A CEO once used a simple yet unusual salt test during a dinner to help decide between two equally qualified job candidates vying for the same role.
Recently, we heard about another boss who uses the coffee cup test, where candidates are evaluated based on whether they return an empty cup. Now, here’s another interesting technique: a salt test to choose between two candidates who seem perfect on paper.
It’s actually a pretty fortunate problem for any employer to have, as both candidates are likely strong choices.
If a hiring manager finds themselves stuck deciding between two candidates, perhaps the salt test might offer some insight.
A chief from the Air Force shared the details on Reddit, where he explained how he noticed one candidate added salt to his food without even trying it first.
The chief then described the story: “There once were two men applying for a job at a very well respected fortune 500 company. One of the men went to Harvard and one went to Yale. They were both exceptional in every single way with 4.0 GPAs and numerous references to vouch for their character. They were both so good that the CEO couldn’t decide which one to hire and since there was only one job opening, only one could be hired.”
To get a better feel for the candidates, the CEO took both of them out for dinner at a “fancy restaurant,” hoping the outing would help him decide who would be the best fit for the job.
The chief continued: “When their food arrived, one of the men began to put salt and pepper on his food while the other man took a small bite of each item on his dish and then put salt and pepper on a few items from his dish. The CEO knew right then and there that the man who tasted his food first was the one who would get the job.”
Later, the CEO shared his reasoning for picking the candidate who tasted his food before seasoning it.
The CEO explained: “These two men were perfect in every way but the man who tasted his food first knew that some things don’t need extra flavor but some things do,”
“I knew right then and there that this would be a man that will fix things but will also NOT fix things that don’t need fixing.”
The takeaway here? Don’t rush to season your food before tasting it—you might find it’s already seasoned perfectly!
