Interview expert explains hidden dangers behind 'coffee cup test' that boss uses and won't hire anyone that fails

Have you heard of the 'coffee cup test'?

When you step into the job interview room you've got to be prepared for all sorts of questions to be thrown at you, but you might want to be on your guard against other tricks they might try.

Going into that interview, you're going to be acutely aware that you're under the microscope while your interviewer is going to know they're seeing you at your most presentable.

It's not a naturalistic environment to really get to know what someone is like and what they'll be like once they're actually hired.

That's why Trent Innes, former MD of Xero Australia, cooked up the 'coffee cup test' to put prospective employees through their paces.

He explained that when he had someone in for a job interview he'd make a point of showing them where the office kitchen was and making sure they left with a cup of coffee.

From there the job interview would be conducted as normal, but once all the questions and CV examination was over the 'coffee cup test' really kicked in.

The test all hinges on what the applicant will do with their coffee cup once the interview is over, having been shown where the kitchen is and having the time to take it back.

In essence it's a secret test of character to see what someone will do once they no longer think they're under interview conditions, and Innes wouldn't hire people who failed the test by not taking their coffee cup back to the kitchen to be washed.

It's a novel technique, but not everyone is a fan as an interview expert had some things to say about this.

Job interview expert Victoria Gates picked apart the test on TikTok as she poked some holes in this interview technique, pointing out that these kinds of approaches could backfire badly on the interviewer if it got around that they were trying this.

The interview expert said: "What interviewers need to understand is attitudes and actions are best evaluated with actual job related experience and not made up social experiments.

"Candidates have choices and if you find out that you didn't get a job because of this weird social experiment you're probably better off.

"Because if this is how they interview with mind games and social experiments, just imagine what it would be like to work for them."

It's all well and good to set prospective employees hidden tests, but the dangers might involve ignoring really good candidates for not knowing the coffee cup policy in an office they'd never been in before.