Viral 'Iced Coffee' TikTok Video Ignites Debate Over Gen Z Job Interview Etiquette

A TikTok posted September 16 by corporate recruiter Caitlin Wehniainen, who has 16 years of hiring experience, sparked an intergenerational debate after she said her Gen Z candidates have been showing up to interviews holding iced coffees and iced lattes. Wehniainen said the habit makes the interview look like "a stop on your list of errands for the day," comparing it to someone swinging by Target and Starbucks before their appointment, and called the behavior "too casual" for buttoned-up corporate roles. The video has drawn more than 465,000 views and spread from TikTok to LinkedIn, Instagram, and news coverage within days.

The reaction split along generational and ideological lines. Some commenters defended the recruiter's take, arguing professionalism standards exist for a reason and that showing up with a drink signals the same lack of seriousness as eating during an interview. Others pushed back hard, arguing a beverage has no bearing on a candidate's qualifications, work ethic, or intelligence, and that the discourse distracts from larger problems in hiring, including high post-graduate unemployment and ongoing layoffs. LinkedIn career expert Catherine Fisher described the fight as generational, saying Gen Z workers bring more of their personal style into professional settings and are more willing to challenge existing corporate norms than previous generations.

The case for:

• Career coaches like Wehniainen argue that showing up with a casual drink signals a candidate sees the interview as a minor errand rather than the main event of their day.

• Supporters point to existing interview norms, such as not eating or checking a phone during the conversation, and say a drink in hand is no different from those established distractions.

• Some hiring managers argue first impressions form within seconds, and in a competitive job market, anything read as too casual can cost a candidate the benefit of the doubt.

The case against:

• Critics argue judging a candidate on a beverage has nothing to do with their actual skills, experience, or ability to do the job.

• Younger workers and some career experts say the backlash lands at a bad time, with post-graduate unemployment and layoffs already straining job seekers, making a rule about drinks feel tone-deaf.

• Career experts frame the debate as generational, arguing Gen Z workers bringing more personal style into the workplace is a legitimate challenge to outdated corporate norms rather than a professionalism failure.

What's your take?

Is it unprofessional to bring iced coffee to a job interview? Yes No Other

Sources:

• CNBC: The iced coffee debate reflects 'everything wrong with hiring right now'

• CBC: Is it unprofessional to bring iced coffee to a job interview?

#GenZ #WorkplaceCulture #JobInterview #CareerAdvice #TikTok

Now let's hear from you.

• You get one Take and 3 ratings so use them well.

• Strong arguments beat loud ones. See Moving The Needle (How to)

• Don't forget to rate your own Take.

• Please don't feed the trolls.

About Square One