How Work Sample Tests Help You Hire Better

Your goal during the hiring process is to select the candidate most likely to succeed on the job. But relying on typical selection methods—like resume credentials and free-flowing conversational interviews—is risky, because neither gives you real data about how the candidate is likely to perform. A more effective and reliable approach is to use a succession of skills-based assessments that increase in rigor as the hiring process moves forward, culminating with a work sample test.

What Is a Work Sample Test?

A work sample test is a hiring assessment that asks candidates to work through through a small assignment that mirrors real work they would do on the job followed by a facilitated discussion of their approach. This allows the hiring manager to evaluate each candidate’s skills and problem-solving ability through demonstrated performance rather relying solely on interviews or credentials. Work sample tests are sometimes called performance tasks or case study interviews.

Where Does a Work Sample Test Fit in the Interview Sequence?

The work sample test should occur later in the interview sequence, reserved only for top finalist candidates. Here’s the sequence we recommend to every client:

• Written prompts asking candidates to describe their experience in defined key competency areas.
• Structured interviews that explore those same competencies in-depth, focusing on how the candidate created impact, collaborated with others, and measured results.
• Work sample tests to assess these competencies in a real-world context, allowing candidates to demonstrate their skills rather than talking about past experiences.

The first two methods invite candidates to share relevant experience from their former work. The final work sample test is where you’ll see how they apply those skills in your business context. Work sample tests are one of the most reliable ways to gather measurable data about candidates’ competencies and working styles and validate what they say about themselves.

Approach the work sample as an opportunity to “work” with candidates you are most interested in—it is a collaborative exercise. The candidate’s role is to demonstrate how they think, collaborate, and apply their expertise; the interviewer’s role is to probe assumptions, offer feedback, and assess how effectively the candidate applies their skills and adapts to new information.

How To Design a Work Sample Test

The content of your work sample exercise will vary by career level and functional area. Here is a basic structure to follow:

1. Decide what you want to learn. Consider the 3-5 skills most essential to the role. What do you want to see in action? What will convince you that this person has the skills to do the job and collaborate with your team?
2. Identify a challenge this person may face in their day-to-day work. Identify a challenge this person would face in their day-to-day work—something that would actually land on their desk. It should reflect the complexity and demands of the role while providing insights that interview questions alone cannot. The assignment should take no more than 2-3 hours to complete. We recommend giving candidates a week to complete it.
3. Include some constraints and resources. Set parameters and be specific. Give candidates real information to work with to simulate your work environment: standard operating procedures, sample product portfolios, org charts, membership surveys, sales data, or other relevant materials.
4. Develop evaluation criteria. How will you measure success? Are there multiple viable approaches to the work? Remember, you’re not just looking for the “right” answer—you’re evaluating thought processes and problem-solving approaches. Use the same criteria for every candidate.
5. Ask candidates to come prepared to discuss in their next interview. Tell candidates up front that you want to understand the thinking behind their work. A deliverable alone won’t show you how they arrived at their conclusions or how they’ll adapt when circumstances change. If you choose to ask for a deliverable as part of the assignment, keep it simple and emphasize the importance of the discussion.

How To Discuss a Work Sample Test

After the candidate presents their ideas during the interview, follow up with detailed questions. Propose a roadblock. Ask what they would change if different stakeholders were involved. Ask them to explain judgment calls. Their ability to explain their choices, defend their reasoning, and think on their feet will reveal far more than their initial work.

It’s worth noting that candidates may use AI tools to prepare for the assignment—and that’s fine. AI is a resource like any other. But because AI can produce polished work for many scenarios, a good discussion is essential; it’s where your true evaluation happens.

Better Data Means Better Hiring

Extensive research shows that work sample tests are a more accurate predictor of success on the job than the interview itself. This approach allows you to see how candidates solve problems with a given set of resources and how they organize their thinking. You’ll gather data about their communication styles, how they adapt, and how they react to feedback—all within the context of the kind of work they’d be doing for your organization. And when you have two strong finalists, a well-designed work sample will clearly identify the tradeoffs you would make in choosing one candidate over the other.

Evaluating candidates in multiple contexts—talking and writing about past work and demonstrating skills during the work sample—gives you a rich set of data to compare against your organization’s needs.