<p>My firm has two events a year, one for all the children of the firm and the other an outing for all the extended families. Many employees bring parents, siblings, nieces, nephews along with spouses and kids. Since everyone is invited and it’s an out of the office active event, no one thinks badly about it and it is great fun and much appreciated.</p>
<p>My D1 started her “big girl job” this month as a teacher. My husband spent the last two weeks before the day students came telling her that he was going to take off her first day of classes so he could photograph and videotape her walking into school. He said that it would be particularly great if she would pose in front of the sign in the front of the school with a child. These were two of the most enjoyable weeks of my parenting life because, not only was she done with school and fully employed, but she didn’t know until the morning of that he wasn’t serious and was trying to figure out how to stop this without hurting his feelings.</p>
<p>I have a small business and work with my husband so there goes the no family at work thing. I have husbands and moms stopping by from time to time. My office mgr brought her baby with her when she stopped by during maternity leave and her husband has brought the baby by when he was helping us with our website. We also do a yearly party, and sometimes people bring dates, husbands, parents, friends, etc. I don’t really care, the party isn’t about me, it’s about what would be nice for them. The only thing I won’t allow is to bring in outsiders into the kitchen at lunchtime. I had an employee whose parents would come visit at lunch and make everyone else uncomfortable. That stopped the day I heard about it. </p>
<p>I’m obviously way more laid back than these big companies or government jobs.</p>
<p>Like another poster mentioned, I also thought this thread was going to be about bringing your elderly parents to work when adult care fell through. </p>
<p>My DH has been to my daughter’s place of work many times, but that’s because he has a professional reason to be there. He will usually stop by and say Hi to her on his way out.</p>
<p>I ran into someone who worked in a branch of major high tech company mentioned in this thread in 2009, after the economy crashed. She had written about 20 somethings entering the workforce and stated that several companies she knew were actually holding events for the parents of new hires, as so many were calling the company to inquire about benefits, hiring practices, opportunities for advancement, etc. She also said that frequently those offered a position stated their intent to consult with their parents and get back to her later. I don’t know if this is still going on, but why would I need an orientation to my adult children’s company? I can’t imagine either one of them feeling that that would make sense. </p>
<p>I think that a program is different than a visit that is logical for whatever reason, particularly after they are established as a worker. It may not be the brief presence of a parent on-site on the way out to dinner, for example that would be the issue. It would be any indication of intrusion. I remain fascinated by how much things have changed in one generation.</p>
<p>There was similar thread 4-5 years ago about places like Goldman Sachs accommodating parents during interviews. And about parents calling supervisors to complain about a small raise or long work hours. I was aghast then and remain aghast now. This is different than visiting your kid’s office to take him/her to lunch or something similarly casual. </p>
<p>Anyone who brings mom or dad to an interview with me does not get the job. Period.</p>
<p>(cross-posted with Travelnut . . . I think we’re talking about the same thread!)</p>
<p>When we visited DS on the west coast last year he was very excited to have us see his office and meet co-workers, so we stopped by one day around lunchtime. Had the opportunity to meet the CEO (a current rockstar in the start-up world) which was a little intimidating – didn’t want to embarrass our son. Then we ended up taking a couple of co-workers to lunch. We will likely visit again the next time we travel to SF as the office has moved into bigger and better quarters, as long as we’re invited.</p>
<p>Oh zoosermom your post made me cry! How proud your husband must have been and how he sacrificed for the day his first born had her first day of work as a college graduate. And as a TEACHER. How he must have felt, even if he didn’t follow through but I’ll guess he really did want to take pictures and be a part of her day. </p>
<p>Maybe it’s hormones but it was really emotional for me.</p>
<p>Congrats to your daughter, Zoozermom! I hope S1 has a “big-kid job” this time next year.
I took my parents to my first job out of college, but it was after hours and it was just to show them the office. I’ve never actually gone to an interview with either of my Ss, but I have talked to people on their behalf, i.e. my SIL’s sister who worked for a major supermarket chain - S1was hired and worked for them for about six months.
