If you’ve been hearing about “iced coffees” and “job interviews” online over the past week, you’re not alone.
The discourse started when @caitlinrecruiter shared what goes through her mind during interviews with potential employees. “My Gen Z candidates are showing up to their interviews with iced coffee, iced latte in hand,” she began in a TikTok video.
“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 for the day,” she continued. “It looks like you went to Target, then you went to Starbucks, now you’re stopping by your interview, then you’re on to the next thing.”
“Don’t, like, waltz into your interview all casual with an iced coffee,” she said. “It just looks like you didn’t have time to finish your coffee beforehand.”
The take was instantly met with backlash and debate over whether something as arbitrary as an iced coffee could affect success in a job interview. Many argued that the observation was silly and may even show good time management. Some agreed with the original video, saying it actually does indicate unprofessionalism in some work environments and is even impractical. This may all seem like another cog in the never ending discourse mill, and in some ways it definitely is, but it’s sparked a much broader conversation about Gen Z and corporate work culture.
The Looming Job Crisis
From high competition to jobs allegedly using AI to screen resumes, Gen Z is struggling to enter the job market. Many are going extended periods without work, and some can’t even break into their fields. Many jobs require experience that many young people entering the workforce don’t have, leaving them unable to land interviews in the first place.
The job crisis isn’t only affecting Gen Z either. According to the Lightcast project, the US is heading toward the largest labor shortage in history and will see a gap of roughly 6 million workers by 2032.
It’s important to note that @caitlinrecruiter recruits for a Fortune 500 company, and the job setting is very traditional and “buttoned up.” On one hand, you should know what kind of job you’re applying for and what their norms are; on the other, many job seekers want to dismantle these ideologies.
Gen Z’s Work Priorities and What Recruiters Can Learn
As Gen Z enters the workforce, employers are seeing that they tend to prioritize their values when job hunting. Departing from tradition, they seek jobs for purpose and work-life balance along with financial stability. The iced coffee debate has uncovered a part of corporate culture that many young people are beginning to take issue with. Certain rigid corporate rules seem to exist only to enforce conformity and ideals of professionalism created by generations before.
Many have pointed out how much of this conversation feels like a form of hazing Gen Zers by some recruiters. Even the specificity of “iced coffee,” as opposed to hot coffee, signals where the frustration is coming from. It indicates immaturity or even entitlement. However, this is an unfounded assumption.
Rejecting qualified candidates who fit the role they applied for will hurt companies in the long run. Recruiters policing the small behaviors of interviewees is not conducive to employee retention. As the job crisis worsens, companies should consider changing their approach.
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