From Iced Coffee To Dress Codes: How Job Interview Etiquette Is Evolving

Gen Z is challenging old-school interview etiquette, but preparation, punctuality, and professionalism remain part of the hiring equation.

Job interviews are changing, but some basic rules remain.

A recent debate over whether candidates should bring iced coffee to an interview has highlighted the unwritten expectations that continue to shape hiring. The conversation, sparked after a recruiter criticized Gen Z candidates for arriving at interviews with iced drinks, has grown into a broader discussion about what employers actually consider professional.

Benjamin Laker, a professor of leadership at Henley Business School at the University of Reading in the U.K., says the coffee debate reflects a larger shift in workplace expectations. He told Forbes that the discussion “shows how quickly an interviewer’s preferences about dress, greetings, and body language can harden into standards candidates were never told about.”

That matters for job seekers navigating workplaces that have become increasingly flexible, remote, and informal. A candidate interviewing over Zoom may face a different set of expectations than someone walking into a corporate office for a panel interview.

“Remote interviews and less formal offices have made some old cues harder to interpret,” Laker writes.

Still, the shift in workplace culture does not mean candidates should throw professionalism out the window. According to the reporting, being prepared, arriving on time, and providing honest answers remain fundamental expectations. Instead of obsessing over every small detail—from whether to accept a beverage to how formally to dress—candidates can focus on demonstrating that they understand the role, can communicate clearly, and are prepared to discuss their experience. The interview also works both ways. Candidates are evaluating employers, too. Questions about how success is measured, how teams communicate, and workplace culture can provide useful information about the organization.

Laker added that candidates should prepare without sounding so rehearsed that they lose the ability to respond naturally.

Even though workplace culture may be getting more casual, preparation and good judgment still matter. The iced coffee may be up for debate. Showing up ready to talk about what you can bring to the job is not.