# Iced coffee at interviews divides Gen Z and recruiters

> Recruiters debate whether Gen Z candidates bringing iced coffee to job interviews signals casualness or reflects changing workplace norms.
- Title: Iced coffee at interviews divides Gen Z and recruiters
- Summary: Recruiters debate whether Gen Z candidates bringing iced coffee to job interviews signals casualness or reflects changing workplace norms. Recruiters are…
- Keywords: gen z, job interviews, workplace etiquette, recruiters, professionalism, hiring, workplace norms, Iced, coffee, interviews, divides, Gen
- Source: Fortune — https://fortune.com/2026/09/23/recruiters-say-gen-z-could-be-hurting-chances-landing-a-job-showing-up-interviews-with-iced-coffee-isnt-really-about-coffee
- Author: Emma Burleigh
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: gen z, job interviews, workplace etiquette, recruiters, professionalism, hiring, workplace norms
## Recruiter sparks debate over coffee
Recruiter Caitlin Wehniainen posted on TikTok last week that Gen Z candidates showing up to job interviews with iced coffee in hand give the impression the interview is just one stop on their list of errands for the day.

> stop on your list of errands for the day
## Wehniainen calls it too casual
Wehniainen believes bringing iced coffee is too casual for buttoned-up corporate opportunities and advised young workers to get their caffeine hit before or after the meeting instead.

> too casual
## Others defend the habit
Some commenters argued that interviews are realistically just one part of their day and it is absurd to pretend they are not human, while others could not believe people were disagreeing with standard professionalism.
## Content creators weigh in
Content creator Josh Lora said people trying to rewrite professionalism to their liking will face consequences. Another creator, Miss Redacted, noted that working in corporate America comes with unwritten rules no matter how trivial they look.

> That is not the way that the world works.
## Corporate office poll shows divide
A TikTok video reportedly shows a poll inside an elevator at one user's extremely corporate office job, with ninety two percent voting it is unacceptable to bring iced coffee to an interview, while only eight percent felt it was fine.
## Recruiters split on the issue
While most recruiters believe bringing iced coffee to an interview does not rule out a candidate's chances, some still argue it violates unspoken interview etiquette. The habit could potentially impact Gen Z's odds of landing a job.
## It is not really about coffee
Ashley Daugherty, market manager at recruiting company Randstad Professional, tells Fortune that an iced coffee tells an interviewer very little about whether someone can do the job. The real question is who gets to define professional.

> It isn't really about coffee. It's about who gets to define 'professional.'
## Hiring experts advise caution
Megan Slabinski, district president at staffing services company Robert Half, says she would not recommend bringing coffee into an interview because candidates should keep both hands free for a handshake introduction.

> Anything that's messy or takes attention away from the interview is probably best avoided.
## Gen Z learned norms differently
Many Gen Z workers did their first job interviews via video call during COVID and had no one to teach them unwritten rules. Interview etiquette has not changed, but the way people learn those norms has.
## Businesses have lost empathy
Trent Cotton, head of talent insights at recruitment software platform ICIMS, argues that companies should not rule out job-seekers over something so unimportant. He says businesses have lost empathy for the job seeker and should question whether some rules ever made sense.

> You can't fault someone for missing etiquette nobody had the chance to teach them.
## Key takeaway

Recruiters are split on whether Gen Z candidates bringing iced coffee to interviews damages their chances, with some seeing it as unprofessional and others questioning whether such rules ever made sense.