A job interview is meant to test a candidate’s qualifications, confidence and ability to communicate. Yet some recruiters increasingly find themselves dealing with more than just the job seeker, as parents step in to submit CVs, follow up on applications, and even accompany their adult children to interviews.
For Kenyan human resource practitioners, such interventions raise questions about professional independence, workplace readiness and where parental support should end.
Sakwa Wangara, a human resource practitioner, lecturer at the College of Human Resource Management and managing director of HRD Ingenuity, says he has received several approaches from parents who know he works in human resources.
In one recent instance, a parent contacted him seeking a job opportunity for an adult child who was already employed but, in the parent’s view, needed broader professional exposure.
‘She wanted me to look at the child’s CV and help him get a generalist human resource assignment so that he could understand the function from end to end,’ Sakwa says.
The candidate was already involved in recruitment and human resource management information systems, but the parent wanted him to gain experience across the wider human resource function.
Sakwa has also encountered a parent who accompanied an adult child to an interview, although the parent did not participate in the recruitment.
While most parents mean well, he believes some become involved because they doubt their children’s ability to navigate the job market.
‘By and large, parents do this out of a good heart. They mean well and want the best for their children,’ he says. ‘But sometimes they don’t think their children can stand up for themselves.’
Jane Maina, HR manager at Prosper HR Services, has had similar experiences, with parents contacting recruiters and following up on vacancies on behalf of their adult children.
Some, she says, go further by accompanying candidates to interviews or attempting to answer questions on their behalf.
‘It is becoming increasingly noticeable, especially among some entry-level candidates,’ Jane says. ‘I wouldn’t generalise about the entire Gen Z generation, but we are seeing instances where young adults struggle to take ownership of their job searches and professional decisions.’
Hildah Nyatichi, an HR business partner and account manager at IHR Solutions, says parental involvement can begin long before an interview.
For instance, a recruiter advertising a vacancy may receive a WhatsApp message from a candidate’s mother asking whether the application has been received, the salary on offer, the working hours, interview arrangements and employment benefits.
The involvement may continue even after the interview. A parent might contact a recruiter demanding an explanation for a delay in communicating the outcome or attempt to negotiate a salary after an offer has been made, arguing that their child has a university degree and deserves a higher amount.
Impression on recruiters
While parental intervention may be driven by good intentions, it can complicate recruitment and influence how employers perceive a candidate.
‘If the recruiter understands what is driving the parent to behave that way, it may not necessarily affect the candidate negatively,’ he says.
However, where the circumstances are unclear, employers may conclude that the candidate lacks the confidence or ability to represent themselves.
Jane says recruiters want to establish a direct relationship with the person they are considering for hiring.
‘As recruiters, we want to interact with the actual candidate, not their parent,’ she says.
That interaction allows employers to assess more than academic qualifications and technical skills. They also look at communication, accountability, initiative, problem-solving and decision-making, which help establish whether someone can take responsibility and function independently in the workplace.
Hilda says a candidate who cannot answer basic questions about their availability, salary expectations or career interests without looking to a parent for guidance may raise concerns during an interview.
However, she cautions against equating every parental inquiry with a lack of professional independence.
Why parents get involved
The practitioners point to parental concern, upbringing, competition for jobs and the perceived importance of personal connections as some of the factors behind the behaviour.
Sakwa says many parents genuinely believe they know what is best for their children.
Jane believes the behaviour may also be linked to how some young adults have been raised. Those who have grown up in environments where parents take charge of many responsibilities may find that the involvement continues even after they reach adulthood.
She also points to the perception that securing employment in Kenya depends heavily on personal connections rather than merit.
While networking can help job seekers access opportunities, Jane says it should not replace competence, effort and the ability to present oneself professionally.
For Hilda, love, concern and anxiety are also powerful motivators.
‘Parents invest heavily in their children’s education and naturally want to see a return on that investment,’ she says.
Prolonged unemployment can frustrate parents and push some to intervene, particularly in a competitive job market where opportunities are limited.
The issue is not unique to Kenya.
In an August 2026 report, NewsNation quoted career coach and former corporate recruiter Sarah Johnston describing parents attending job fairs, contacting recruiters and even seeking explanations when their adult children had been dismissed from jobs.
Sarah observed that today’s job market is different from the one many parents experienced, with job searches often taking longer than they expect.
The report cited a Zety survey in which one in five Gen Z job seekers said a parent had attended a job interview with them.
Sarah advised employers to redirect conversations to the candidate whenever a parent contacts a recruiter or attends an interview on their behalf. She also acknowledged that such involvement may be motivated by love and concern.
Hilda says parents have always supported their children in finding employment. What has changed is the ease with which they can now reach recruiters and employers.
‘Today, a parent can easily contact a recruiter through WhatsApp, LinkedIn, email or a direct phone call,’ she says.
In previous generations, such involvement may have been less visible because communication channels were not as accessible.
The experts agree that parents have an important role to play in preparing their children for the job market, but that support should not extend to taking over the recruitment process.
Sakwa advises parents to help their children identify opportunities, prepare for interviews and access professional coaching rather than communicating with employers on their behalf.
‘Support them by helping them prepare. Get them a coach who can guide them through the interview process, and help them understand the importance of doing things for themselves,’ he says.
Parents should then allow their adult children to attend interviews, respond to recruiters and make their own career decisions.
Young job seekers, he adds, also have a responsibility to establish boundaries and ask their parents to give them room to manage the process independently.
‘It’s okay to be supported, but it’s not okay to be held through the entire process to the extent that your parent is the one speaking for you,’ he says.
Jane advises parents to shift from doing things for their children to equipping them with the skills and confidence to handle responsibilities independently.
‘Guide them, help them prepare their CVs and encourage them, but allow them to attend interviews and communicate with employers independently,’ she says.
Hilda says parents can still make a meaningful contribution by helping with CV preparation, identifying vacancies, conducting mock interviews, providing transport and offering financial support where possible.
However, young adults must learn to write professional emails, follow up on applications, introduce themselves, negotiate salaries and handle rejection.
Ultimately, she says, parental support should prepare young people to stand on their own rather than make them dependent on someone else to speak for them.
‘You will not always have your parents beside you in the workplace. At some point, you must develop the confidence to represent yourself,’ she says.