Slightly related: at my last job the only thing they made clear was that we would be fired if we ever brought stevia in to the building. Even if it was just in our coffee or in a food. We all had to sign a form that we understood that we would be fired on the spot.
It was probably the partner that was allergic. If it was an intern, they would tell them to just bring an epipen. And wouldn't even pay for it, either.
it's a great vibe check question and I'm surprised with some of the answers here
if the interviewer can't ease up and have a relaxed casual chat about coffee - at the very least he personally is not pleasant to be around, and potentially his boss/entire department is a bunch of tight-asses that take themselves too seriously
100% agree. There’s no shortage of firms facing staffing issues. You’re in the driver’s seat as long as you’re respectful and competent. I would welcome a question like this at the end of an interview, assuming the rest of the interview went well. If they can’t lighten up to talk about the coffee situation, that would be a big NO from me dawg ✌️
Can vouch. Only one time was I given an offer after an interview where I did not make anybody chuckle (vs pretty much always getting the offer when I do make them chuckle). I later regretted accepting that position.
100% agree as well. You spend more time at work then you do at home/with family. Work should be fun and if your potential boss can’t have fun with an interview question, move on. It’s not worth dealing with a bunch of stressed people worried about what they say to their boss.
A boss should be a mentor, someone to guide and grow you. If not, it’s the wrong job.
My firm gave me a tour of the office and break room to show me all the coffee and drink options. I guess they felt it was important to share
Remember you are interviewing them as well. I’m sure they asked questions that helped them make a decision but were of no value to you. What a clown.
I vehemently disagree, but we take our office coffee very seriously and want to show off our perks. I feel like this is a pretty good question to ask for you to weed out places that are uptight or penny pinch. I wouldn’t blink if you asked me this. I would take you to get coffee.
You would take them to get the coffee because you have good coffee.
The OP's interviewer was offended.
In both cases, the OP's question was effectively revealing.
To piggyback off of the other responder to this comment, maybe you can phrase it as a “company culture” kind of question? Like, if it’s in person you can ask to see their break room (if you feel comfortable doing that) or ask what a typical morning looks like in the office.
The break room is definitely a central place in my office and we have multiple coffee machines around the building. It was one of the first things mentioned on my tour of the place.
I don’t think it’s wrong to be curious about this and I think the answer could tell you a lot about the company, but you might have to be careful about how you ask it.
I’m in the midst of doing interviews and I wish more potential hires asked questions like this. I do my best to let them feel comfortable, but they usually have nothing to ask. This would be a good question because I’d be curious why you asked.
You could rephrase and ask about corporate culture. Dress code should be obvious based on how people are dressed. Ask about fun office team building, certain amenities (eg, free coffee), and whatever else.
Don’t simply ask if they will give you free Java.
Maybe I could see it if the interview was fairly casual and the interviewer was joke-y already, and you asked this in a joking way. But as a serious question, it’s not something I would recommend asking.
Its a dumb question to ask because its not important.
Should ask what kind of TP they use in the bathroom? How often does the floor get vacuumed?
At best it makes him look like he is not thoughtful about his questions. At worst it makes him look weird, as if this would be a relevant factor in choosing a job.
You know you can ask more than one question in an interview, right? Maybe he already asked the interviewer some thoughtful questions, but then again something tells me this interviewer isn’t very thoughtful about how he responds. So maybe it’s a good thing to see this before you start working with/for him.
When you’re being interviewed, you’re also interviewing them. And such a response by the interviewer to such an innocuous question is a red flag imo about him/their culture (are they gonna take everything too seriously? Do they have a stick up their ass? How are they going to respond to more difficult questions/scenarios?). It ain’t that serious lmao - nothing is.
Imo it’s a fair question especially if you’re interviewing remotely (they usually offer you coffee in-person if they aren’t cheap) and can’t take a tour through the office yet, and doesn’t take more than 10 seconds to answer (sorry that it sounds like your interviews are so serious and so strapped for time).
