What is a work sample?

A work sample is an example or collection of a candidate’s previous work. Hiring managers use these samples to assess an individual’s ability to complete similar tasks. For example, if a candidate has experience writing annual reports and samples to prove their skills, they could be a good fit for a role that requires annual report writing.

Work samples vs. performance assessments

A work sample is different from a performance assessment. When you request a work sample, you’re asking a candidate to give you a copy of something they’ve already produced. In contrast, performance assessments require candidates to create custom work for your company. For example, if an individual has experience using conditional formatting and VLOOKUP in Excel but you need someone who knows how to use pivot tables, asking for work samples can help you find a candidate who fits your exact needs.

Why should you request working samples?

Requesting work samples helps you determine if a candidate’s abilities are a good fit for your organization beyond their interview skills.

Some skills are difficult to assess with interview questions. For example, you can ask a candidate about their design philosophy, but that’s no substitute for viewing their previous design projects. If you’re hiring a writer, designer, photographer or other creative professional, requesting working samples or a creative portfolio allows you to review their work and may prompt additional interview questions regarding project scope and creative process.

How to request appropriate work samples

It takes time to review working samples, so you may not want to collect them from everyone who applies for a job. Instead, ask your top three or four candidates to provide samples of their previous work. To make the hiring process as fair as possible, request the same number of samples from each candidate.

Before you request samples, think about what skills you’re trying to assess. If you want to know if a candidate understands color theory, for example, specifically ask for a colorful design sample.

The same applies to writing samples. If you need someone who can write a compelling blog post, ask candidates to provide a portfolio of blog posts they’ve written.

Work-related samples

When you’re ready to request work samples, make sure you’re clear about the requirements. Give candidates specific instructions, such as:

• Please bring a writing sample of no more than 1,000 words demonstrating your ability to write a blog post with one primary and three secondary keywords integrated into the text.

• We’d like to see a sample of your previous editing work. Please send us no more than 20 pages in Microsoft Word. The sample should have Track Changes turned on to help us evaluate your approach to editing.

• Please provide a sample of a tri-fold brochure with at least one graphic that you designed.

• When you come to your interview, please bring a copy of at least one successful grant proposal that you developed on your own. It should be no more than five pages long.

Tips for evaluating work samples

Once you have the working samples, you need to evaluate them effectively. Follow these tips for assessing a candidate’s skills based on their previous work.

1. Create a scoring system

Before you look at a single work sample, come up with a scoring system. Some recruiters use pass/fail grades to narrow down the number of candidates for a specific job opening. Others use more complex scoring rubrics, which assign different weights to each scoring metric. You can use any system you’d like, but apply it consistently. In order to make a true side-by-side comparison, grade each candidate on the same rubric or scoring system.

2. Focus on skill not personal preferences

The purpose of requesting work samples is to determine if a candidate has relevant skills for a specific role. If you want to use these samples effectively, focus on skill instead of matters of preference.

3. Discuss the samples with the candidate

If you request creative work samples, it’s helpful to discuss relevant samples with the candidate rather than reviewing them on your own. You may also request the applicant walk you through their portfolio of work to gain insight into each person’s approach to graphic design or copywriting process.

4. Ask for input from colleagues

In most workplaces, employees must collaborate frequently. If yours is one of them, evaluate work samples in collaboration with your colleagues. You don’t need to set up a formal committee, but it’s helpful to ask a few colleagues to give their opinions on each sample. Be sure to have the same people review each candidate’s work to make the process as consistent as possible.