Companies welcome helicopter parents in bid to attract talent

Parents are becoming common fixtures at some U.S. companies, with employers going out of their way to include them in everything from meet-and-greets to job interviews in a bid to attract and hold onto millennials.

Parental involvement in the U.S. has been on the rise as millennials—those born between 1981 and early 2000s—enter the workforce, reported the Wall Street Journal.

A 2012 Michigan State University study found 31 percent of the more than 700 employers surveyed said parents had submitted resumes on their child's behalf. One quarter reported hearing from parents who urged the employer to hire their child for the position. Four percent of respondents said a parent showed up for the candidate's job interview.

Companies that once scoffed at so-called helicopter parents—who manage every aspect of their now adult-childrens' lives—are now changing their ways.

For example, Milwaukee-based Northwestern Mutual not only holds regular open houses, it also lets parents come along to interviews and hear details of job offers. Sometimes, management even visits parents at home.

Google is another company that welcomes parents. Earlier this year, the tech company hosted more than 2,000 parents at its Mountain View, Calif., headquarters for its second annual Take Your Parents to Work Day. LinkedIn is reportedly going to host a similar event in November at its offices in 14 countries.

And more employers are likely to accommodate parents as a greater number of millennials join the workforce.

Photo by Flickr user AC Moraes

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com