Perfection Spice Latte

So let me get this straight....

Employers want candidates who have experience in all the things (but are also altruistic because what are these salary ranges?), are willing to battle a daily commute and these gas prices because #culture, wake up craving ambiguity because #growthmindset, and are loyal to the cause until the cause deems them expendable.

Let's say that you find a way to capture all of that on paper (and in an ATS-friendly format). If you win the Hunger Games: Applicant Edition and get invited to an actual interview, you'd better show up razor-sharp, rehearsed (but not robotic), and charismatic. Look the part, sound the part, shake the hands, make the eye contact....

...and don't you DARE come in with proof of caffeination.

The latest craze to hit the job market grievance wire is the debate about whether a candidate walking into an interview with an iced latte in hand should be deemed unprofessional; this then leads to discussion around Gen Z, the newest joiners of the Corporate Carousel, as the alleged culprits of this sacrilegious movement towards a more casual interview affect.

Help me understand.

In the midst of arguably the most soul-crushing job market ever, where companies lament about the impossible task of finding good talent, and available talent play a tantalizing game called "how am I paying my bills THIS month?", and both sides of the aisle are trying to understand exactly what we're supposed to do with this thing called AI, we really want to lend impassioned brain power to judging whether a candidate carrying perhaps the only hint of joy to hit their day makes them unworthy?

Listen. There are certainly age-old adages about interview decorum that I think are valid. Dress professionally - of course. Exude warm confidence and demonstrate polished preparedness to discuss your background, the role and why you're a fit for the company - absolutely. Don't show up late, don't cuss out the receptionist for making you wait in the lobby, don't dap up your interviewer - yes, yes and yes. A hire is a huge investment for a company, and it's just smart business to do all you can to convince them that you're a wise investment, and you'll produce a return on that investment by being ready to rock this opportunity.

But please, please miss me with the hair-splitting judgment about whether walking in with a coffee makes their ability or character questionable. What happened to being human and lending grace?

Maybe they just drove 90 minutes to this interview and while combatting their sleeplessness and nerves, they forgot they were carrying their happy juice. Maybe holding that cup is the only thing keeping their hands from shaking with anxiety - an emotional support beverage if you will. Or maybe this is the 12th round of interviews that your company has forced this poor soul to endure, and the caffeine high is the only thing convincing them that you're still worth their time.

Companies - you're hiring a person. A person who has hopes, dreams, debts and stresses. A person who could be the best hire you ever made, but will also very likely show up as a human sometimes - a human who is tired, a human who makes mistakes, a human who needs space to be less than the Perfection Spice Latte that you think you're hiring. If they made it to interview stage, which is usually a single digit percentage of applicants, why look for reasons to discount them? Haven't they earned some levity by the time they meet you in person?

And that stands for all applicants, but especially Gen Z. Leave them alone. They're trying to learn and grow - if this is the example we're all setting for them, then how can we expect them to be their best self? News flash - their best self may come from a different mold than what you're used to. Be open to it. You know, because #growthmindset and #culture.

Oh, and I write this as a Gen Xer who doesn't drink coffee, but Coke Zero is my lifeline and if I ever walk into a meeting with one in-hand, know that it's the only thing holding my sanity in check. If you ask me to check my can at the door, I'm not responsible for what happens after.