Chinese firm offers up to 99,000 baht for chicken feet tasting job

A Chinese company’s job advertisement for a chicken feet taster has Chinese social media clucking, attracting thousands of applicants.

The food company, based in the city of Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, is offering a lucrative salary for a seemingly simple job, which has piqued the interest of many.

The company is specifically looking to recruit eating experts whose primary responsibility would be to taste various flavours of the company’s chicken feet. The selected candidates will be required to eat chicken feet for breakfast and lunch and will be paid a salary between 15,000 and 20,000 yuan (74,000 to 99,000 baht).

The company has not set any age or gender constraints but requires at least five years of experience in eating chicken feet and a diverse palate. Those who dislike chicken, chicken feet, or spicy food are not suitable for this position.

Applicants with certain qualifications will be given priority: an ability to describe the texture and taste of chicken feet clearly, viewers of the show Chinese Food Ocharos, proficiency in Standard Chinese language (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages level A2 and above), and an extroverted personality as per the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test. The company also prefers those with a large mouth and an appetite for delicious food, reported KhaoSod.

A Human Resources officer from the company, Wu, confirmed that they are indeed hiring for this position. The company has received nearly 2,000 resumes and has shortlisted the last four candidates.

The selection process involves two rounds of interviews. The first round assesses the applicant’s speaking, presenting, and advertising skills, followed by a chicken feet tasting trial where they must eat in an appetising manner and clearly describe the texture and taste of the chicken feet.

After passing the first round, the next test evaluates their on-camera testing ability. They must prepare a scene, explain information, and eat chicken feet simultaneously. Wu further explained that being an eating expert is a comprehensive position. The selected candidate must be able to give suggestions to help the company understand consumer needs and use the collected data to improve and develop future products.