Gen Z is bringing iced coffee to the job interview. Recruiters have thoughts.

TikTok users are debating whether it would be a professional violation to bring an iced coffee to a job interview. time99lek/Getty Images TikTok users are debating whether you should bring an iced coffee to a job interview.

A career expert said it highly depends on the role you want and how much risk you can take.

A tech recruiter called beverage policing a distraction from performance-based hiring.

Iced coffee has become the latest unlikely subject of workplace controversy.

TikTok users are debating whether bringing iced coffee to a job interview is a harmless caffeine fix or a frosty professional faux pas .

The discourse became heated enough to reach LinkedIn News on Friday, where LinkedIn news editor Rachel Kleinman described it as a "fiery debate lighting up social media." While some recruiters said arriving with a drink in hand could appear distracting or disrespectful, others questioned why a simple attempt to remain caffeinated should have any bearing on a candidate's ability to do the job.

Three career experts told Business Insider that the answer depends on whom you ask, and perhaps how much condensation is dripping from the cup.

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Colleen Batchelder, founder and CEO of Indiviti, a consulting firm that helps Gen Z break into the workforce, told Business Insider that if iced coffee is really a dealbreaker, a recruiter may need to make it clear in the interview invitation.

"This generation is pushing for workplace boundaries , fair pay, and work-life balance.

For them, bringing iced coffee to a job interview isn't a sign of disrespect.

It's just a beverage," Batchelder said of Gen Zers in the workforce.

"There's a huge gap right now between what Gen Z sees as normal and what hiring managers expect, so the tension is high," Batchelder added.

Job hunting professionals have mixed opinions Amanda Augustine, a career expert at Careerminds, where she also serves as the company's spokesperson, told Business Insider she would finish the drink before walking inside, partly because it introduces several avoidable risks.