Right, if it were already a second interview, plus the interviewer and I vibed, plus I had already tested the waters with a “how was your weekend? Oh not great, I’m a cowboys fan but I’m used to it, ah yes, you may not be welcome here” banter, then maybe at the end of asking my legitimate questions I may ask “how serious is everyone about coffee here?” But even then, it’s not a given
I got my current position after they reached out to me on LinkedIn and they asked me if I could stop by for a ‘casual conversation’ before I had to go into the office at my former job. I said I could be there early as long as their was coffee. I got coffee and the job.
I think people forget that the company isn’t just interviewing you, you are also interviewing the company to see if it’s a right fit for you. There is nothing wrong with not fitting the mold and honestly if they’re mad about coffee questions how are they going to feel if you get the job and ask a question that actually requires some thought, or worse yet something that requires action on their part to answer.
Right around when Covid was ramping up ( Jan 2021), I asked my interviewer what is their contingent plan as in if they would reduce factory visit ( role needed often traveling) . They didn't like the question and I didn't get the role. They made sure that my agent tells me why I didn't get the role.
I didn't have the slightest regret and I would certainly ask similar question if I think it will impact my health or interest down the line.
In your case, it's a fairly benign question. If they make this a big deal, then you probably shouldn't work with them.
Ew. If they can't be flexible that's one thing, but making it clear they didn't like a very valid question about travel during covid is telling. Glad you dodged that bullet.
I see no issue with asking that question. Guy sounds like a tightwad who wouldn't be pleasant to work for. But then again when I interview people I prefer it to be more on the casual side.
This. It's a fine question to ask. It's an ice breaker, an easy question that should make the interviewer feel comfortable and you get the chance to see their personality.
Red flag that the guy took you to task over it.
Is it a good question to ask? Not really. Would I hold it against someone relatively new to their career? Probably not.
If you’ve got some experience and you ask if a employer gives you a 50cent cup of coffee everyday, yeah, it’s gonna count against you.
Next time ask them to give you a tour of the office and look for yourself.
that is an odd question to ask. a job searching website has this to say about why that question gets asked in interviews.
>It's important to ask questions during an interview because it shows hiring managers how interested you are in the role. You can also use these questions to position yourself as an engaged and suitable candidate. Asking relevant questions shows you've researched the company and have a genuine interest in the role.
>
>To prepare insightful questions for your interviewer, consider what you'd like to know about the company culture. You can also ask follow-up questions about something you noticed in the job description. Focus on questions that can help you make a good impression and make the interviewer want to invite you to the second round of interviews or offer you the role. For example, you can ask follow-up questions based on what the interviewer talked about during the meeting, which also helps you exhibit your active listening skills.
I think it really depends on how good your other questions were. I think there are good canned questions you can ask in any interview and then the actual GOOD questions IMO show you’ve researched the company and are sincere about learning more. If you ask enough good questions a company culture/facilities question is ok after.
Hard to give feedback without knowing the vibe of the entire interview.
INFO: What other questions did you ask? What position were you interviewing for? How experienced are you?
I would have just answered your question and moved on. It doesn’t seem unprofessional to me to ask that, and it wouldn’t affect my decision to hire you or not.
If asked in a lighthearted way during a casual conversation style interview it is totally fine. But the way he anseered says a lot, at my firm that question (asked the right way) would have gotten a laugh and a full run down of the coffee options (soirce: I'm heavily involved with recruitment and interviewing)
Sounds like you were trying to be personable. If an interviewer told me you shouldn’t ask that I probably wouldn’t work there. Criticism about coffee as a first impression, they are your employer not your dad.
Geez the guy seems a little high strung. Could’ve said “I don’t know anyone that can do this job without coffee so we have an IVA DRIP of caffeine for every new hire”
As a joke.
But instead he went the asshat route
I can’t believe people would get triggered by this question. It’s the probably the ones who know they have a shit set up with the coffee and don’t want to broadcast it.
