Kevin O’Leary says Gen Z sends this ‘horrific signal’ to employers

Don’t bring your mom or dad to an interview with Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary if you were planning on it. 

On a recent appearance on Fox Business’s Varney & Co. show, O’Leary argued that doing so—bringing parents to a job interview—sends a “horrific signal” to employers, and he calls it a “big red flag.” 

“First question I’d have to the son or daughter, I’d say: ‘Do you want me to hire your mother or you? What’s she doing here?’” O’Leary said. “That résumé goes right into the garbage.”

This isn’t simply a hypothetical situation. The data shows a not insignificant number of young job seekers are involving their parents throughout the hiring process to boost their odds—even if it ends up backfiring against them.

In a survey conducted by Zety and Pollfish of roughly 1,000 Gen Z workers, 20% said that a parent had joined them during a job interview (15% said this happened in person, and 5% virtually).

About 1 in 5 Gen Z workers said a parent had also reached out to an employer or recruiter on their behalf, according to Zety. Over 40% of Gen Z respondents said their parents helped them draft their résumé. 

O’Leary has experienced this firsthand. “It happened to me on a Zoom call, and I just said, ‘This isn’t going to work. Your mom is not gonna be part of this discussion,’” he told Fox Business.

This is an alarm bell, he added. “I want to find out if you can think independently, make decisions independently,” O’Leary said. “It just shows you that this person doesn’t have the confidence or ability to do the mandate that you’re offering them.” 

The entrepreneur also has some advice for other business leaders who might find themselves in a similar situation. “Just say: ‘Sorry. That’s not going to work for us,’” he said. “It means you can’t do this on your own. I think it’s a horrific signal—and I really think that parents that are overbearing like this think that they’re going to add value.”

Millennials will recall facing similar accusations in their early careers. 

Besides the Zety survey, there’s additional data that suggests the number of Gen Zers who have tapped in their parents for job interviews could be high, too. According to a 2025 study by Resume Templates, 77% of surveyed Gen Z job seekers have brought a parent along to a job interview. Some have even gotten them to negotiate pay raises and complete hiring tests on their behalf.

But this isn’t solely a case of mollycoddling parents: Only 41% of young people said they were “highly confident” navigating the job market, according to a 2025 report from Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and The Harris Poll. 

This has largely to do with a lack of professional mentorship and a highly competitive job market—which means each interview comes with increased pressure. 

Despite O’Leary’s warnings, however, most Gen Z workers are competent, independent workers who can ace an interview without the help of Mom and Dad: 80% of respondents to Zety’s survey said their parents had no involvement during interviews. 

In addition, over half of Gen Z respondents said they would feel “embarrassed or upset” if their parents reached out to their employer without their knowledge.