Bringing Children (and a Dog) to a Job Interview

THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE SOLELY THOSE OF THE AUTHOR.

The calculus is simple: Babysitting is expensive. There's no guarantee that a job interview will result in a job offer. There's no guarantee that a job offer will be acceptable. Conclusion: It's financially logical to bring your child with you to a job interview instead of paying for a babysitter.

There are, of course, negatives: The baby becomes a distraction. Questions (unfair) arise in the minds of the interviewer(s) about the candidate's time management skills and why she, or he, could not find someone to watch the child. But all that is nonsense. Employers should want candidates to bring their children, and even their dog, to a job interview. Crazy? Not really.

You can learn a lot from someone's children. Have the parents earned their children's respect. Do the parents lead by threats, bribery, or reason? Behave or no computer. Behave and we'll go for ice cream. I'm so proud of you. You're such a big boy/girl. Which leader do you want to hire?

Children and dogs are a mirror into the personality and homelife of the parents, i.e., the candidate. Have you ever noticed that some children, even infants and toddlers, and dogs, cringe when the parent suddenly moves (like rising from a chair) or approaches quickly? That's fear. Except, of course, when sick, children, and dogs, from happy homes, are happy. An employer can learn about the candidate by watching how the candidate's child and dog behave and especially how the child/dog interacts with the parent. And, from a practical perspective, keeping the child relaxed and entertained, the best babysitter is a dog. Don't believe me? Ask a parent who owns one!

Perhaps most importantly, think of the goodwill the employer will receive if they make it clear, either in the actual job description or in the initial phone conversation, that children and dogs are welcome during job interviews. The candidate with children will be thrilled. The candidate without children will be impressed. As for the employer's ulterior motive, seeing the interactions, there is nothing insidious about it.

Just one thing, candidates who are going to bring a child (and dog) with them to an interview, should let the interviewer(s) know in advance. Excluding cases where dogs are not allowed at the workplace, explaining that they, the candidate, has trained them, the dog, to watch the baby, sends a very positive message about the candidate's training/teaching skills. Of course, if the employer does not want the baby at the interview, the candidate probably would not want to work for them in the first place.

Now if only canine DNA could be modified so that they could have opposable thumbs...

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