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By Lenny Rachitsky · lennysnewsletter.com · @lennysan on X · YouTube · LinkedIn
Lenny Rachitsky compiles practices from six companies known for work trials (Linear, Automattic, 37signals, Gumroad, Auth0, PostHog) into a guide covering what work trials are, why they help, example projects, time and pay norms, evaluation methods, and tips for implementation. The core argument is that working alongside candidates on realistic tasks gives far better hiring signal than conventional interviews.
Subscriber post — summary only01Key takeaways
- Work trials give far stronger hiring signal than conventional interviews, which can reward interviewing skill over real job performance.
- Make trial projects as close to real daily work as possible, while avoiding giving candidates live work that gets shipped (IP and complexity issues).
- Pay candidates for their trial time; companies cite fair compensation as a key reason candidates accept and as a way to reduce friction.
- Keep prompts open-ended so candidates' choices reveal their priorities, judgment, and ability to prioritize under constraints.
- Set clear expectations, dedicate a trial lead, and standardize evaluation with written scorecards to keep the process fair and scalable.
“It makes it obvious who to hire.”James Hawkins · Lenny’s Newsletter
“The goal with the work trial is to simulate a normal working environment as much as possible.”Karri Saarinen · Lenny’s Newsletter
Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.