Tryouts Aren’t Insults
Why rigorous hiring processes aren’t disrespectful. They’re responsible
The other day, a client asked us to require every candidate to complete a rigorous technical assessment before they’d even speak with them.
My first reaction?
That’s a little much.
I worried candidates would see it as over the top. Unnecessary. Maybe even disrespectful.
Then we got our curveball.
One of our top three candidates pulled out of the process entirely. His position was simple:
“Hire me first. Then you can see my skills.”
I get it. Spending 90 minutes on a technical assessment isn’t exactly fun. It’s uncomfortable. It’s work. It exposes you.
But here’s the reality: assessments protect companies from hiring a dud.
And hiring is risky.
“Try Before You Buy” Isn’t Personal
In dating, you don’t get married before you’ve spent time together.
In sports, you don’t make the team without tryouts.
Hiring is no different.
A company is about to:
Pay you
Invest in you
Introduce you to their team
Tie their performance to your output
That’s not casual.
It’s not personal either. It’s risk management.
Now — this doesn’t mean companies should assign long, laborious case studies that amount to free consulting work. I’ve seen that. I don’t like that.
But testing for skills?
Seeing how someone thinks?
Watching how they approach a real problem?
That’s fair.
The Senior Marketing Example
We’re currently running a search for a senior-level marketing executive.
Part of the interview process includes a deep case study and presentation. Candidates have to:
Analyze performance data
Identify trends
Build a plan to increase leads and revenue
That’s the job.
If you’re hiring someone to drive growth, why wouldn’t you want to see how they think about growth?
A resume tells you what someone did.
An assessment shows you how they think.
Those are not the same thing.
If You’re Job Hunting Right Now
If you’re out there hustling for your next opportunity, here’s my advice:
When you get asked to demonstrate your skills — do it.
Lean into it.
Two things might happen:
You realize you’re not as sharp as you thought.
You confirm you’re really damn good.
Both are valuable.
The best candidates I work with don’t complain about the rigor. They enjoy it. They believe they can win.
They treat it like competition.