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Hiring the new generation: Are parents reshaping the process?

For generations, job candidates have followed a predictable pattern. New graduates composed their resumes and carried them to job fairs and employment interviews, presenting their personal best to potential employers. Stepping out on their own served as a mark of their independence in the adult world. But in recent years, human resources personnel have seen a different trend emerging in millennial generation candidates, those individuals born between 1981 and 2000.

Helicopter hype
Many of these candidates are children of "helicopter parents" -- mothers and fathers who take an intrusive role in the personal decisions of their adult children -- including decisions with their careers. After years of scheduling their children's play dates, chauffeuring them to music lessons, attending their athletic competitions and intervening on their behalf with teachers and professors, some parents find it difficult to let their children leave the nest. How much of this hype is real? Perhaps not as much as one might think.

Helicopter parenting is not simply a matter of advising their children what might be good points to include in their resumes, offering referrals to their business associates or helping them select the appropriate attire for an employment interview. It's about writing resumes for their adult children, scheduling and attending their interviews, and negotiating their wage and benefits packages.

Who are millennials?
Unlike earlier generations, millennials come from families that, for the most part, are actively involved in their children's development. According to research conducted by Neil Howe and William Straus, certain characteristics define millennials as a result of this experience:

• Millennials have grown up with parents who provided them with security and offered positive praise and encouragement. Both parents have been involved in their upbringing, even in families that have experienced divorce. Because of this, millennials are more likely than previous generations to ask their parents for advice.


• The support and affirmations millennials received from home and schools have given this generation a strong sense of self-confidence. Previous generations sought to prove themselves in the workplace in order to gain respect; millennials approach their careers expecting they will be successful and immediately respected.


• Millennials have a strong sense of ethics and are more likely to follow conventional behavior. However, they have seen their parents frustrated by long hours of work in corporate America and returning home exhausted at the end of the workday. These candidates want a more balanced approach in their work and personal lives. They will be loyal to an organization as long as it does not conflict with their personal life or ethical standards. They are also more likely to expect flexibility in their work schedule and location.


• More so than earlier generations, these individuals have been tightly scheduled as children and are accustomed to filling every hour of their day with structured activity. It can be challenging for them to manage their time. Structure continues to be important to them in the workplace. It may mean they require more hands-on involvement from managers and supervisors, more positive affirmations.


• Millennials feel pressured to succeed. Along with the support they have received, they also have been pushed to achieve in every phase of their lives, to avoid risks and to take advantage of opportunities. This pressure may cause them to take on too much, resulting in less than ideal results.


• Growing up with technology, this generation has a savvy command of the Internet and takes full advantage of it. On the down side, the instantaneous nature of technology can foster impatience.

Knowing this, what can you expect when you're sitting across the table from a millennial job candidate?

"These candidates bring a positive attitude, strong sense of creativity and an infectious sense of team spirit," says Janice Guler, director of Talent Acquisition for Ceridian. She offers the following advice for human resources professionals when they are interviewing millennial candidates.

Millennial candidates are very polished in their presentations and well prepared for interviews. Much of their research is conducted through the Internet. They are very aware of their environment and how to handle themselves in an interview. You can expect to hear some great job-related questions. Besides asking about the job's specifics and functions they will want to see the "big picture" and understand how the position fits into that picture.

Up-front and open about their expectations, these candidates assume job success and professional respect will be forthcoming. Unlike previous generations, millennial candidates are much more likely to ask questions during the first interview regarding the hiring process, how many candidates are being considered and where they stand in the ranking. They want immediate feedback after the interview. "We must respond quickly after an interview or they call us," says Guler.

Bringing in mom and dad
Don't be surprised when they mention their parents during an interview -- it would be unusual if they didn't. Previous generations may have responded to an offer by saying, "I need to think about it, or talk it over with my spouse before accepting an offer." Millennials will ask for time to talk with their parents before accepting an offer.

Guler has dealt with candidates who were coached by their parents, primarily in salary negotiations. She typically responds that her organization follows standard salary ranges for the local area; candidates may be getting their information from national sources that offer somewhat different ranges.

Sometimes, well-meaning parents offer bad advice. "One applicant failed to include a misdemeanor on his application form," notes Guler. "When questioned about it, the candidate responded that he was following his parents' advice to omit the information because it was of minor importance." That omission kept the candidate from receiving further consideration for the job.

Parents from rural areas are likely to advise their children differently than parents in urban settings. One candidate from a rural community was asked to fly to another state for sales training. The candidate responded that his parents advised him not to travel by air because it was too dangerous.

As a human resources professional, one of your primary responsibilities is to identify candidates who are independent self-starters. If it appears that a candidate may be overly dependent on their parents, ask questions to determine how they will function on their own in the workplace. Probe for responses about how they would manage a specific project. For example, if a project involved working with three other individuals and meeting with their manager for one hour each month, how would they prepare for those meetings? Listen for responses that demonstrate self-confidence and the ability to think independently.

How well do millennial candidates perform on the job? "As employees, they are generally creative, have a positive attitude and great team spirit," concludes Guler.

To learn more about hiring trends and related talent acquisition and management issues, contact your Ceridian representative.