WASHINGTON (TNND) — Generation Z is struggling in the workforce with a July survey revealing that nearly half of them admitted to having their parents regularly speak with their current manager such as managing a work place conflict or asking a raise.
The survey administered by Resume Templates is eye opening, revealing just how dependent Generation Z, people born between the years of 1997 and 2012, are on their parents.
Generation Z isn’t just relying on their parents to advocate on their behalf, but they are having their parents complete their work tasks. The survey found that 73% of respondents had their parent complete work assignments, and more than half of them bring their parents to work with them.
“Parents can be supportive behind the scenes, but they shouldn’t participate directly,” Julia Toothacre ResumeTemplates’ Chief Career Strategist said in a statement. “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.”
Another survey conducted by Resume.org revealed that more than a fifth of employers have an unfavorable view of their employees, evaluating them as either poor or terrible.
Half of Generation Z relied on their parents to speak with their manager about a workplace conflict, and 39% of Gen-Z workers relied on their parents to ask their boss to reduce their workload. Other conversations that Gen-Z have turned to their parents for assistance with includes requesting time off, asking for a promotion or raise, and seeing about changing roles.
“Early-career professionals need to develop the confidence and skills to navigate workplace conversations independently,” says Toothacre. “If someone feels unsure about how to approach a situation, I recommend turning to HR for support. Many HR professionals are willing to help with wording, offer guidance, or even role-play conversations as part of professional development.”
The poll also revealed how Generation Z is completely unprepared in their job hunt with 77% of survey respondents say they brought their parents to a job interview. Generation Z has essentially outsourced their job hunt to their parents with 65% of them conducting job searches online and a third of them asking their parents to write their resume.
“I support parents helping with resumes, offering professional insights, or reviewing performance evaluations,” Toothacre said. “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.”
Revelation of Gen-Z bringing their parents to job interviews became major headlines last summer when ResumeTemplates revealed that a quarter of Gen-Z had their parents sit in on interviews. The phenomenon comes as the oldest members of Gen-Z entered the workforce at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ones who followed them finished off college degrees virtually.
Hiring managers have shared with Resume.org stories of job applicants laying in bed during virtual interviews, doing their interview in a car and even chewing tobacco and spitting it in a cup mid interview.
“Many Gen Zers are very comfortable with online communication, however, in face-to-face interviews, non-verbal cues, such as eye contact, body language, and tone, are very important and often less polished,” says Resume.Org Career Coach Irina Pichura. “Growing up in an era of texting and social media, some come off as too casual, and a more professional demeanor is expected.”
The Resume Templates Survey relied on 831 Gen-Z respondents.
