Work Sample Tests for Hiring: How to Design One That Is Fair

A work sample test asks a candidate to do a small piece of the real job, and you score it against a rubric you wrote before you saw any answers. Keep it short, job-related and the same for everyone, say how long it should take, and respect the candidate's time. It tells you more about the work than a CV does, and is fairer than an unstructured chat.

Make it a slice of the real job

Choose a task the person would actually do, at a size they can finish in about an hour or two. Avoid free work you could use in your business, which is unfair and in some places unlawful.

Write the rubric first

Decide what good looks like before you read any answers: the criteria, the scale and what each level means. Score each criterion separately, ideally with two scorers working independently.

Same task, same conditions

Give every candidate the same instructions, the same time and the same materials. Changing the task between candidates makes the scores meaningless.

Accessibility and adjustments

Offer alternative formats or reasonable adjustments, and say how to ask. Judge the work, not the way it was produced.

Use it as one input

A work sample is stronger when combined with structured interviews, and should not be the only factor. Keep the score with the rest of the candidate's record.

Pay or limit the time

If the task is long, pay for it or shorten it. A respectful process keeps good candidates in the running.

In Rezumz

Rezumz does not host tests. You run the task wherever suits the role and record the result, a note and who scored it on the candidate's record, next to their CV and interview feedback.