Boss uses one coffee test in every interview he does and doesn't hire anyone that fails

A former managing director has explained what it takes to pass his job interview, and it's all down to a cup of coffee.

Nothing quite brings on the nerves like a job interview for a position you really want.

'What questions will they ask? Do I need to wear a suit?' and 'How much are they actually going to pay me?' are just some of the things going through your mind at the time.

A former tech boss has devised a test he uses during every job interview (Getty Stock Images)

But when it comes to Trent Innes, the former MD of Xero Australia, it's not so much what you do as what you don't do.

Now working as the Chief Growth Officer at SiteMinder, according to his LinkedIn page, Trent previously shared the simple test he uses during every interview to decide whether someone is the right fit for the role.

Speaking to business podcast The Ventures, he said: "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?

Pay attention to the coffee cup (Getty Stock Images)

"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.'"

And according to the boss, it's all about the 'culture' of a workplace and he says his tactic seems to do the trick as the office kitchen is always tidy.

He goes on: "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."

Make sure you know what to do when you're finished with your coffee (Getty Stock Images)

In another interview with Rebel Playbook, he added: "We only have two rules inside the organisation.

"Number one, you can't eat lunch at your desk.

"It actually gets people to mingle in common areas and you actually get cross- collaboration.

"I'm a big believer in that, so that's why we have great open spaces like you can see in the background here.

"Because we actually want people to collaborate.

"And number two is you have to wash your own coffee cup. Sorry, that’s my only two real rules."

• Interview expert explains hidden dangers behind 'coffee cup test' that boss uses and won't hire anyone that fails
• Boss uses coffee cup test in interviews and won't hire anyone who fails it
• CEO uses 'red flag test' in every interview and won't hire you if you fail it
• Boss uses 'alphabet test' interviewing candidates for job and doesn't hire those who fail