Job interviews are stressful for almost everyone, so it makes sense that people look for a little support before they walk into the room. Lately, though, a specific habit linked to younger applicants has been catching hiring teams off guard. The surprising part is not a pep talk or a ride to the office. It is that some candidates are arriving with a parent who stays for the interview.
The conversation took off after a post on Reddit from someone who said they work at Tesco and kept seeing the same scenario play out. The employee wrote, “I work in a big tesco and the amount of times people have had their parents bring them to interviews.” What stunned them was that it was not just a drop off in the parking lot. They added, “Not even just drop them off, literally come in to sit with them and do the interview.”
According to the post, the pattern seemed especially common among younger men. The writer said it was often “18-25 year old boys bringing their mam into the interview most times.” They also acknowledged there could be legitimate reasons in some cases, like disability or other support needs. Still, the repeated examples left them baffled about what independence is supposed to look like at the starting line of adulthood.
As the replies rolled in, people tried to make sense of how this even happens in practice. Some commenters focused on the hiring side and wondered why the parent is not asked to wait outside. Others said a parent sitting in changes the whole dynamic, because the interview stops being a one on one conversation about reliability and fit. One reaction in the thread summed up the discomfort by calling it embarrassing, while others treated it as a red flag about readiness for work.
The original poster later sharpened their point with a line that stuck with readers. They described seeing young men show up in tracksuits with their moms and asked, “how do you expect to get a job when you can’t even go into an interview by yourself???” Then came the punchline that framed the whole issue in plain terms. “Is your mammy going to hold your hand when you stock a shelf???” the poster wrote.
Grown adults bringing their parents to interviews???
byu/poprockspussy intesco
While the online debate was fueled by anecdotes, a career expert says the broader theme is real enough to matter. Julia Toothacre, a career specialist with ResumeTemplates, has warned that a parent in the room can undercut the very impression the candidate is trying to make. She said, “Parents can be supportive behind the scenes, but they shouldn’t participate directly.” Toothacre also explained why it can backfire at work, adding, “It not only undermines the child’s credibility but also risks stunting their professional growth.”
That does not mean family support is automatically a bad thing. Most people agree it is normal for parents to help with practice questions, transportation, and calming nerves before a big meeting. The line is crossed when the parent becomes part of the evaluation, because the employer is there to assess how the applicant communicates and solves problems on their own. Even when a parent stays silent, their presence can make the candidate look less confident and less prepared for basic workplace independence.
There is also a wider cultural context that explains why this keeps coming up with Gen Z. Gen Z generally refers to people born from the late 1990s through the early 2010s, meaning many are now entering the workforce for the first time. Compared with older generations, a larger share grew up with constant digital communication, more scheduled childhoods, and parents who were closely involved in school and activities. That can translate into a blurrier boundary between support and stepping in, especially when the stakes feel high and the job market feels intimidating.
If you are a candidate, the safest play is simple, take the help beforehand and then walk in alone. Ask someone to do a mock interview, review your resume, and help you plan the route, but make sure you are the one speaking for yourself when it counts. If you are a parent, the best version of support is preparation, not participation, because confidence is built by doing the hard part without a safety net. What do you think about parents sitting in on interviews, and where should the line be drawn, share your thoughts in the comments.