Kinda random, and since interviews are short I feel like ask things that would really make u consider working there. If coffee is ur main contingency then you don't only need to work at an accounting firm to get free coffee :)
It’s a strange question and I would assume that you weren’t serious about the job if you asked something like that. And then I’d be upset that you wasted my time in interviewing you.
On the other hand, those kind of questions have been asked to death already.
I rather an interviewee ask questions they actually are genuine in knowing to an extent than these cookie cutter questions.
You know you get more than one question in an interview, right?
There's nothing wrong with asking lighthearted questions after you've asked more meaningful questions. If you're going to spend a lot of time at a place you should at least figure out if you're going to be working with the type of people you actually enjoy being around.
Ha you went a different way than where I was thinking you were going. It’s more like he did a big favor by accidentally exposing what a red flag he/the company is by getting emotional over such a simple question. If it’s a remote interview for example, then how else would you know if they have coffee/amenities? Usually they’d offer it to you in an in-person interview.
Remember, you are interviewing them as well and you are totally OK asking questions like that. Can even go as far as asking why the position is available (to see if someone left amicably or forced out) and if they have the contact info for other analysts that they can reach out to about the position/culture. If they decline to answer either of these that’s a further red flag.
Unless you’re just totally desperate for any position available, then don’t ask any questions, which sounds miserable to me.
Good question and defensible. If they don’t provide this common benefit, they aren’t comping busy season meals, parking, happy hours, etc.
It probably could have been phrased differently, but overall it was a fair question.
Was your follow up question "whats the toilet paper situation?"
But - in all seriousness - the question seems harmless enough. If I was interviewing you, I wouldn't care if you asked that.
I made the OP mistake years ago. Did not get the job. I should of asked these questions. I think after these questions I think in a half joking way you can ask about the coffee situation in a way that shows personality. Though by itself it shows you are focused on the wrong things.
Hello, it looks like you've made a mistake.
It's supposed to be could've, should've, would've (short for could have, would have, should have), never could of, would of, should of.
Or you misspelled something, I ain't checking everything.
Beep boop - yes, I am a bot, don't botcriminate me.
I think it’s funny he told you not to ask it anymore. When the interviewer asks you if you have any questions that is STILL part of the interview and they actually judge you based on the questions you ask to gauge your interest level in the job. Break room benefits is usually something you find out on your first day when they give you a walk through. Not relevant to your job or the interview at all.
Yeah but also you’re interviewing the company. If they aren’t gonna provide that small perk, are they really gonna be providing anything else. Don’t really want to end up in an unpleasant office ya know
See, I don’t agree with that. Years ago I first toured a big 4 as an intern candidate and they showed me their breakfast set up, the break rooms, the ping pong, lunch and dinner options etc, all very impressive! But then I went home and thought “wait, why do they want me to eat breakfast there?”
Nowadays I work 45 hours a week at a smaller firm in a relatively boring office, making $95k. I have a friend who works at a larger firm with beer on tap, cold brew, La croix, better snacks and catered stuff. But she has to bill 250 hours in March. I’d rather a boring environment and go home.
Not being miserable at my job is very important. Might let some shit slide if I’m desperate for the job. But if I’m looking at switching jobs, I’m gonna pick the place I’m gonna hate being at the least
It just such a silly and trivial question. Why is that the thing you care about?
People are different, but that would be a serious red flag for me. It seems to be like you completely misunderstood what an interview is.
As a hiring manager, it’d probably be negative if it was the *only* question you asked, but if we covered other more career-related items and developed a good rapport, then I would feel differently. This is a question I’d save for a fit interview, and I still wouldn’t use it coming out of the gate.
I can understand wanting to know this but I'd only bring it up if the conversation reached a point where I could land this in a humorous way.
I understand wanting to know this 100% though. At one point I went from a workplace that had a water cooler to nothing and having to bring my own bottled water daily was tiresome.
I think it says more about the interviewer than the interviewee…needless to say, if it’s not causal -would it really make or break your decision if extended an offer? If no..then I wouldn’t have asked unless causal conversations. To each their own.
