An iced coffee won’t predict job performance — but it might reveal hiring bias

Imagine two candidates with identical qualifications interviewing for the same job. One arrives carrying a bottle of water, while the other walks in with an iced coffee. Should that difference matter?

A recent TikTok from an American recruiter argued that it can. Discussing Gen Z candidates, Wehniainen said arriving at a corporate interview with an iced coffee can make someone appear too casual, as though the interview were simply one more errand in the day.