CEO Reveals He Refuses to Hire Candidates Who Fail This Simple ‘Coffee Cup Test’

When it comes to job interviews, most candidates focus on polishing their résumés and rehearsing answers to common questions. But one CEO says it’s not your qualifications or experience that really matter, it’s how you handle a cup of coffee.

Trent Innes, former Managing Director of Xero Australia and now CEO of investment firm Compono, has shared the unconventional method he uses to assess potential hires. Speaking on the Venture Podcast with Lambros Photios, Innes explained that he uses a discreet test during interviews to learn more about a candidate’s mindset, and it's all about manners.

"I'm probably giving away all my dark secrets here now,” he said. “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.”

After returning to the interview room and finishing the conversation, Innes quietly watches to see whether the candidate takes their empty cup back to the kitchen.

“That’s what I’m looking for at the end of the interview,” he said. “Does the person doing the interview want to take that empty cup back to the kitchen?”

For Innes, this simple action speaks volumes. It’s not a test of politeness for politeness' sake—it reflects a person's sense of responsibility, attitude, and how they treat shared spaces and team environments.

"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.”

Pexels “The attitude that we talk a lot about is the concept of 'wash your own coffee cup,’” he added. “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.”Innes believes this quality is essential, particularly in fast-paced or scaling work environments. “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.”

Understanding the Psychology

It's fascinating how Trent Innes, the CEO of Compono, uses a simple 'coffee cup test' to assess potential hires. This approach taps into the principle of indirect behavior observation, a well-documented psychological research method. Dr. Robert Hogan, a renowned psychologist, emphasizes the importance of indirect behavior observation in understanding an individual's personality and potential. As per his research, indirect observation often provides a more accurate portrayal of an individual’s behavior than self-reported data.

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

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Recruitment statistics show that, with the recent layoffs, hiring becomes more selective, with 40% more interviews per hire. This quiet test is part of a growing trend among employers who are relying on subtle cues to evaluate candidates.

It’s not the first time a beverage has played a role in the hiring process, either. A similar “water test” recently made headlines after a Reddit user shared their experience of being offered water during an interview. They later found out that the way they accepted and drank it was also under scrutiny.

“I was the only person who drank the water at a ‘normal pace’ during the interview,” the Redditor wrote. “And this is seen as being ‘confident in the workplace environment by accepting a gift or offer.’”

They went on to say that interviewers used subtle cues like the pace of drinking or how a candidate declined the offer to form opinions about their workplace behavior.

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

Whether it’s a cup of coffee or a glass of water, one thing is clear—your behavior in the little moments could say more about you than your CV ever will. And if you ever land an interview with Trent Innes, don’t forget to return your mug. It might be the final detail that makes or breaks the offer.

Additionally, Innes's approach aligns with the principles of situational judgment tests (SJTs) used in organizational psychology. SJTs are designed to assess a candidate's ability to choose the most appropriate behavior in hypothetical work-related scenarios. This approach has been shown to be predictive of job performance, as discussed in a study published in Frontiers in Psychology.

What Research Shows

What's also interesting is how this 'coffee cup test' can be seen as a measure of conscientiousness, one of the Big Five personality traits. Conscientiousness is associated with being careful, diligent, and meticulous—qualities that are highly desirable in employees. Research published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences notes that there is a strong correlation between conscientiousness and job performance.

Analysis & Alternative Approaches

In conclusion, while the 'coffee cup test' may seem simplistic, it's rooted in established psychological principles and research-backed techniques like indirect behavior observation, situational judgment tests, and the Big Five personality traits. These methods, validated by experts like Dr. Robert Hogan and numerous studies, provide rich insights into an individual's behavior and potential job performance. Therefore, behavioral cues in seemingly trivial actions should not be overlooked in the hiring process.