A growing interview trend: giving candidates real work to prove they’re right for the job. Will it help companies find the best talent?

The basic idea is to have the person do part of the position’s duties, either by letting them try for a short time after the interview or paying them to work for a day or two. Interviews often include a test or simulation, but some experts say employers should have candidates do real work before they’re hired.

Here’s why:

• It makes candidates back up the claims they made in the interview.
• It helps candidates make sure they actually want the job.
• You can see how the candidates interact with potential bosses, subordinates and co-workers.

But the method isn’t perfect. The downsides:

• It won’t work for every job. Some positions require on-the-job training or an understanding of the company they can only get after they’ve been hired.
• In many cases, you’d have to ask employees to take a full day or more off from their current jobs.
• It costs money.
• Just like some poor performers get hired because they know how to interview, some people might be impressive during the trial, then flop once they’re hired.

Have you ever tried something like this for assessing candidates? Did it work? Drop us a comment. We’d like to hear what you think.

Tags: assesment test, interview, screening process, test drive, trial