Gen Z’s iced coffee habit in interviews could be costing them jobs, recruiters warn: ‘It isn’t really about coffee’

Gen Zers have blown open a whole new debate on job etiquette—and this time, it’s over iced coffee.

Last week, recruiter Caitlin Wehniainen posted a TikTok discussing how Gen Z candidates have been showing up to job interviews with an iced coffee in hand. But instead of seeing it as just a drink, she believes it gives the impression that the interview is just one “stop on your list of errands for the day.” In her opinion, it’s “too casual” for buttoned-up corporate opportunities, and she advised young workers to get their caffeine hit before or after the meeting. Some commenters argued that interviews are realistically just one part of their day and it’s absurd to “pretend we aren’t human,” while others “couldn’t believe” that people were disagreeing with standard “professionalism.”

And it didn’t take long for others to chime in. Content creator Josh Lora, also known as @tellthebees, posted on TikTok that people are trying to rewrite the reality of professionalism to their liking—and that those who bring coffee into an interview won’t get the job. He called out those who are “willing to die on the hill that the iced coffee is a symbol of your rebellion,” yet believe they should face no consequences: “That is not the way that the world works.” Another creator, Miss Redacted, said that working in corporate America comes with “unwritten rules”—no matter how trivial they look to most. And the debate has even made it past the internet; a TikTok video reportedly shows a poll inside of an elevator at one TikTok user’s “extremely corporate office job,” with 92% voting it’s unacceptable to bring iced coffee to an interview, while only 8% felt it was fine.

Workers are divided over whether the drink is harmless or a breach of professional etiquette—and recruiters are split, too. While most believe bringing an iced coffee to an interview doesn’t rule out a candidate’s chances, some still argue it violates unspoken interview etiquette. And while Gen Z is bringing new expectations to the workplace, this benign habit could potentially impact their odds of landing a job.

“An iced coffee tells an interviewer very little about whether someone can do the job, which is why this debate has struck such a nerve,” Ashley Daugherty, market manager at recruiting company Randstad Professional, tells Fortune. “It isn’t really about coffee. It’s about who gets to define ‘professional.’”

How hiring experts feel about the iced coffee debate

Hiring experts agree a latte shouldn’t outweigh a candidate’s qualifications—but it could still have an impact. Megan Slabinski, district president at staffing services company Robert Half, tells Fortune that while she wouldn’t recommend bringing one into the interview, it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor. Candidates should keep both hands free for a handshake introduction.

“While an iced coffee alone may not make or break an interview, it’s probably not something I’d recommend bringing into the room,” Slabinski says. “Anything that’s messy or takes attention away from the interview is probably best avoided. When in doubt, just keep it simple and make it easy to focus on the conversation.”

While it might not be the best look, Slabinski adds that most hiring managers aren’t making decisions based on beverages alone. They’re analyzing communication and professional skills, as well as how a job applicant presents themselves. But the hiring expert advises that if a drink could become a distraction, it’s best to ditch it for the interview.

Others believe that entering an interview with coffee in hand won’t, and shouldn’t, affect their odds. Trent Cotton, head of talent insights at recruitment software platform ICIMS, argued that if bringing a drink makes them more comfortable, then it shouldn’t be a problem. There are obvious exceptions—like distractingly munching away at a breakfast sandwich. But Cotton says that it’s wrong for companies to rule out job-seekers over something so unimportant.

“What’s the difference between a glass of water and a cup of coffee, both of which are usually offered anyway? There really isn’t one,” Cotton tells Fortune. “It should not hurt a candidate’s chances. If it does, and holding a latte reads as ‘not serious’ in a market where people are applying to forty roles for three interviews, that company is majoring in the minors.”

Gen Z are rewriting workplace norms—and companies may have ‘lost empathy’

Gen Z professionals have long been upending workplace norms, with many starting their first full-time jobs in the COVID era. They’ve challenged expectations around office attire, in-person attendance, and communication styles. And now, bringing coffee to an interview is adding to that trend.

“The issue is less about iced coffee and more about changing workplace norms,” Slabinski explains, noting that many did their first job interviews via video call, where this wasn’t an issue. “They’re navigating expectations that previous generations often learned earlier through face-to-face experiences. Interview etiquette hasn’t really changed, but the way people learn those norms has.”

Daugherty adds that job-seekers are “trying to decode unwritten rules in a tough market.” And with no expectations made explicitly clear, it can be difficult for young workers to follow. Candidates never know how “traditional” the interviewer could actually be—so bringing in a beverage could be a risky bet. And Cotton agrees that times have changed. He admits that he “may have felt differently” in 2017, but much of this generation entered the workforce remotely and had no one to teach them the unwritten rules. Rather than faulting Gen Z for being oblivious, Cotton sees it as an opening to question whether some rules ever made sense in the first place.

“You can’t fault someone for missing etiquette nobody had the chance to teach them,” Cotton says. “The debate speaks to the bigger issue that businesses have lost empathy for the job seeker.”

“What inspires me is how hard Gen Z is defending this,” he continued. “It’s a generation rejecting rules that never made sense, and asking why instead of just complying. That’s the instinct I’ve always wanted in a workforce. Bring the coffee. Ask the harder questions too. To the recruiters, remember: that’s who you want on the team.”

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