"It's like they stopped at Target, swung by Starbucks, and squeezed in the interview before their next errand."
A recruiter at a major corporation has sparked a heated online debate after calling out a habit common among Generation Z job seekers: walking into interviews with an iced coffee in hand.
The New York Post reported Sunday that a recruiter had warned the practice "can come across as unprofessional," setting off a wave of arguments online.
The controversy began when Caitlin, a corporate recruiter with 16 years of experience, posted on social media about applicants who show up to interviews carrying iced coffee.
"When someone walks in with an iced coffee or an iced latte, from a recruiter's perspective, the interview just looks like one more stop on today's to-do list," she said. She added that bringing a drink to such an important occasion signals a casual, less-than-serious attitude.
The post drew a flood of videos and comments from both recruiters and job seekers, with opinions sharply divided.
One Generation Z TikToker pushed back, saying, "If you don't want to hire me because I brought an iced coffee, I don't want to work for you," and criticized the expectation as an imposition of "traditional etiquette."
Another Generation Z TikToker said the issue was one of "arbitrary professionalism standards" that have no bearing on whether someone can actually do the job well.
The debate spilled over onto LinkedIn as well.
A marketing manager at Adobe said that if an applicant rattles ice or slurps loudly through a straw while someone else is speaking, "it can be irritating," adding, "This isn't about the coffee itself — it's about manners."
Trina Haimes, a five-time vice president of sales, said applicants should finish their drinks before entering the room and stay focused. "This isn't your living room," she said. "Common sense tells you the iced coffee isn't the point. What matters is judgment, situational awareness and a professional attitude."
On the other side, Mina Zivkovic, who has worked at tech startups for nearly a decade, said interviews can run long and that an energy boost is sometimes necessary. "As a recruiter, I never cared whether a candidate needed a drink or a snack during an interview," she said.
The debate comes as the US job market grows increasingly competitive for young workers. Job postings targeting 22- to 25-year-olds in industries heavily affected by AI have fallen 13 percent since 2022.
A survey by resume site ResumeTemplates.com also found that 41 percent of recruiters perceive Generation Z applicants as lacking overall professionalism, while 30 percent cited distractibility as a concern.
The New York Post noted that in an ever more competitive hiring market, Generation Z's habits "may not be doing them any favors" — and that the cost could far exceed the price of a $5 iced coffee.
bbo@heraldcorp.com
