A job seeker has revealed an unusual test that their boss secretly put candidates through before even reading their applications, and it could make or break their chances of getting hired.
When it comes to attending a job interview, most candidates spend hours researching the company and preparing answers to common questions. After all, they want to make a positive impression and give themselves the best chance of landing the role.
But no matter how much preparation goes into an interview, there is no guarantee the hiring manager will not have a few tricks up their sleeve. One man revealed the unusual tactic his former boss used when interviewing candidates at a restaurant. He explained: 'When applicants came in to the restaurant to ask for an application, he would tell them to go back outside, walk around to the back of the building and come in through the kitchen door.'
'As they were walking around the building, he would dash into the kitchen and lay a broom across the floor just inside the door.'
According to the employee, every applicant was given an application form to complete. However, those who unknowingly passed the manager's secret test received very different treatment. He explained: 'If the applicant entered through the back door normally, he or she was given an application to complete and then sent away.'
'But if the applicant entered through the back door and picked up the broom to put it back with the other brooms, he or she was hired on the spot.'
The reasoning behind the unusual test was simple. 'It is all about responsibility,' he added. 'Just inside the restaurant, immediately to the left of the door, was a broom stand with several brooms already stored in their proper place. The broom on the floor was positioned so it would be obvious where it belonged.'
'If the applicant steps over the broom, regarding it as somebody else's problem, then they can fill out an application like everyone else.'
The story quickly sparked debate online, with many people divided over whether the test was clever or unfair. One user said: 'I would just think, "Why is there a broom here? There has to be a good reason. Someone must have left it here intentionally. Let us not interfere with other people's affairs." And then not get hired.'
Another added: 'This one is actually good, not some fortune-telling nonsense.'
A third user said: 'An interviewer for a tech company had something similar. He always interviewed in offices or hotels and would place his glass of water right on the edge of the table. If you did not move the glass, you did not get a second interview. The idea was that if you see something that does not look right, you should fix it.'
