Nearly 60% of parents in Hong Kong believe they could offer professional advice to their child, according to a global survey conducted by LinkedIn to celebrate the return of its worldwide Bring In Your Parents Day initiative on 6 November. Designed to bridge the gap between parent and child, the event aims to encourage businesses in 14 countries across the globe to open their doors to their employees’ parents and give them an inside view of their child’s professional life.
The annual initiative was launched in 2013 after LinkedIn’s global survey uncovered that more than 1 in 3 parents have no idea what their child does for work. New research, however, reveals some surprising new findings for Hong Kong, which may encourage local businesses to participate. More than half (59%) of Hong Kong parents believe they have the skills and knowledge to share with their child that could benefit their children’s careers, surpassing the global average of 35%. And their kids couldn’t agree more, with 54% of the 1,002 adults surveyed in Hong Kong taking the same stance. Yet why are parents refraining from sharing their wisdom when they have so much of it to offer?
According to the research, a significant 43% of Hong Kong parents have kept quiet because they do not believe it is their place to get involved, as opposed to 30% who believe they do not know enough about their child’s career to voice their opinion. Employees in Hong Kong, however, are clearly missing a trick.
Nicole Williams, LinkedIn career expert explained, “Parents can be a valuable part of their child’s professional network, however, many employees are still missing out on receiving useful knowledge and advice, as the research reveals workers aren’t tapping into the wisdom of their parents. Bring In Your Parents Day is an opportunity for them to better understand their child’s professional life and in turn pass along wisdom.”
Wisdom comes in many forms. The top skills fathers and mothers in Hong Kong feel they can pass along are problem solving (42.5%), interpersonal skills (42.5%), time management (41.5%), integrity (37.5%), and perseverance (33.5%). Interestingly, gender differences between certain skills are evident with 29% of fathers believing they have leadership skills to pass on compared to just 21% of mothers.
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
