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ARTICLE · 02 NOVEMBER 2026

EntertainHR: Iced Coffees And Interviews

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A viral TikTok debate has sparked questions about workplace professionalism and hiring decisions. When a recruiter suggested that bringing an iced coffee to a job interview appears unprofessional, it raised an important legal question: can employers legally reject candidates based on beverage choices, and what standards should guide hiring decisions to avoid discrimination claims?

United StatesEmployment and HR
Erin M. Shrum
Erin M. Shrum
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Is whole milk okay? 

This month’s biggest internet debate asks whether bringing an iced coffee to an interview is unprofessional. 

Corporate recruiter Caitlin Wehniainen thinks so. In a one-minute viral TikTok, she opines that bringing an iced coffee to a job interview is perceived as casual and makes it look like the interview is just “a stop on your list of errands for the day.”

Her point is that interviews are about making good first impressions, and adding an iced coffee to the mix gives the interviewer something to analyze beyond the interviewee’s skill set. Maybe the interviewer sees iced coffee as informal. Maybe they’re offended by the condensation ring on the table. Or maybe, on the other hand, the interviewer loves vanilla oat milk lattes and hires you on the spot. Either way, when interviews are about perception, bringing a seven-dollar beverage of your choice just gives an employer another thing to consider. 

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