Debate erupts as Gen Z discuss taking iced coffee into interviews
Gen Z is up in arms right now as the debate over whether or not it’s appropriate to bring iced beverages into interviews continues to heat up.
The Guardian reported that TikTok user Caitlin Wehniainen, who goes by the moniker @caitlinrecruiter, initially claimed that heading into an interview with a half-drunk iced beverage looked unprofessional.
“It just looks like you didn’t have time to finish your coffee beforehand,” she claimed.
The content creator continued, alleging it looked as if the serious job chat was ‘a stop on your list of errands for the day.’
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“It looks like you went to Target, then you went to Starbucks, now you’re stopping by your interview, then you’re on to the next thing’.
The Florida-based recruiter’s video has been viewed more than 400,000 times, with thousands of people weighing in on the debate.
Many have defended job hunters heading into rooms with iced beverages, with one TikTok user typing: “As a hiring manager, if you dump my best candidate because of a coffee you will no longer be my divisions recruiter.”
A second said: “Okay but hear me out what if we hired the most qualified person for the job.”
“I think showing up to an interview with any kind of drink is weird,” someone else said, whilst a fourth argued: “Yall are complaining but there’s absolutely no reason to bring your coffee into a 30 min to 1 hour interview.”
Others believe Caitlin is in the wrong, with another TikTok user typing: “I'm a younger millenial and I just want to know why it matters... it does not indicate work ethic.”
“I'd be showing up to work with an iced coffee every day so at least they know what to expect,” argued someone else.
A third joked: “Noted, I’ll bring a Busch light next time.”
“So they can’t show up on time with iced coffee because you believe the interview isn’t their whole day?,” another questioned.
Experts weigh in on the great iced coffee debate
It’s not just TikTok users who have opinions—career coach and former recruiter Hannah Salton has had her say.
In an interview with The Independent, she explained that heading into a building with a half-drunk cup builds part of a negative first impression.
“The person interviewing them might think ‘oh they’re exhausted from partying,’” she reasoned. “Or that they’re not taking the interview seriously – or arrived in a rush.”
She added: “A lot of those thoughts will be subconscious – but if other cues align with the impression that someone is not particularly committed, professional or present, then the recruiter might cling to them a little bit more. If these actions fit a pattern, then they’re like mini red flags.”
Meanwhile, national etiquette expert Diane Gottsman, owner of the Protocol School of Texas told Fox News that ‘perception is everything’ when it comes to impressing hiring managers.
"What one person may think is fine, another person may not. I think bringing in that cup of iced coffee signals both a distractionand a level of comfort and casualness that may not be there.”
However, Dana Laramore, Senior Vice President of Deacon Recruiting, said that turning up with the caffeinated treat probably isn’t as bad as it's perceived.
“Would bringing coffee automatically eliminate a great candidate? Probably not.”
She added to Delish that it probably wouldn’t be ‘a big deal’ if you were applying for a creative job in a casual environment.
However, those looking for executive, client-facing, banking, accounting, legal, or other traditional roles may want to drink ahead of time.
“I think Gen Z is challenging a lot of traditional interview norms—casual dress, asking about salary/PTO/flexibility early, more casual communication, and even skipping the traditional thank-you note after the interview,” Laramore added.
“Some of that change can be positive. The key is knowing when and how.”
So—to drink iced coffee or not to drink iced coffee? That is the question, apparently.
Topics: Drinks, Social Media, UK Food
Ella Scott