack of maturity, which can damage the employee’s reputation.” A full summary of the survey’s findings are available at: https://www.resumetemplates.com/nearly-half-of-gen-zers-have-mom-regularly-talk-to-their-boss/