When Employees Bring Mom and Dad to Work

No matter how old you are, your parents will always view you as their little boy or girl, their responsibility. And to some extent you'll always feel like a child, whether or not you want to. But isn't there a line drawn at work's door?

Mixing parents and your professional life was unheard of once upon a time. You went to your parents for guidance, but in the end you made your own decisions about your career. Your boss was just a name your parents knew when you griped about your job, but they never met each other. Now, many young workers not only want their parents involved in their careers, they also want their bosses to welcome the whole family with open arms.

What began as a trend in college admissions and classrooms has found its way into the workplace. Parents are looking out for the children, children want help (or parents think they do) with major decisions and employers have to deal with it in some way.

Welcome to the age of helicopter parents, a new breed of moms and dads who hover over their grown children's every move. From choosing their son's college courses to filling out their daughter's a job application, these parents won't cut the apron strings. And the children might be OK with it.

Employers say ...

In his book "The Trophy Kids Grow Up," Ron Alsop explores the helicopter parents phenomenon. He realizes that parents do -- and always have -- been their children's career advisers. Young job seekers want to know what their parents think before they accept an offer. It's a reasonable reaction if you're just out of school and dealing with benefits and a 401(k) for the first time. Telling the hiring manager, however, that you have to confer with your parents before giving an answer is new kind of honesty that's startling employers. Alsop mentions several companies who are engaging parents to various degrees, from a PR firm that holds a parents' day to a hiring manager who allows parents to listen in on the job offer.

But not every employer is willing to accept parents in the workplace in any way. Marcus Goormastic, president of Goormastic Executive Search, can't fathom hiring an employee whose parents are hovering over their every career move.

"I've never seen a parent get involved, thank heavens. If they did, it would be the kiss of death to the person's candidacy," he says. "Employers want people with energy and initiative who will actively solve problems, add value to teams and find creative ways to get results. They're not looking for people who have Mommy running their post-college job search."

Parents say ...

Understandably, the Army has a great amount of resources devoted to easing parents' worries about their children's decision to enlist, Alsop points out in his book. Should companies -- such as a marketing firm -- be taking the same time and energy to appease parents' concerns about Junior's new corporate job?

At least one parent seems to think so. Scott Gingold is head of market research firm Powerfeedback and also the father of an 18-year-old son. He says his son encountered unsafe and unhealthy conditions when he began working at 14 and as a result, Gingold and his wife are now involved. This might surprise anyone who knew Gingold in his younger days. He was on his own by the time he was 16.

"[What's] the difference between my days and his? Simple, the world has changed," he says. "Employers are not as concerned or conscientious about their youth employees; they seem to just want warm and reasonably competent bodies."

While Gingold feels compelled to be a part of his son's work life, he admits there are limits.

"I openly admit that I am a helicopter parent, but I am working on learning to hover a little less."

Between the frustrated employers and the overeager parents, what should the young job seekers be thinking about? Motivation, says Goormastic.

 "Companies are looking for people comfortable with ambiguity, willing to ask forgiveness instead of permission when there's a time deadline, and able to figure things out. Every good company wants to cultivate the entrepreneurial spirit."

Anthony Balderrama is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.