A work sample can help a hiring team understand how a candidate approaches a task similar to the role. It is useful only when the exercise is relevant, proportionate and assessed consistently. A long assignment that produces usable business work can ask too much without giving better evidence.
Begin by identifying the capability you need to explore. Do not add an exercise simply because another employer uses one or because the team wants a second opinion without a clear question.
Choose a task close to the actual work
For an operations coordinator, a sample might ask the candidate to identify conflicts in a fictional schedule and explain the next questions they would ask. For a support role, it might involve drafting a response to a synthetic customer scenario.
Use invented or properly authorised material. Do not give candidates real customer records or request confidential examples from a previous employer. Label assumptions clearly so the task does not depend on knowledge available only to existing employees.
Define the evidence you will review
Write a short assessment guide before sharing the exercise. For a customer response, criteria might include understanding the issue, explaining the next step, using appropriate language and recognising when more information is needed.
Separate essential requirements from preferences about style. Decide whether the candidate needs to produce a final answer or whether explaining their reasoning is the main evidence. Use an interview scorecard or equivalent record to support a human review.
Keep the effort proportionate
Explain the task, expected effort, deadline and submission method in advance. Review whether the exercise can be shortened or completed during a conversation. Do not use candidate assignments as a source of unpaid operational deliverables.
Consider appropriate participation adjustments and the resources needed to complete the task. If specialist software is required, explain how access will work rather than assuming every applicant owns it.
State what assistance is allowed
If the exercise permits reference materials, collaboration or AI tools, say so. If a capability must be demonstrated without a particular aid, explain the relevant restriction and its purpose. Apply the same core expectations consistently.
Do not make unsupported conclusions about tool use from writing style alone. If understanding the candidate’s approach matters, ask them to explain their choices and how they checked the result.
Give candidates a clear next step
Confirm receipt where your process supports it and explain when the exercise will be reviewed. If the timetable changes, send an update. Keep submissions and notes in an approved location with access limited to the people who need them.
After the vacancy, ask whether the exercise provided evidence that the interview could not reasonably obtain. Remove unnecessary stages rather than preserving them out of habit.
The hiring brief template helps the team decide which evidence matters before adding an assessment. A good work sample should clarify that evidence while respecting the candidate’s time and the organisation’s information responsibilities.
