A video agency needs an editor. Three candidates send reels that all look polished. One reel was cut by a team of five. Another was graded by a colourist the editor never mentions. The third candidate cut everything alone, but the reel is two years old. The hiring manager has three good-looking portfolios and no idea who will perform on Monday.
A short, fair test closes that gap. This post shows how to design one for writers, designers and editors, and how to judge the result without falling for a pretty file.
What a portfolio cannot tell you
A portfolio is a highlight reel. It hides how much of the work was the candidate's, how long it took and how many rounds of feedback it survived. It says little about how the person handles a vague brief, a hard deadline or a client who changes direction. A test reveals these things in a small way.
Use the portfolio to shortlist, then use a test to choose. If you are hiring for a video team, the notes on video agencies describe the roles and skills that sit behind a finished cut.
Design the test in five steps
- 1
Write the job's real tasks
List the three or four things the person will do most weeks. A writer might draft client posts, edit a long article and write a brief. An editor might trim raw footage, add captions and export versions for platforms.
- 2
Turn one task into a small brief
Use a real project with client names and figures removed. State the audience, the goal, the format and what you will judge. Add one realistic constraint, such as a house style or a short source file.
- 3
Set the time and the tools
Decide how long the test should take and tell candidates. Choose the time based on the role, and keep it short enough to respect their other commitments.
- 4
Decide how the work is paid or treated
Either pay for longer tests or keep the task small and clearly artificial. Say that the work will not be used for any client.
- 5
Add a short conversation afterwards
Ask the candidate to walk through the choices made. This confirms they did the work and shows how they take feedback.
Examples by role
- Writers: edit a weak paragraph and explain the changes, then draft a short piece from a brief and a few facts.
- Designers: adapt one existing layout for two formats, and say what they would ask the client before starting.
- Video editors: cut a short sequence from supplied raw clips to a stated length, then describe how they would change it for a second platform.
- All roles: respond to one round of written feedback, so you see how they revise.
A scorecard to adapt
Brief fit: did the work answer the audience and goal in the brief?
Craft: language, layout or cut quality at the level the role needs.
Judgement: choices explained, trade-offs named, assumptions stated.
Speed and finish: delivered within the time, files named and organised.
Response to feedback: changes made, questions asked, no defensiveness.
Overall note: hire, hire with a development plan, or do not hire, with one line of reasons.
Marked by: two people, independently, before they compare.Keep it fair and legal
Candidates are often working full time. A test that takes a weekend filters out the busy and the careful. Keep the task small. Tell people up front what it is for, how it will be marked and when they will hear back. Return a short note on the outcome, even for those you reject. It builds your reputation among a small talent pool.
Avoid common mistakes
Do not reuse a live client brief. Do not ask for free finished work. Do not change the test between candidates for the same role. Do not let the most senior person speak first when the markers compare notes, since others tend to agree with them. Do not treat a very polished test as proof of fit if the person cannot explain it.
The same care applies to how you handle the process. The recruitment process consulting service covers the stages around the test, including how to brief the panel and keep candidates informed.
After the test
Compare the scorecards, then discuss differences. Where two markers disagree, look at the evidence in the work itself. Check references only for the finalist, and ask about specific tasks, not general opinions. Write the offer in terms of role, level and what the first ninety days will include.
Plan the first month for the new hire before they arrive. A good test hire can still leave if the first weeks are unclear. The post on reviews for creative staff shows how to judge creative work once the person has joined.
