Has the following happened to you? A candidate’s parent rings you on the phone. He or she tells you that they’d like to follow-up on the interview you just had with young Sarah or Billy. Yes -- you read correctly -- the candidate’s parent. As many of today’s recruiters are discovering, parent involvement is moving into the professional sphere. In an effort to hire the best, companies are starting to reach out to parents as well. Are you prepared for the call?

Dubbed “helicopter parents,” many of today’s parents have very close ties to their children – ties that extend well beyond family matters. Modern technologies like email, instant messenger, and cell phones enable close contact, allowing parents to receive real-time updates on events in their children’s lives. According to Wikipedia, a helicopter parent can be described as follows:

A helicopter parent is a term for a person who pays extremely close attention to his or her child or children, particularly at educational institutions. They rush to prevent any harm from befalling them or letting them learn from their own mistakes, sometimes even contrary to the children's wishes. They are so named because, like a helicopter, they hover closely overhead, rarely out of reach whether their children need them or not.

When you recruit a student today its not uncommon to encounter the student’s parents in the hiring process. Helicopter parents are attending career fairs, emailing recruiters, and even negotiating salary on behalf of their offspring. Question is, what is the correct approach with a candidate’s parent? Should recruiters embrace and integrate parents into the hiring process, or rebuff parents and draw strict boundaries?

According to Barbara Cosentino, Assistant Director of Placement at Northeastern Illinois University, a balanced approach to the helicopter phenomenon is best. Helicopter parents aren’t going away anytime soon and hiring etiquette no longer says a call from mom or dad is taboo. Moreover, today’s companies are openly courting parents. Office Depot has a webpage for parents on their recruiting website, for example. Merrill Lynch is now holding information sessions for parents as well.

When working with parents, “You need to draw the line, but you have to be polite too,” says Ms. Cosentino. Recruiters should understand that though they are hiring the student, parents can be a major influence. Parents will take note of which companies treat them better and integrate these impressions into their recommendations. Recruiters should be careful not to signal that the company’s culture is aggressive or hostile through their own actions.

Recruiters who work with students today will inevitably encounter a candidate’s parent. When helicopter parents comes calling, the best strategy is really to be prepared. Before you get the call, take some time to define your policy on parental involvement. If it helps, develop scripts to help you respond in a professional manner. At the end of the day, don’t be left unprepared is a helicopter parent swoops in and don’t brush off their inquiries. Helicopter parents are here to stay.
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