If you’re putting forward any candidates for interview in China, don’t forget to tell them to wash behind their ears. According to Chutian Daily in Wuhan Province, a building materials company requires job applicants to show their ears during interviews. The Wuhan-based firm says it wants to make sure their appearance won’t have a negative effect on customers.

One applicant, Ms Li, who went for a job as a secretary, couldn’t believe the request. “We had a nice talk, but at the end of the interview the job interviewer suddenly asked me to show him my ears,” she told Chutian Daily. She reluctantly went along with the request because she was desperate to get the job. Mr Lin, one of the firm’s interviewers, said facial expression, including the ears, played a big part in how workers were perceived by customers.

“Besides their capabilities and diplomas, we pay special attention to their faces since a good face can leave our clients with a good impression of the company,” he said. We wonder how Gary Lineker would measure up in an interview…