My father, God rest his soul, was a helicopter parent by 60s/70s standards. He wanted to send my mom along with me to my first “real job” interview - not the actual interview but on the trip, which was about a five hour drive. I was appalled and my mom managed to talk him out of it.</p>
<p>I don’t believe my parents ever saw the inside of a building where any of my siblings or I worked. My ex often worked for companies that had “family days” so me and the kids DID see his office, campus, etc. He now works for Google, BTW, and is over 50. My older D likes to visit him there when she is in town.</p>
<p>Same D is now a waitress at a restaurant that we like, so the entire extended family often eats there (not all at once!). The managers are happy to talk to us and we’re glad they like her!</p>
<p>I can’t get over this trend of parents trying to manage their adult kids’ interviews, jobs, etc. I wouldn’t hire a kid who brought Mommy or Daddy with them either.</p>
<p>I think that I just don’t understand what Mommy and Daddy would actually DO during the interview. Driving your child to an interview is one thing and there are many good reasons for actually doing this (car in the shop, companionship during a long drive,etc). </p>
<p>However, I’m stymied about attending the interview. If your child doesn’t know what questions to ask in an interview, then I’d say that s/he isn’t ready for the interview. Perhaps more time prepping is what’s needed instead of more hand-holding.</p>
<p>My mom didnt come to my graduation from my technical school when I was 20 even though she paid my tuition, let alone visit any of my places of employment.
I expect she would have been mystified at an expectation that she do so.</p>
<p>I did visit the school last year where my oldest worked full time for two years as the practicum for her graduated degree.
However it was as part of an all school, all day event towards the end of the school year, and included members of the community as well as parents of the students.
I also only saw her intermittently throughout the day. I was glad I did though, even though I think she grudgingly allowed me to come.</p>
<p>I had breakfast and dinner at Google, and I was definitely the oldest person there. It did appear thee were 40 year olds there, and many females. </p>
<p>The security is so tight. Son just had a few minutes to show me the Store. I said I’d be back, but cashier said not without my host.</p>
<p>I didn’t say I did not believe it.
I do believe that is age discrimination & so do others.
See my other posts on the subject for clarification, for instance post #33?
;)</p>
<p>I skimmed the article the other day. Despite its titillating title, **it’s not another bash the millenials and their helicopter parents article. ** It’s about how some savvy companies are inviting parents to a) company open houses to increase the employees’ loyalty and job satisfaction and b) to recruitment events to increase positive outcomes for prospective applicants.</p>
<p>“Now, some firms have begun embracing parental involvement and using it to attract and hold onto talent and boost employee morale.”</p>
<p>Really? That doesn’t seem too weird to me. I know when I was a little kid my dad would bring me and my sister to company parties. I don’t see the problem with bringing family. Where I interned a lot of intern’s parents (if they were from nearby) came up to visit sometime and they’d usually take a tour of the campus. Doesn’t seem strange to me, no one seemed to make a big deal about it.</p>
<p>However, seems obvious to me that they don’t belong at the interview.</p>
<p>If these companies require skill sets that are more the purview of younger people who are better trained in these areas, that isn’t age discrimination, necessarily. </p>
<p>I know nothing about working for Google, but I would suppose the pool of people who APPLY to work at Google skews younger than the workforce in general in the first place, AND the skill sets that Google requires (up-to-the-minute tech and social media savvy) also skews to younger people. That doesn’t prove “discrimination.” </p>
<p>This is the same darn exact issue that we see elsewhere on these boards - if only 2 kids from North Dakota are at Harvard, that doesn’t prove that Harvard “discriminates” against kids from North Dakota. It seems only simple common sense that you have to look at the characteristics of the applicant pool, and it seems only simple common sense that jobs requiring high tech and high social media savvy are going to rely on skills that younger people will have more of.</p>