Effective Work Sample Exercises for Hiring a Social Media Manager

In today's digital landscape, a Social Media Manager serves as the voice of your brand across multiple platforms, directly impacting your company's online presence and customer relationships. This pivotal role requires a unique blend of creativity, analytical thinking, strategic planning, and adaptability that can be difficult to assess through traditional interview questions alone.

While resumes and portfolios provide a glimpse into a candidate's past work, they don't necessarily demonstrate how someone will perform in your specific environment with your unique brand voice and audience. This is where carefully designed work samples become invaluable in the hiring process.

Work samples allow you to observe candidates applying their skills to realistic scenarios they would encounter in the role. By simulating actual job tasks, you can evaluate not just what candidates say they can do, but what they actually deliver when faced with challenges similar to those they'll encounter on the job.

The following exercises are designed to assess the core competencies essential for a successful Social Media Manager: strategic thinking, creative storytelling, data-driven decision making, adaptability, and collaboration. Each exercise provides a window into different aspects of the role, giving you a comprehensive view of each candidate's capabilities.

By incorporating these work samples into your interview process, you'll be able to make more informed hiring decisions based on demonstrated skills rather than self-reported abilities, ultimately increasing the likelihood of finding a Social Media Manager who will drive meaningful engagement and results for your brand.

Activity #1: Content Creation Challenge

This exercise evaluates a candidate's ability to create engaging, on-brand content tailored to different social media platforms. It tests their creative storytelling skills, platform knowledge, and ability to adapt messaging across channels while maintaining brand consistency.

Directions for the Company:

• Provide the candidate with your brand guidelines, including voice, tone, and visual identity elements.
• Share a brief about a fictional product launch, company milestone, or initiative that needs social media promotion.
• Include any relevant audience information and key messaging points.
• Allow candidates 24-48 hours to prepare their submissions before the interview.
• During the interview, have them walk through their thought process and strategy.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Create original social media content for three different platforms (e.g., Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter) to promote the provided initiative.
• For each platform, develop:
• One main post with appropriate copy and visual concept
• Two follow-up posts to maintain engagement
• Suggested hashtags and timing strategy
• Be prepared to explain your creative choices, platform-specific considerations, and how your content aligns with the brand guidelines.
• Bring your content to the interview in a presentable format (digital or printed).

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide feedback on platform-specific strengths and areas for improvement.
• Ask the candidate to revise one of their posts based on your feedback.
• Observe how receptive they are to constructive criticism and how effectively they incorporate feedback into their revision.

Activity #2: Social Media Crisis Management Role Play

This exercise assesses a candidate's ability to handle challenging situations that require quick thinking, brand protection, and appropriate tone. It evaluates adaptability, judgment, and communication skills under pressure.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a realistic social media crisis scenario relevant to your industry (e.g., a product issue, negative viral post about your company, or insensitive comment from an employee).
• Provide screenshots of fictional negative comments, tweets, or posts from upset customers.
• Assign someone to play the role of a concerned manager or executive who will ask questions during the exercise.
• Allow the candidate 15 minutes to review the scenario before beginning the role play.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the crisis scenario and supporting materials.
• Prepare an immediate response strategy for the first 1-2 hours of the crisis.
• During the role play:
• Draft sample responses to 2-3 specific negative comments
• Explain your approach to containing the situation
• Outline your communication plan with internal stakeholders
• Describe how you would monitor and assess the situation as it evolves
• Be prepared to answer questions from management about your approach.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide feedback on the candidate's initial response strategy and communication style.
• Present a new development in the crisis scenario (e.g., the issue has escalated or changed in some way).
• Ask the candidate to adjust their approach based on this new information and your feedback.
• Evaluate their flexibility and ability to pivot strategies when circumstances change.

