# Northgate Talent Partners — Candidate Beverage Policy (Interim)

**[SATIRE]** — by The Satire Desk · inspired by a viral recruiter TikTok on iced coffee

NORTHGATE TALENT PARTNERS — CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE
Interview Conduct Standards, Addendum 7: Beverages
(Interim guidance. Effective immediately.)

PURPOSE
Recent events require clarity on what a candidate may hold while being assessed.

STANDARD
Candidates should arrive without a beverage. A cup carried into an interview signals that the interview is a stop on a list of errands — the shop, then the coffee place, then us, then the next thing. It looks a little too casual.

If offered water, it is acceptable to accept it. It is not acceptable to have brought your own.

SCOPE
Applies to iced coffee, iced lattes, hot coffee, tea, smoothies, energy drinks, and anything with a straw.

RATIONALE
An interview is a formal evaluation. Formality requires signalling focus and respect. A beverage signals neither.

FREQUENTLY ASKED
Q: Isn't this about coffee?
A: It has never been about coffee.

Q: What if the interview runs long?
A: It won't.

NON-COMPLIANCE
Candidates arriving with a beverage will be assessed on their skills, as always. They will also be remembered. Interviews are a two-way street, and one side has a long memory.

CLOSING
We look forward to meeting you. Please finish your drink beforehand.

— Northgate Talent Partners. Understanding the environment is the key.

*Source: [Inspired by a viral recruiter TikTok on iced coffee, reported by Inc. · fiction — Northgate Talent Partners is invented](https://www.inc.com/kevin-haynes/recruiter-said-iced-coffee-makes-job-candidates-look-too-casual-now-gen-z-pushing-back/91408249)*

> ⚠️ SATIRE — clearly labelled fiction. Do not cite as real events.

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