CEO refuses to hire anyone who fails sneaky 'coffee cup test' in job interview

A CEO has revealed that they simply won’t hire anyone who fails a secret ‘coffee cup’ test during their job interview.

We all know that interviewing for a new role can be nerve-wracking and can sometimes leave you second guessing everything you said and did as you wait to hear back.

And when stories like this one pop up, it makes you realise just how much the little things do count.

It comes just months after a different interviewee opened up on a sneaky ‘water test’ that they were given during an interview, and only found out about it after they bagged the job.

Writing on Reddit, they explained that a jug of water was put out with a cup out to see if anyone would drink it while being interviewed.

They penned: “I was the only person who drank the water at a ‘normal pace’ during the interview, and this is seen as being ‘confident in the workplace environment by accepting a gift or offer."

A CEO has revealed he wouldn't hire anyone who fails a secret test involving a cup of coffee (Getty Stock Image)

Adding: “Apparently, you can tell a lot about a person from the way they refuse the offer of the water or by drinking it too fast.”

And now, as more and more tricks and tests from employers seem to be increasing in popularity, a similar drinks-related ‘coffee cup’ test is doing the rounds.

The unusual test was thought up by the former managing director of Xero Australia, Trent Innes.

Speaking to the Venture Podcast with Lambros Photios, the boss, who is now the CEO of investment company Compono as per MailOnline, explained what exactly it is and his reasoning behind it.

He said: "I'm probably giving away all my dark secrets here now. But if you do come in and have an interview, as soon as you come in and meet me, 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.

"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?"

It follows a similar test involving a glass of water (Maskot / Getty Images)

So really, it’s a test of your attitude and manners that makes all the difference rather than your skills or work experience.

The CEO continued: “The attitude that we talk a lot about is the concept of 'wash your own coffee cup.

"You really want to make sure that you've got people who have got a real sense of ownership, and that's really what I was looking for.

"Attitude and ownership scale, especially in a really fast growing environment like we've been going through and still at this stage as well. We want to make sure we've got people who have a real, strong ownership and a growth mindset."

So there you have it, always wash up your own mug - or it might just cost you a job.