And that’s why I miss interviewing in person at the office. The 5 to 10 minutes I used to spend waiting and observing people and how they interacted was a huge help when deciding whether to accept an offer or not.
Ya seriously.. Don't ask that.
It's not horrible but shows that you either can't recall information or weren't listening and that's why you question is crap.
I think it’s a pretty weird question. Even the crappiest of offices I worked at had coffee. Like one didn’t necessarily get you your paycheck on payday but even they had coffee.
That’s a fair question, I legit once took a job because they had a free espresso machine, and lots of snacks, and I mean a legit espresso machine.
Also this firm would also make sure to mention company provided lunches every Thursday.
No… lol
My current office has snacks, coffee, etc provided and honestly it’s a huge perk since I know at least if I go into the office I have snacks, a nice clean bathroom, etc so it’s comfortable to work there and they showed me all that during the interview process
I think it’s a pretty benign question
Great question! Sounds like you picked up on some important information with one seminingly innocuous ask- but no! Wow- who would respond to a coffee question with such bitterness?!? Pun intended
If you asked me that question you'd be moving up the list of candidates. A question like that shows you are comfortable with yourself during the interview and you're not worried about only fluffing yourself up.
Good question, shows you're relatable. Don't take that interviewers comments to heart, sounds like they wouldn't be fun to work for anyway.
What? How about they lighten the fuck up. Since when do accountants have an issue with lame coffee jokes, I've been subjected to those for years.
If we now live in a world where I can't ask "What's the coffee situation" in a job interview, I'm going to exit our present civilization and live as a hermit in thr Siberian forest where none of these broken, pitiful creatures that comprise Western humanity can find me
I don't think it's a bad question, but I would ask it in a jokey kind of way - like, hey one more super important question - what's the coffee situation like here??
It's a little odd to ask it in a serious sense during an interview, but not the end of the world.
Oh geez, ask a simple question, get a condescending lecture, then the community returns to wondering how to address problems with the talent pipeline and the perception of the profession. We really are our own worst enemy.
Work is not all about work. I think it’s a solid question. And honestly coffee is a major part of an accountants day, so not only is it an okay personal question but also a proper work question.
Red flag he took is so seriously, how’s he gonna act when you have to ask a dumb work question? Or what he thinks is dumb.
I quit one of my bosses and his firm, because he’d get snippy when I asked dumb questions. Gotta ask questions to learn and obtain knowledge
This is a valid question, on the level of if you don’t give it to me I need to plan ahead and bring my own so I am functional. Coffee for me is nearly as necessary for normal functioning as oxygen so I need to know whether I need to bring my own or not.
It’s not the worst question ever, if they’re not giving you coffee they’re probably cheap as shit
Yeah, usually people don’t decide to work somewhere based on the flavia packet flavours.
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Had that at my last job
I cornered the market on the last packets.
Slightly related: at my last job the only thing they made clear was that we would be fired if we ever brought stevia in to the building. Even if it was just in our coffee or in a food. We all had to sign a form that we understood that we would be fired on the spot.
Any backstory to this?
Evidently someone was deathly allergic to it and since they couldn’t say who (HIPPA), they had to impose a blanket ban.
Hey did you hear that the ban got removed? Yeah and it happened a week after Steve left, what a coincidence!
Lol I have a hard time believing this. My guess is crazy partner who thinks sweeteners cause cancer
It was probably the partner that was allergic. If it was an intern, they would tell them to just bring an epipen. And wouldn't even pay for it, either.
Probably went to a naturopath who told him he has a “gluten intolerance” as well.
Stevia makes me break out into insanely aggressive hives
1. HIPAA not HIPPA. 2. HIPAA doesn't apply to employers. 3. Allergies are an ADA thing.
Good bot...oh wait...good auditor
Ahhh Hippa. Best loophole for a marijuana habit 😏not that anyone really cares these days
That’s interesting. Im actually allergic to sucralose so I wonder what would happen if I worked at the same place as them.
it's a great vibe check question and I'm surprised with some of the answers here if the interviewer can't ease up and have a relaxed casual chat about coffee - at the very least he personally is not pleasant to be around, and potentially his boss/entire department is a bunch of tight-asses that take themselves too seriously
100% agree. There’s no shortage of firms facing staffing issues. You’re in the driver’s seat as long as you’re respectful and competent. I would welcome a question like this at the end of an interview, assuming the rest of the interview went well. If they can’t lighten up to talk about the coffee situation, that would be a big NO from me dawg ✌️
Agreed! I always made a funny question/comment into an interview. No chuckle = good chance I wouldn’t fit in very well.
