{"id":48209,"date":"2026-03-03T00:56:03","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T00:56:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=48209"},"modified":"2026-03-03T00:56:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T00:56:04","slug":"kevin-oleary-protests-this-horrific-gen-z-job-search-trend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=48209","title":{"rendered":"Kevin O\u2019Leary Protests This \u2018Horrific\u2019 Gen Z Job Search Trend"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div class=\"tw:border-b tw:border-slate-200 tw:pb-4\">\n<h2 class=\"tw:mt-0 tw:mb-1 tw:text-2xl tw:font-heading\">Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"tw:font-normal tw:font-serif tw:text-base tw:marker:text-slate-400\">\n<li>Kevin O\u2019Leary says if a Gen Z candidate brings a parent into a job interview, their resume \u201cgoes right into the garbage.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>He called parents in interviews a \u201chorrific signal\u201d and \u201creally, really bad idea\u201d because it suggests the applicant cannot handle professional situations.<\/li>\n<li>He frames the issue as one of independence, arguing employers need people who can \u201cthink\u201d and \u201cmake decisions\u201d on their own.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Kevin O\u2019Leary is speaking out about a new Gen Z job-search behavior: bringing parents along to interviews.<\/p>\n<p>On a recent appearance on Fox Business\u2019 <em>Varney &amp; Co.<\/em>, O\u2019Leary argued that the practice sends a \u201chorrific signal\u201d to employers about a candidate\u2019s independence and employability. His first question to the Gen Z job candidate would be, \u201cDo you want me to hire your mother or you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s she doing here? I want to find out [that] you can think independently, make decisions independently,\u201d O\u2019Leary said. \u201cThat resume goes right into the garbage.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kevin O\u2019Leary. (Jason Armond\/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The controversy stems from survey data showing a minority, but notable share, of young workers leaning on parents throughout the hiring process. A February report from career platform Zety found that 5% of Gen Z had parents sit in virtually on job interviews. A greater share, 15%, arrived with their parents at in-person interviews.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, one in five Gen Z workers said a parent has reached out to an employer or recruiter on their behalf, per Zety. Over 40% of Gen Z respondents said their parents helped them draft their resume, according to the report. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-o-leary-responds-to-parents-in-interviews\">How O\u2019Leary responds to parents in interviews<\/h2>\n<p>If mom or dad appears as a visible presence in the interview, O\u2019Leary questions whether the candidate will be able to operate autonomously in high-pressure situations. Parental participation answers that question in the negative, before the applicant even speaks.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>O\u2019Leary told Fox Business that he had experienced the situation firsthand. A Gen Z candidate showed up to a Zoom call with their mom also on the line. O\u2019Leary immediately shut down the situation and said that either the mom would have to leave or the candidate would not be considered for the role. He called the situation \u201ca big red flag\u201d and \u201ca really, really bad idea.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt makes no sense,\u201d O\u2019Leary said. \u201cIt just shows you that this person doesn\u2019t have the confidence or ability to do the mandate that you\u2019re offering them\u2026 I think it\u2019s a horrific signal.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, the data suggest that parental involvement is far from a universal behavior. Around 80% of Gen Z respondents to Zety\u2019s poll said their parents played no role in interviews, and more than half said they would feel embarrassed or upset if a parent contacted an employer without their consent.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>O\u2019Leary isn\u2019t the only expert to push back against Gen Z showing up with parents for interviews. Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek that it was normal to seek help from parents to polish a resume or practice interview questions \u2014 \u201cbut when you involve them in the formal process, it sends the wrong idea.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><em>Sign up for the <\/em>Entrepreneur Daily<em> newsletter to get the news and resources you need to know today to help you run your business better. <\/em><em>Get it in your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"tw:border-b tw:border-slate-200 tw:pb-4\">\n<h2 class=\"tw:mt-0 tw:mb-1 tw:text-2xl tw:font-heading\">Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"tw:font-normal tw:font-serif tw:text-base tw:marker:text-slate-400\">\n<li>Kevin O\u2019Leary says if a Gen Z candidate brings a parent into a job interview, their resume \u201cgoes right into the garbage.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>He called parents in interviews a \u201chorrific signal\u201d and \u201creally, really bad idea\u201d because it suggests the applicant cannot handle professional situations.<\/li>\n<li>He frames the issue as one of independence, arguing employers need people who can \u201cthink\u201d and \u201cmake decisions\u201d on their own.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Kevin O\u2019Leary is speaking out about a new Gen Z job-search behavior: bringing parents along to interviews.<\/p>\n<p>On a recent appearance on Fox Business\u2019 <em>Varney &amp; Co.<\/em>, O\u2019Leary argued that the practice sends a \u201chorrific signal\u201d to employers about a candidate\u2019s independence and employability. His first question to the Gen Z job candidate would be, \u201cDo you want me to hire your mother or you?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Read the full article <a href=\"https:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/business-news\/kevin-oleary-gen-z-job-trend-sends-a-horrific-signal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" rel=\"nofollow\">here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Kevin O\u2019Leary says if a Gen Z candidate brings a parent into a job interview, their resume \u201cgoes right into the garbage.\u201d He called parents in interviews a \u201chorrific signal\u201d and \u201creally, really bad idea\u201d because it suggests the applicant cannot handle professional situations. He frames the issue as one of independence, arguing<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48210,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[32],"class_list":{"0":"post-48209","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-make-money","8":"tag-featured"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.12 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Kevin O\u2019Leary Protests This \u2018Horrific\u2019 Gen Z Job Search Trend | iSafeSpend<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Key Takeaways Kevin O\u2019Leary says if a Gen Z candidate brings a parent into a job interview, their resume \u201cgoes right into the garbage.\u201d He called parents\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" 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