The cold drink stirring up a viral debate about professionalism

It's yet another debate dividing generations and the internet. At the heart of this one? Iced coffee in a job interview.

A recruiter's TikTok video has set off a viral online debate about whether it's appropriate to bring an iced coffee to an interview.

"My Gen Z candidates are showing up to their interviews with iced coffee, iced latte in hand," US-based recruiter Caitlin Wehniainen said in the video.

"It is perceived, from my opinion, my hiring standpoint, that when you show up with an iced coffee or an iced latte that this interview is just like a stop on your list of errands on the day."

"It looks a little too casual to me," she added, advising candidates to finish their drinks before or after meeting with prospective employers.

While some commenters agreed that bringing an iced drink into a job interview was unprofessional and too informal, others argued it was an outdated and arbitrary way to judge a candidate.

"Are you expecting my whole day to revolve around a 30 min meeting?" one commenter wrote.

"As a millennial, can we please let go of the weird rules boomers and Gen X imposed on us? Interviews are stressful enough," said another.

"It's not about coffee it's about professionalism," another commented. "Surprised people aren't getting that."

Wehniainen later joked on LinkedIn that she had accidentally started a national debate and her comment section had become a battlefield.

She said she was "never saying that bringing coffee makes someone a bad candidate".

"My point was simply about avoiding distractions."

An industry insider's take

Amy Slade-Symons has been a career coach for around 10 years and worked in talent recruitment and HR for more than a decade before that.

She told SBS News she personally wouldn't bring a coffee into a job interview, but it also shouldn't be a big deal if you do — as long as you're on time.

"It's just always is bad form if you turn up late, no matter what, and you're holding some form of drink in your hand," she said.

She noted, though, that she can't speak for everyone, and different hiring professionals have different biases.

But "if the candidate makes a great impression — skills, experience, motivation for the role, what they can bring — I think that eclipses most things", she added.

Government analysis suggests young people face an increasingly difficult path into the workforce, with the transition from education to employment becoming more complex and many entry-level roles ultimately going to more experienced candidates.

Australia's workforce is more generationally diverse than ever, with four generations working alongside one another.

With Generation Alpha beginning to enter the workforce in the coming years, that could soon become five.

That brings different communication and leadership styles, expectations around formality and workplace attire, and approaches to learning together in one place, Slade-Symons said.

She has seen those expectations change significantly over her own career.

"I've gone from wearing a suit, stockings, full face of makeup, through to going into the office wearing trainers and a nice frock and maybe a business jacket over the top if I'm having a formal meeting," she said.

"You interview people now, and I might be online wearing a hoodie because that's the environment that they work in, or wearing a T-shirt."

As workplace norms evolve, she said it's easy to look at younger generations and think: "In my day that was different."

When it comes to iced coffee, her advice is that it's probably not worth risking it, even if it feels silly.

"Get their focus on the conversation about your skills and experience and how wonderful you are."

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