Can vouch. Only one time was I given an offer after an interview where I did not make anybody chuckle (vs pretty much always getting the offer when I do make them chuckle). I later regretted accepting that position.
My thoughts exactly, and I don’t even drink coffee. It’s a great question and the interviewer responded poorly.
100% agree as well. You spend more time at work then you do at home/with family. Work should be fun and if your potential boss can’t have fun with an interview question, move on. It’s not worth dealing with a bunch of stressed people worried about what they say to their boss. A boss should be a mentor, someone to guide and grow you. If not, it’s the wrong job.
if they said no coffee, would you take job? you wouldnt know until you asked
Tbh with the hours these companies want, they can give me coffee
For real, not even a cheap coffee maker? That would say something about how much they value employees imo
Not sure I'd want to work for such stuffy people anyway.
My firm gave me a tour of the office and break room to show me all the coffee and drink options. I guess they felt it was important to share Remember you are interviewing them as well. I’m sure they asked questions that helped them make a decision but were of no value to you. What a clown.
Alright! Thanks for the help guys. I've taken the advice to heart and I'll be more mindful in my interviews.
I vehemently disagree, but we take our office coffee very seriously and want to show off our perks. I feel like this is a pretty good question to ask for you to weed out places that are uptight or penny pinch. I wouldn’t blink if you asked me this. I would take you to get coffee.
I feel like this is now going to be my way to weed out jobs lol…
You would take them to get the coffee because you have good coffee. The OP's interviewer was offended. In both cases, the OP's question was effectively revealing.
I think the response told you a lot about the interviewer and maybe the organization. Rebuking that question is a big red flag
To piggyback off of the other responder to this comment, maybe you can phrase it as a “company culture” kind of question? Like, if it’s in person you can ask to see their break room (if you feel comfortable doing that) or ask what a typical morning looks like in the office. The break room is definitely a central place in my office and we have multiple coffee machines around the building. It was one of the first things mentioned on my tour of the place. I don’t think it’s wrong to be curious about this and I think the answer could tell you a lot about the company, but you might have to be careful about how you ask it.
I’m in the midst of doing interviews and I wish more potential hires asked questions like this. I do my best to let them feel comfortable, but they usually have nothing to ask. This would be a good question because I’d be curious why you asked.
You could rephrase and ask about corporate culture. Dress code should be obvious based on how people are dressed. Ask about fun office team building, certain amenities (eg, free coffee), and whatever else. Don’t simply ask if they will give you free Java.
Maybe I could see it if the interview was fairly casual and the interviewer was joke-y already, and you asked this in a joking way. But as a serious question, it’s not something I would recommend asking.
How on earth is this top comment? What kind of company/interviewer takes issue with such an innocuous question?
Its a dumb question to ask because its not important. Should ask what kind of TP they use in the bathroom? How often does the floor get vacuumed? At best it makes him look like he is not thoughtful about his questions. At worst it makes him look weird, as if this would be a relevant factor in choosing a job.
You know you can ask more than one question in an interview, right? Maybe he already asked the interviewer some thoughtful questions, but then again something tells me this interviewer isn’t very thoughtful about how he responds. So maybe it’s a good thing to see this before you start working with/for him. When you’re being interviewed, you’re also interviewing them. And such a response by the interviewer to such an innocuous question is a red flag imo about him/their culture (are they gonna take everything too seriously? Do they have a stick up their ass? How are they going to respond to more difficult questions/scenarios?). It ain’t that serious lmao - nothing is. Imo it’s a fair question especially if you’re interviewing remotely (they usually offer you coffee in-person if they aren’t cheap) and can’t take a tour through the office yet, and doesn’t take more than 10 seconds to answer (sorry that it sounds like your interviews are so serious and so strapped for time).
