22 April 2023 , 10:26
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A hiring manager has revealed the "coffee cup test" he uses in every job interview, which can potentially lead to a good candidate being turned down if they fail.
Trent Innes, the former managing director of Xero Australia and now CEO of software company Compono, said his test is meant to show a potential employee's attitude, which goes beyond work skills.
Speaking on business podcast The Venture, Mr Innes said he usually walks with candidates towards the kitchen ahead of interviews so that they can grab a drink.
Following the interview, he always checks whether candidates offer to bring their empty cup back to the kitchen which, he says, shows if their attitude is a good fit for the company.
The test shows a candidate's attitude, the hiring manager said (Stock photo) (Getty Images/Westend61)He explained: "I will always take you for a walk down to one of our kitchens and somehow you always end up walking away with a drink.
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"Then we take that back, have our interview, and one of the things I'm always looking for at the end of the interview is, does the person doing the interview want to take that empty cup back to the kitchen?
"You can develop skills, you can gain knowledge and experience but it really does come down to attitude, and the attitude that we talk a lot about is the concept of 'wash your coffee cup'."
He claimed the trick works and usually the office kitchens are clean, as he added: "If you come into the office one day inside Xero, you'll see the kitchens are almost always clean and sparkling and it's very much off that concept of wash your coffee cup.
"It's really just making sure that they're actually going to fit into the culture inside Xero, and really take on everything that they should be doing."
Previously, a man was rejected instantly from a job after he failed a test at reception.
His potential boss shared the mistake he made online, which meant he had no chance of getting the job.
The potential candidate blew the interview in the first five minutes of entering the building after being dismissive to the receptionist - who turned out to be the hiring manager - and barely making eye contact with her.
A hiring manager posted on Reddit's Life Pro Tips forum: "Today, a candidate blew his interview in the first 5 minutes after he entered the building. He was dismissive to the receptionist. She greeted him and he barely made eye contact.
"She tried to engage him in conversation. Again, no eye contact, no interest in speaking with her. What the candidate did not realise was that the 'receptionist' was actually the hiring manager.
"She called him back to the conference room and explained how every single person on our team is valuable and worthy of respect. Due to his interaction with the 'receptionist', the hiring manager did not feel he was a good fit. Be nice to everyone in the building."
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