Activity #3: Social Media Analytics and Strategy Exercise

This exercise evaluates a candidate's analytical abilities, strategic thinking, and data-driven decision making. It tests their capacity to extract meaningful insights from metrics and translate them into actionable recommendations.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a sanitized or fictional set of social media analytics from multiple platforms (engagement rates, reach, follower growth, etc.).
• Include some clear patterns or issues that need addressing (e.g., declining engagement on one platform, content types with varying performance).
• Provide context about business goals and target audience.
• Give candidates access to the data 24 hours before the interview to allow for thoughtful analysis.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the provided social media analytics data.
• Identify key trends, strengths, and areas for improvement across platforms.
• Prepare a brief presentation (5-7 slides) that includes:
• Summary of key findings from the data
• Three specific, data-backed recommendations to improve performance
• Suggested content strategy adjustments based on the analytics
• Metrics you would track to measure the success of your recommendations
• Be prepared to explain your analytical process and how you prioritized your recommendations.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide feedback on the candidate's analytical approach and strategic recommendations.
• Challenge one of their assumptions or recommendations with a new perspective.
• Ask them to refine or defend their strategy based on this new information.
• Evaluate their ability to think critically about data and adapt their thinking when presented with new considerations.

Activity #4: Cross-Departmental Collaboration Simulation

This exercise assesses a candidate's collaboration skills and ability to work effectively with other departments—a crucial aspect of successful social media management. It evaluates communication, stakeholder management, and creative problem-solving.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a scenario where the social media team needs to collaborate with another department (e.g., product, sales, or customer service) on a campaign or initiative.
• Assign 2-3 team members to play the roles of stakeholders from the other department, each with different priorities and concerns.
• Provide background information on the initiative and any constraints (budget, timeline, etc.).
• Allow the candidate 10-15 minutes to prepare before the simulation begins.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the collaborative project scenario and background information.
• Prepare an approach for the initial meeting with stakeholders from the other department.
• During the simulation:
• Lead a 15-20 minute discussion with the stakeholders
• Ask clarifying questions to understand their needs and concerns
• Propose how social media can support their objectives
• Navigate any conflicting priorities that arise
• Work toward a mutually beneficial approach
• Be prepared to document next steps and responsibilities at the conclusion of the meeting.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide feedback on the candidate's collaboration style, listening skills, and ability to balance different stakeholder needs.
• Introduce a new constraint or challenge (e.g., reduced timeline, additional requirement).
• Ask the candidate to adjust their approach based on this new information and your feedback.
• Evaluate their flexibility, problem-solving abilities, and skill at maintaining positive working relationships while addressing challenges.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should we allow for each work sample exercise?

For the Content Creation Challenge and Analytics Exercise, allow candidates 24-48 hours of preparation time before the interview, with 20-30 minutes for presentation and discussion during the interview. For the Crisis Management Role Play and Collaboration Simulation, allocate 15 minutes for preparation and 20-30 minutes for the actual exercise during the interview.

Should we use real company data for these exercises?

While using real scenarios makes the exercise more relevant, always sanitize sensitive data and consider creating fictional scenarios based on real situations. This protects confidential information while still testing relevant skills.

What if a candidate doesn't have experience with all the platforms we use?

Focus on evaluating their approach and adaptability rather than platform-specific knowledge. A strong candidate will research unfamiliar platforms and apply transferable skills. Consider asking them to explain how they would approach learning a new platform.

How should we evaluate candidates who are strong in some exercises but weaker in others?

Prioritize the exercises that test competencies most critical for your specific needs. For instance, if your brand frequently faces PR challenges, the crisis management exercise might carry more weight. Consider creating a weighted scoring system aligned with your priorities.

Should we compensate candidates for the time spent on preparation?

For exercises requiring substantial preparation time (like the Content Creation Challenge), consider offering modest compensation, especially for final-round candidates. This demonstrates respect for their time and effort while potentially improving the quality of submissions.

Can these exercises be adapted for remote interviews?

Yes, all these exercises can be conducted virtually. Use video conferencing for role plays and presentations, and collaborative tools like Google Docs or Miro for real-time collaboration exercises. Ensure candidates have clear instructions for accessing any necessary platforms before the interview.

In today's competitive talent market, finding the right Social Media Manager requires more than reviewing resumes and portfolios. By incorporating these practical work samples into your hiring process, you'll gain valuable insights into how candidates apply their skills in realistic scenarios, helping you identify those who will truly excel in the role.

Ready to take your hiring process to the next level? Yardstick offers AI-powered tools to help you create customized job descriptions, interview questions, and comprehensive interview guides tailored to your specific needs. Our platform helps you design a structured, consistent interview process that identifies top talent while providing an exceptional candidate experience. Learn more about how we can help you find your ideal Social Media Manager at https://yardstick.team/job-description/social-media-manager.

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