I had a retail business in the 80's. I wouldn't hire someone who's parent came in asking. If the kid didn't have the drive or guts to ask for themself, too friggin' bad.
” ... wouldn’t ire someone whose parents came in asking ...”
Those kind of kids have not worked out well on the farm, either.
DH hires kids for day labor to bale hay. The ones who don’t work out are usually the ones dragged out here by the ear by a parent who’d tell DH, “The kid needs to learn to work.”
If the kid hasn’t learned by now, we can’t help them.
The best ones usually call in the spring to give DH their name and number.