Test tasks for assistant candidates, and how to score them

Why a test task, and why paid

Interviews show how someone talks about work; a test shows the work. For assistants the difference matters, because the job is mostly written, detailed and done when you are not watching.

Pay for the test. It is fair, it signals that you respect the candidate's time, and it attracts people who already have work. A simple rule is to pay the hourly equivalent of the role's pay for the time the task is designed to take, whatever the result. Stafka's job rules do not allow unpaid test work beyond a short task.

Rules for a fair test

• One to two hours of work, with the expected time stated in the brief.
• Fictional data only. Never real client work you will use afterwards.
• The same task and the same deadline for every finalist.
• A written brief with everything needed to complete it, and one channel for questions.
• A clear deadline that fits around a current job, such as two or three days.
• Feedback for everyone who completes it, even when the answer is no.

Five test ideas

1. The calendar puzzle. Six meeting requests across three time zones, two of them conflicting, and a set of rules. The candidate proposes a schedule and drafts the replies.
2. Inbox triage. Ten fictional emails: a client complaint, an invoice, a newsletter, a meeting request, a vague question from a colleague. They sort, prioritise and draft three replies.
3. Travel plan. A two-day trip with constraints on budget, times and a dinner. They propose two options with trade-offs and build an itinerary.
4. Vendor comparison. Three tools or service providers for a defined need. They build a short comparison table from public information and recommend one.
5. Meeting follow-up. A short written transcript of a meeting. They write the summary, the action points with owners and dates, and the follow-up email.

Pick the one closest to the real job. For an executive assistant, the calendar puzzle and the inbox triage tell you the most; for an operations assistant, the vendor comparison and the meeting follow-up.

A sample brief

Point (3) is the most revealing. Strong candidates spot the real conflict and ask one precise question instead of guessing or asking about everything.

A scoring sheet

Score each criterion from one to three: one if it is missing or wrong, two if it is acceptable, three if it is clearly strong.

• Accuracy: times, names and time zones are right; nothing is missed.
• Judgement: conflicts resolved sensibly, priorities respected, good questions asked.
• Writing: replies are clear, polite and short enough to send as they are.
• Following the brief: every requested item delivered, in the requested format.
• Presentation: easy to read and check in two minutes.

Decide in advance what total is good enough. Comparing totals against that line keeps you from choosing the most confident writer over the most accurate one.

Reviewing the results

Read the work blind if you can, without the CV next to it. Then talk it through on a short call: ask why they chose one option over another and what they would do differently. People who did the work themselves explain it easily; people who leaned too much on a tool or someone else struggle with the details.

Watch for the warning signs in our remote hiring red flags guide: polished but generic answers, details that do not match the brief, or missed deadlines without a word.