Hiring Gen Y Means Winning Over Their Parents

After an interview with a 22-year-old job candidate for a position at your salon, you have a good feeling. Though experience might be limited, the candidate seemed sharp, passionate and hard-working. But before you extend an offer, you’ll have to discuss with your salon manager, business partner, etc. And before accepting an offer, the candidate will have to do the same thing—the only difference is, the associates happen to be his or her parents.

An article in BusinessWeek notes that a major trait of Generation Y is increased parental influence past the age of 18, and that employers should embrace this concept. In the past, young adults were more autonomous in decision-making, but today’s 20-somethings value the input of their parents more than previous generations, often calling home before making big decisions. Here are some ways to make sure you are establishing a parent-friendly brand to accomplish this:

• Distribute packs of information for parents to students at universities and job fairs.
• Create special material directed at parents' likely questions. (health benefits, 401(k) plans, etc.)
• Invite parents of interns and new hires to visit the young adult’s place of work and meet the boss and colleagues.
• Provide the staffing necessary to follow through with parent requests.
• Advertise with parents in mind—highlight your positive attributes as an employer. (The U.S. military puts emphasis on this.)
• Include parents in employee benefits.

Source: BusinessWeek, “Why You Need Parental Approval To Recruit Gen Y”