Introduction:Manner Coffee is known for offering high salaries, but many employees have reported that its promotion and pay raise assessment system is extremely rigorous—some even liken it to obtaining an SCA Advanced Barista Certification. From an 80-point passing threshold and precise control over milk foam thickness, to the demanding requirement of completing multiple drinks within 15 minutes, these standards have deterred many in the industry. This article takes an in-depth look at Manner’s actual assessment content, how it compares to other brands, and offers coping strategies to help you fully understand this “workplace challenge” for baristas.

In recent years, Manner Coffee has attracted a large number of job seekers with its high-salary advertisements, but many current employees have voiced their frustrations on social platforms, saying that to earn the ideal salary advertised, they must pass a series of assessments considered to have “extremely high thresholds.” Some employees have even stated outright that the difficulty of the exams rivals that of SCA intermediate to advanced barista certifications, which is quite intimidating.

According to multiple netizens, although Manner advertises a monthly salary range of 4,000 to 13,000 yuan—especially with relatively higher starting salaries in first-tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen—these salaries are often tied to strict performance evaluations. To be promoted or to reach the advertised salary level, one must not only complete the initial training but also stand out in subsequent rounds of assessments.

Generally speaking, new employees are required to first attend centralized training at Manner’s Shanghai headquarters. The post-training assessment standards are extremely stringent, with each subject requiring a score of at least 80 to pass. Those who fail can retake the test, but if they fail the makeup exam for three subjects cumulatively, they may face dismissal. Some employees joke that by the day of the exam, many had already started updating their résumés, showing just how intense the pressure is.

However, this is just the first hurdle. To earn the 8,000 yuan or even higher salary that HR advertises, one must face even more difficult challenges. According to discussions on Zhihu and Xiaohongshu, insiders have revealed that reaching this salary level requires assessment standards similar to the SCA Intermediate Barista certification, and aiming for further raises can be as hard as meeting SCA Advanced Certification requirements—almost on par with professional competition standards.

The details of the assessments are astonishingly meticulous. Netizens have shared what is referred to as the “pay raise exam” in reality: milk foam thickness must be measured with a ruler, latte art patterns and stability both have clear specifications, and factors such as espresso extraction time, temperature control, and every step of the pour over process must all meet strict criteria. One employee even revealed that all items must be passed in one go, and within just 15 minutes, nine espresso drinks plus one pour over must be completed—a huge test of both technical skill and mental resilience.

Such high standards have resonated with many employees. Netizens left comments such as: “The exams these days are much harder than before!” “Many people failed after one or two tries, managing to pass only the grinding section.” “Measuring milk foam with a ruler? That’s just too much.” Someone even joked: “How long does it take to pass Manner’s pay raise exam? The answer is: you can’t, it’s simply impossible to finish.”

Compared to other well-known coffee brands, Manner’s pay raise system is indeed notably stricter. Take Starbucks as an example: its baristas are divided into two levels, green apron and black apron. Green aprons are mostly newcomers, and after 8 to 12 weeks of systematic learning and internal certification, they can be promoted to black aprons, also known as “coffee masters.” Many Starbucks employees say that their promotion exams are moderately difficult, with about half a month of preparation usually enough to pass—forming a sharp contrast with Manner’s “high-pressure model.”

Faced with such rigorous assessments, industry insiders suggest that those interested in joining Manner or who are already employed there should familiarize themselves in advance with various extraction parameters and latte art techniques. Special attention should be paid to the stability of espresso, keeping milk foam thickness around 3mm, as well as the consistency and temperature control of the pour over water flow. In addition, mental preparation and rhythm management are key—how to steadily output multiple high-quality drinks within 15 minutes will be a major focus of the assessment.

Based on feedback from various sources, Manner’s pay raise assessment system not only tests technical ability, but also serves as a comprehensive evaluation of attention to detail, speed, and stress resistance. For baristas seeking higher pay, this is both a challenge and an opportunity for self-improvement, but it also requires careful assessment of one’s own capabilities and adaptability to the work environment, to avoid falling into a cycle of low pay and high pressure.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.