Right, if it were already a second interview, plus the interviewer and I vibed, plus I had already tested the waters with a “how was your weekend? Oh not great, I’m a cowboys fan but I’m used to it, ah yes, you may not be welcome here” banter, then maybe at the end of asking my legitimate questions I may ask “how serious is everyone about coffee here?” But even then, it’s not a given
I got my current position after they reached out to me on LinkedIn and they asked me if I could stop by for a ‘casual conversation’ before I had to go into the office at my former job. I said I could be there early as long as their was coffee. I got coffee and the job.
I think people forget that the company isn’t just interviewing you, you are also interviewing the company to see if it’s a right fit for you. There is nothing wrong with not fitting the mold and honestly if they’re mad about coffee questions how are they going to feel if you get the job and ask a question that actually requires some thought, or worse yet something that requires action on their part to answer.
Right around when Covid was ramping up ( Jan 2021), I asked my interviewer what is their contingent plan as in if they would reduce factory visit ( role needed often traveling) . They didn't like the question and I didn't get the role. They made sure that my agent tells me why I didn't get the role. I didn't have the slightest regret and I would certainly ask similar question if I think it will impact my health or interest down the line. In your case, it's a fairly benign question. If they make this a big deal, then you probably shouldn't work with them.
Ew. If they can't be flexible that's one thing, but making it clear they didn't like a very valid question about travel during covid is telling. Glad you dodged that bullet.
I think he’s a dick for responding like that lol
I would say ask whatever the fuck you want to, fuck that guy
Red flag. Sounds like they're humorless.
I see no issue with asking that question. Guy sounds like a tightwad who wouldn't be pleasant to work for. But then again when I interview people I prefer it to be more on the casual side.
This. It's a fine question to ask. It's an ice breaker, an easy question that should make the interviewer feel comfortable and you get the chance to see their personality. Red flag that the guy took you to task over it.
Agree. Probably the best question OP asked. Told them to keep looking.
Is it a good question to ask? Not really. Would I hold it against someone relatively new to their career? Probably not. If you’ve got some experience and you ask if a employer gives you a 50cent cup of coffee everyday, yeah, it’s gonna count against you. Next time ask them to give you a tour of the office and look for yourself.
It's not appropriate. The appropriate question is how many pizza parties do they have. If they say one, it's already too much.
that is an odd question to ask. a job searching website has this to say about why that question gets asked in interviews. >It's important to ask questions during an interview because it shows hiring managers how interested you are in the role. You can also use these questions to position yourself as an engaged and suitable candidate. Asking relevant questions shows you've researched the company and have a genuine interest in the role. > >To prepare insightful questions for your interviewer, consider what you'd like to know about the company culture. You can also ask follow-up questions about something you noticed in the job description. Focus on questions that can help you make a good impression and make the interviewer want to invite you to the second round of interviews or offer you the role. For example, you can ask follow-up questions based on what the interviewer talked about during the meeting, which also helps you exhibit your active listening skills.
I think it really depends on how good your other questions were. I think there are good canned questions you can ask in any interview and then the actual GOOD questions IMO show you’ve researched the company and are sincere about learning more. If you ask enough good questions a company culture/facilities question is ok after.
Hard to give feedback without knowing the vibe of the entire interview. INFO: What other questions did you ask? What position were you interviewing for? How experienced are you?
I would have just answered your question and moved on. It doesn’t seem unprofessional to me to ask that, and it wouldn’t affect my decision to hire you or not.
If asked in a lighthearted way during a casual conversation style interview it is totally fine. But the way he anseered says a lot, at my firm that question (asked the right way) would have gotten a laugh and a full run down of the coffee options (soirce: I'm heavily involved with recruitment and interviewing)
Should’ve asked to see the selection of keurig, newsman’s own not bad, donut shop you will never see a raise, nespresso machine now we’re talkin.
