In a world where smartphones are glued to hands and social media is everything, one UK boss is grappling with an emerging trend in the workforce. Meet Dan, a plumber from Reigate, Surrey, who recently shared his hiring woes on the James O’Brien radio show—a popular spot for current affairs chit-chat and listener phone-ins.
Dan’s story has got a bit of everything: frustrated employers, Gen Z job applicants, and some rather overzealous parents. It seems that when Dan goes through job applications, he doesn’t see eager young faces ready to dive into the plumbing world. Instead, he finds himself dealing with parents—who are applying for jobs on behalf of their children.
Dan does have a few hardworking Gen Z employees, but he says they’re the rare gems in a pile of uninterested applicants. According to him, “They don’t want to be plumbers or apprentices,” and many of these young adults are just not keen on getting their hands dirty or putting in the time to get qualified. Instead, parental intervention seems to be the norm. Parents are more than just chauffeurs. They are now career agents, trying to land jobs for their kids.
James O’Brien, the show’s host, empathises with Dan’s predicament, suggesting that this is part of a larger, less-than-enthusiastic work culture emerging among younger generations. And the stats back it up.
A ResumeTemplates.com survey from the US revealed that a whopping 70% of Gen Zers turn to their parents for assistance, with 83% of those who land a job attributing their success to parental help. Surprisingly, 25% have even brought parents to interviews, 16% have had their parents submit applications, and 1 in 10 had mum or dad pen their resume.
With Gen Z poised to make up a significant chunk of the workforce soon, Dan hopes parents will let their kids take the reins.
