AIBU to think takeaway iced coffee at interviews is unprofessional?

Is the benefit of passing judgment on a candidate for something as minor as bringing a drink to an interview worth the risk of overlooking someone who could potentially be valuable to the company

Possibly not, but irrelevant to the thread topic which is about candidate behaviour.

If the candidate doesn't bring an iced coffee to the interview, there is no chance of it affecting the interview.

Very happy to talk to and hire people with piercings and tattoos. These are not interview behaviours.

What do you think about the chewing gum analogy?

No, they'd say "I'm a tech support worker", just like someone in care sector would say "I'm a personal care support worker" or "I'm a mental health support worker."

I definitely think this is by far the most important takeaway from this thread...

But you don't seem able to empathise with the possibility that other people might not share your intuition.

Not at all.

On this thread, the current voting says that 79% of people share my intuition.

But that means at least 21% of people don't.

So it's at least contentious.

So the question becomes not whether it's OK to bring in an iced coffee, but whether other people might think it's OK.

The judgement I'm thinking about is whether the benefit of bringing an iced coffee (which is what? "I want to drink an iced coffee right in the middle of my job interview") is worth the risk of being interviewed by one of the 79% of closed-minded, starchy, rules-bound Gen Xers like me who will find it off-putting.

Anyone who thinks it's still worth it when the alternative course of action is as simple and straightforward as maybe not bringing an iced coffee into their job interview doesn't have good judgement.

You could ask exactly the same thing about gum. Why not chew gum in a job interview?

It's something people already do in the office. It doesn't impinge on anyone's ability to do the job. It might even help them focus.

Sure, you might forgive an outstanding candidate chewing all through the interview. But, yeah, it would put me off.

But you don't seem able to empathise with the possibility that other people might not share your intuition.

Not at all.

On this thread, the current voting says that 79% of people share my intuition.

But that means at least 21% of people don't.

So it's at least contentious.

So the question becomes not whether it's OK to bring in an iced coffee, but whether other people might think it's OK.

The judgement I'm thinking about is whether the benefit of bringing an iced coffee (which is what? "I want to drink an iced coffee right in the middle of my job interview") is worth the risk of being interviewed by one of the 79% of closed-minded, starchy, rules-bound Gen Xers like me who will find it off-putting.

Anyone who thinks it's still worth it when the alternative course of action is as simple and straightforward as maybe not bringing an iced coffee into their job interview doesn't have good judgement.

You could ask exactly the same thing about gum. Why not chew gum in a job interview?

It's something people already do in the office. It doesn't impinge on anyone's ability to do the job. It might even help them focus.

Sure, you might forgive an outstanding candidate chewing all through the interview. But, yeah, it would put me off.

Would that be an option to do? In the public sector we have to be very strict on following HR guidelines around employment law and fair process. If someone has had a formal offer of an interview but I sent them away because they were doing something that’s not illegal, harmful or abusive in the waiting area or brought in a drink I’m not sure what grounds I’d have to turn them away.

Nobody in tech support, admin support etc would say "I'm a support worker." I'd be wary of hiring someone who's been in the working world for some time and needs that explained to them.

No, they'd say "I'm a tech support worker", just like someone in care sector would say "I'm a personal care support worker" or "I'm a mental health support worker."

Nobody in tech support, admin support etc would say "I'm a support worker." I'd be wary of hiring someone who's been in the working world for some time and needs that explained to them.

Tech support workers, customer support workers, operational and facilities support workers, court support workers, admin support workers...

But you don't seem able to empathise with the possibility that other people might not share your intuition.

Not at all.

On this thread, the current voting says that 79% of people share my intuition.

But that means at least 21% of people don't.

So it's at least contentious.

So the question becomes not whether it's OK to bring in an iced coffee, but whether other people might think it's OK.

The judgement I'm thinking about is whether the benefit of bringing an iced coffee (which is what? "I want to drink an iced coffee right in the middle of my job interview") is worth the risk of being interviewed by one of the 79% of closed-minded, starchy, rules-bound Gen Xers like me who will find it off-putting.

Anyone who thinks it's still worth it when the alternative course of action is as simple and straightforward as maybe not bringing an iced coffee into their job interview doesn't have good judgement.

You could ask exactly the same thing about gum. Why not chew gum in a job interview?

It's something people already do in the office. It doesn't impinge on anyone's ability to do the job. It might even help them focus.

Sure, you might forgive an outstanding candidate chewing all through the interview. But, yeah, it would put me off.

Surely feeling nervous and carrying a drink is a recipe for disaster?One false move and straight down your neatly pressed blouse! I would just have some water

It's not a coffee break, it's an interview. It's unlikely to be silent sipping, can't they self manage not to have it, just once?