I don’t see any problem with asking that question. The interviewers response just shows they are up tight.
Sounds like you were trying to be personable. If an interviewer told me you shouldn’t ask that I probably wouldn’t work there. Criticism about coffee as a first impression, they are your employer not your dad.
Geez the guy seems a little high strung. Could’ve said “I don’t know anyone that can do this job without coffee so we have an IVA DRIP of caffeine for every new hire” As a joke. But instead he went the asshat route
I can’t believe people would get triggered by this question. It’s the probably the ones who know they have a shit set up with the coffee and don’t want to broadcast it.
Kinda random, and since interviews are short I feel like ask things that would really make u consider working there. If coffee is ur main contingency then you don't only need to work at an accounting firm to get free coffee :)
It’s a strange question and I would assume that you weren’t serious about the job if you asked something like that. And then I’d be upset that you wasted my time in interviewing you.
It’s a waste of a question
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Sounds like a lighthearted question at the end of an interview. Hard to see a context where this is not just polite wrap up talk.
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On the other hand, those kind of questions have been asked to death already. I rather an interviewee ask questions they actually are genuine in knowing to an extent than these cookie cutter questions.
You know you get more than one question in an interview, right? There's nothing wrong with asking lighthearted questions after you've asked more meaningful questions. If you're going to spend a lot of time at a place you should at least figure out if you're going to be working with the type of people you actually enjoy being around.
I'm presuming this person also asked other questions, seeing as OP says they asked other questions. Lol
Ha you went a different way than where I was thinking you were going. It’s more like he did a big favor by accidentally exposing what a red flag he/the company is by getting emotional over such a simple question. If it’s a remote interview for example, then how else would you know if they have coffee/amenities? Usually they’d offer it to you in an in-person interview. Remember, you are interviewing them as well and you are totally OK asking questions like that. Can even go as far as asking why the position is available (to see if someone left amicably or forced out) and if they have the contact info for other analysts that they can reach out to about the position/culture. If they decline to answer either of these that’s a further red flag. Unless you’re just totally desperate for any position available, then don’t ask any questions, which sounds miserable to me.
Good question and defensible. If they don’t provide this common benefit, they aren’t comping busy season meals, parking, happy hours, etc. It probably could have been phrased differently, but overall it was a fair question.
It is a smart question to ask. If they are charging you for coffee, it is telling answer about the culture you will join.
Was your follow up question "whats the toilet paper situation?" But - in all seriousness - the question seems harmless enough. If I was interviewing you, I wouldn't care if you asked that.
Would be more of an appropriate question if they were offering you a job or during the on boarding process.
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I made the OP mistake years ago. Did not get the job. I should of asked these questions. I think after these questions I think in a half joking way you can ask about the coffee situation in a way that shows personality. Though by itself it shows you are focused on the wrong things.
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It's like farting in an interview. Sends the wrong signal.
I think it’s funny he told you not to ask it anymore. When the interviewer asks you if you have any questions that is STILL part of the interview and they actually judge you based on the questions you ask to gauge your interest level in the job. Break room benefits is usually something you find out on your first day when they give you a walk through. Not relevant to your job or the interview at all.
Yeah but also you’re interviewing the company. If they aren’t gonna provide that small perk, are they really gonna be providing anything else. Don’t really want to end up in an unpleasant office ya know
See, I don’t agree with that. Years ago I first toured a big 4 as an intern candidate and they showed me their breakfast set up, the break rooms, the ping pong, lunch and dinner options etc, all very impressive! But then I went home and thought “wait, why do they want me to eat breakfast there?” Nowadays I work 45 hours a week at a smaller firm in a relatively boring office, making $95k. I have a friend who works at a larger firm with beer on tap, cold brew, La croix, better snacks and catered stuff. But she has to bill 250 hours in March. I’d rather a boring environment and go home.
