• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Steve Jobs used 'beer test' to interview people at Apple

Home> Technology

Updated 10:52 5 Nov 2024 GMTPublished 13:07 30 Jan 2024 GMT

Steve Jobs used 'beer test' to interview people at Apple

The late Apple CEO conducted the 'beer test' when interviewing candidates.

Callum Jones

Callum Jones

Late Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs used a 'beer test' to interview candidates for the tech giant.

When you think about a job interview, sweaty hands, a newly-bought suit and some tricky questions come to mind.

However, if you've ever had the privilege of being interviewed by Jobs for a role at Apple, you'll know that his way of doing things was a little different.

Advert

As the majority of us can contest with, job interviews are very formal, so going through that process for such a major company is an even more daunting prospect.

Jobs was very much aware of this, so wanted to make a change.

As reported by as.com, Jobs wanted to ‘break’ the trend of interviewees showing up with a memorized list of answers in their head, like they were just reading off a script.

Steve Jobs wanted to 'break' the trend.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Advert

So, Jobs decided to drop the traditional job interview questions and keep it casual.

When meeting a new colleague for the first time you may be thinking about whether you 'would have a beer with this person' or if you'd talk to them 'in a relaxed way while taking a walk'.

Well, rather than just imagining that, Jobs apparently did just that as he took candidates out for a walk and a cheeky pint to see if they would may a good fit for Apple.

Essentially this was known as the 'beer test'.

Advert

Taking potential employees on a walk would help to loosen them up a bit, hopefully removing all of the nerves that would usually be present in a traditional job interview.

However, I think if I was sat in a pub having a pint with the Apple CEO I'd feel a little starstruck.

When Jobs got interviewees in the pub, he would reportedly ask them questions such as: “When was the last time you accomplished something?”

And a more simple and talkative: “What did you do last summer?”

Advert

Jobs reportedly used the 'beer test' when interviewing candidates.
DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images

We've heard from a lot of managers in the past that they tend to look for particular right and wrong answers when interviewing candidates for a job.

However, this was apparently not the case with Jobs as he was simply trying to get to know the individual better.

Jobs’ aim in interviewing candidates was to find the very best of the best, the 'A-Players' as the Apple co-founder once put it.

Advert

"I found that when you get enough A-players together, when you go through the incredible job of finding these A-players, they really like working with each other," he previously explained.

"Because they’ve never had the chance to do it before."

Featured Image Credit: Tony Avelar/AFP via Getty Images/Kenzo Triboillard/AFP via Getty Images

Topics: Apple, Life, Jobs

Callum Jones
Callum Jones

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

a day ago
2 days ago
  • a day ago

    People left mind-blown after watching Hubble telescope image of a star exploding over 10,000,000 lightyears away

    One Redditor claimed the images were their 'favorites ever captured' in space

    Technology
  • a day ago

    Expert shares three jobs young people should start training to do now to beat AI in the future

    A new report has shown a drastic rise in the use of AI in the workforce

    Technology
  • 2 days ago

    Urgent warning issued for 86,000,000 mobile service customers to act now as hackers sell stolen data

    Cybersecurity experts have issued a warning to customers who are impacted

    Technology
  • 2 days ago

    James Webb Space Telescope's stunning image of 'Sombrero Galaxy' has people saying 'we can't be alone in the universe'

    Brace yourself for an existential crisis...

    Technology
  • Apple is offering $1,000,000 to anyone that can complete task with new system
  • Steve Jobs' 'beer test' interview technique broken down by recruiter
  • Steve Jobs revealed the number one sign that means someone has high intelligence
  • Boss uses the same two-step ‘confidence’ test in every interview and won’t hire anyone who fails