Work simulations are a practical way to assess how a candidate thinks, communicates, solves problems, and performs the kinds of tasks they may be responsible for on the job. Exercises give candidates an opportunity to demonstrate their skills and approach when faced with a challenge.
Try these examples to evaluate job-specific competencies and identify top talent. during your hiring and recruitment process.
Unlock your ability to lead an all-star team by enrolling in our Build an Empowered Team training package! Gain the confidence, strategies, and hands-on experience you need to hire great people, define clear roles and goals, and give quality feedback. Get ready to lead a thriving, accountable, and empowered team today!
Assess Job Candidates with Work Simulations
This list of sample job simulations tests for specific must-have qualities in different roles.
| Position | Must-have | Sample Exercise |
|---|---|---|
| COO | Critical thinking, writing | Observe the organization in action (e.g., delivering a training session, staging a rally, holding a hearing, etc.) and propose recommendations for improvement in a 2-3 page memo. |
| Manager of programs | Strategic thinking | Read and analyze a set of goals and objectives, and come up with recommendations to pursue. |
| Director of communications | Public speaking, judgment | Rehearse a press conference or a call with a reporter about a controversial program we support. |
| Manager of a small- or medium-sized department | General management, staff supervision | Simulate giving positive and corrective feedback to a direct report. In the follow-up, ask them how they might approach this conversation if the candidate and their direct report were working across lines of difference and power. |
| Communications associate | Writing, racial equity and inclusion competence | Share a newsletter or email blast and ask for their suggested edits, with at least 2 recommendations for ways to be more explicit about the organization’s commitment to racial justice. |
| Fundraising associate | Persuasive communication | Write a brief funding proposal or cover letter to a donor. |
| Special events associate | Organization / project management | Develop a project plan for an annual conference. |
| Director of policy and advocacy | Strategic thinking, interpersonal skills | Sit in on a meeting with a potential partner organization. Afterwards, give feedback including a recommendation on whether and how to engage with them. |
| Senior associate for policy and advocacy | Ability to explain complex ideas in a simple way | Produce a visual outlining key players in the healthcare industry and the relationships among them. |
| Research associate | Strategic thinking, writing | Write a memo on how a specific change in legislation might affect state support for low-income families. |
| Trainer | Presentation and teaching skills | Make a short presentation teaching a skill of your choice (e.g., how to write a grant, how to create a work plan, how to plan a conference, etc.). |
| Executive assistant | Fast-paced, attention to detail | Complete 15-minute scheduling exercise involving multiple meeting requests. |
The Management Center is a 501c3 organization that helps leaders working for social change build equitable, sustainable, and results-driven organizations via trainings coaching, and online resources and tools.