Maker Of Nutella, Ferrero Rocher Hiring 60 Tasters, No Prior Experience Needed

Italian confectionary group Ferrero published a job advertisement seeking 60 tasters to test the semi-finished and raw materials including various types of cocoa and hazelnut grains that will be used to produce various products of the brand.

The advertisement was published by Open Job Metis on behalf of Soremartec Italia srl, the Ferrero research and development company. So far the company had entrusted the task to internal employees, and this is the first time it is handing over the responsibility to non-professionals.

According to the advertisement, the part-time job requires absolutely no experience, with the candidate having to work at Alba, Italy, for five days a week. However, there are two requirements — absence of allergies and good familiarity with a computer.

The ad mentioned it was looking for consumers to give genuine opinions, and added it would be better if they do not have information on nutritional or organoleptic aspects.

The chosen candidates will be required to attend a training course lasting three months starting Sept. 30 to tame taste and smell and also to use the right terms to describe each feeling their taste buds experience. Post the course, 40 candidates will be chosen for the job and will be divided into two panels, local daily Torino Repubblica reported.

In February, Mondelez International, the firm behind Oreo cookies and Cadbury snacks, posted an advertisement seeking one "Chocolate & Cocoa Beverage Taster" and three "Chocolate Tasters" and the candidates were required to have taste buds for detection and a passion for confectionery.

According to the advertisement, the job seekers were also required to have a firm grasp of the English language and eagerness to try new products. The job came with a holiday allowance, pension and the option to purchase additional life assurance.

The part-time job asked for 7.5 hours per week and paid $11 per hour, and the location was the consumer science room at the University of Reading, England.

The company had previously advertised for the same post last year, which got 1,500 applications in the first 24 hours, and 6,000 in total. The advertisement went on to become the fifth most viewed job on LinkedIn in 2017.

"Chocolate tasters are vital to our business as their input helps us to perfect our products before they hit the shelves,” Afsha Chugtai, who has overall responsibility for the tasting panels at Reading had said then, before adding, "I can’t wait to see who makes the cut this year to join our 4,000 chocolate-loving employees across the UK,” the Sun reported.