When you need to know that they can really write...

In another article I wrote why companies are moving away from interview writing assignments.? But what if the job requires writing?? How do you know if a candidate can actually write?

Here are a few techniques:

If you really need to see writing on demand, pick a fun topic, completely unrelated to your company, that makes them think on their feet and shows you how they think. ? For example:? How many trees are there in the USA?? (h/t @Julia Belkin)? Give them 30-45 minutes to work on it.? When they are done, you will have a nice writing sample to assess their ability to write pros.? But for even more value, ask them about the processes they used to produce the sample.? What techniques do they use for research, structure, format?? This type of assignment will not come across as asking for free work, and will give you a sample of writing and a window into their writing process.? You want to hear that the person knows the process more than anything else at this stage.???

1. Rather than ask them to create a new assignment, ask them for a sample.? Then in the interview, as them conversationally to tell you about the piece.? They should be proud of the piece they submit and will be happy to tell you about the context it was written.? Conversationally, ask them to walk you through how you wrote this from start to finish.
2. If you don’t have a piece from them that blows you away: Ask them to share a bit more insight into both their writing and thought process. Have them walk you through their strategy in structuring a competitive analysis piece, for example...
3. Get this info via probing questions to references.
4. Here’s something HUGE: Someone who speaks clearly can write clearly! (Just imagine most writers are dictating their pieces into Word these days, I am doing that right now).

You can learn anything you want through interactive conversation - so long as you know what you want to know and communicate it clearly with direct questions. ? Interview writing samples are an indirect way of asking, and in most cases, they don’t provide clear answers.? You will lose more than you will gain if you require a writing assignment. Those product marketers are a rare breed, when you find the one for you… PUT? RING ON IT!