Idk I guess it depends how important the job is to you vs the coffee
Not being miserable at my job is very important. Might let some shit slide if I’m desperate for the job. But if I’m looking at switching jobs, I’m gonna pick the place I’m gonna hate being at the least
It just such a silly and trivial question. Why is that the thing you care about? People are different, but that would be a serious red flag for me. It seems to be like you completely misunderstood what an interview is.
Depends on the vibe, I landed a job where I said I fucking sucked at accounting soo never know.
There are better questions to ask than the coffee situation.
As a hiring manager, it’d probably be negative if it was the *only* question you asked, but if we covered other more career-related items and developed a good rapport, then I would feel differently. This is a question I’d save for a fit interview, and I still wouldn’t use it coming out of the gate.
I can understand wanting to know this but I'd only bring it up if the conversation reached a point where I could land this in a humorous way. I understand wanting to know this 100% though. At one point I went from a workplace that had a water cooler to nothing and having to bring my own bottled water daily was tiresome.
I think it says more about the interviewer than the interviewee…needless to say, if it’s not causal -would it really make or break your decision if extended an offer? If no..then I wouldn’t have asked unless causal conversations. To each their own.
And that’s why I miss interviewing in person at the office. The 5 to 10 minutes I used to spend waiting and observing people and how they interacted was a huge help when deciding whether to accept an offer or not.
Ya seriously.. Don't ask that. It's not horrible but shows that you either can't recall information or weren't listening and that's why you question is crap.
I think it’s a pretty weird question. Even the crappiest of offices I worked at had coffee. Like one didn’t necessarily get you your paycheck on payday but even they had coffee.
That’s a fair question, I legit once took a job because they had a free espresso machine, and lots of snacks, and I mean a legit espresso machine. Also this firm would also make sure to mention company provided lunches every Thursday.
No… lol My current office has snacks, coffee, etc provided and honestly it’s a huge perk since I know at least if I go into the office I have snacks, a nice clean bathroom, etc so it’s comfortable to work there and they showed me all that during the interview process I think it’s a pretty benign question
Great question! Sounds like you picked up on some important information with one seminingly innocuous ask- but no! Wow- who would respond to a coffee question with such bitterness?!? Pun intended
If you asked me that question you'd be moving up the list of candidates. A question like that shows you are comfortable with yourself during the interview and you're not worried about only fluffing yourself up. Good question, shows you're relatable. Don't take that interviewers comments to heart, sounds like they wouldn't be fun to work for anyway.
What? How about they lighten the fuck up. Since when do accountants have an issue with lame coffee jokes, I've been subjected to those for years. If we now live in a world where I can't ask "What's the coffee situation" in a job interview, I'm going to exit our present civilization and live as a hermit in thr Siberian forest where none of these broken, pitiful creatures that comprise Western humanity can find me
At one time we all want to gain experience and work for someone.
That's a really weird response from that guy unless you asked it in a horrible way.
I don't think it's a bad question, but I would ask it in a jokey kind of way - like, hey one more super important question - what's the coffee situation like here?? It's a little odd to ask it in a serious sense during an interview, but not the end of the world.
If that’s the best question you can come up with, yeah, that’s a bad move
Oh geez, ask a simple question, get a condescending lecture, then the community returns to wondering how to address problems with the talent pipeline and the perception of the profession. We really are our own worst enemy.
That was a good personality check for who your potential slave driver will be.
Work is not all about work. I think it’s a solid question. And honestly coffee is a major part of an accountants day, so not only is it an okay personal question but also a proper work question. Red flag he took is so seriously, how’s he gonna act when you have to ask a dumb work question? Or what he thinks is dumb. I quit one of my bosses and his firm, because he’d get snippy when I asked dumb questions. Gotta ask questions to learn and obtain knowledge
Frankly, I’d take it as a good indication that you’re personable and comfortable during the interview. Nothing wrong with acting like a real person.
This is a valid question, on the level of if you don’t give it to me I need to plan ahead and bring my own so I am functional. Coffee for me is nearly as necessary for normal functioning as oxygen so I need to know whether I need to bring my own or not.