Effective Work Samples for Evaluating HR Intern Candidates

Human Resources interns play a crucial role in supporting HR departments while gaining valuable experience in the field. These entry-level positions serve as a foundation for future HR professionals, making it essential to identify candidates with the right mix of skills, aptitude, and potential.

Traditional interviews alone often fail to reveal how candidates will perform in real-world HR scenarios. By incorporating practical work samples into your hiring process, you can observe candidates applying their skills to situations they'll likely encounter on the job. This approach provides deeper insights into their capabilities, problem-solving approaches, and cultural fit.

For HR intern positions, effective work samples should assess organizational abilities, communication skills, attention to detail, and basic HR knowledge. Since interns are typically early in their careers, these exercises should focus more on aptitude and potential rather than extensive experience.

The following four activities are designed to evaluate key competencies for HR intern candidates in realistic scenarios. By observing how candidates approach these tasks, you'll gain valuable insights that go beyond resume qualifications and interview responses, helping you identify those with the greatest potential to succeed and grow in your organization.

Activity #1: HR Data Organization Challenge

This activity assesses the candidate's organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to handle HR data accurately - all essential skills for an HR intern who will likely assist with employee records and information management.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a spreadsheet with disorganized employee data (names, departments, hire dates, positions, contact information, etc.). Include some inconsistencies, missing information, and formatting issues.
• Provide the candidate with access to this spreadsheet during the interview.
• Allow 20-25 minutes for this exercise.
• Prepare a brief explanation of how your company typically organizes employee data for context.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the provided spreadsheet containing employee information.
• Organize the data in a logical, consistent manner that would make it useful for HR purposes.
• Identify and note any inconsistencies, errors, or missing information you discover.
• Prepare a brief explanation of your organizational approach and what issues you found.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the candidate completes the task, have them explain their organizational approach.
• Provide feedback on one aspect they handled well (e.g., their systematic approach, attention to detail, or identification of errors).
• Offer one suggestion for improvement (e.g., alternative organization method, missed inconsistencies, or efficiency).
• Allow the candidate 5 minutes to implement the feedback on a portion of the data and explain how they would apply this learning to the entire dataset.

Activity #2: New Employee Onboarding Communication

This exercise evaluates the candidate's written communication skills, empathy, and ability to represent the company professionally - crucial for an HR intern who may assist with onboarding communications.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a scenario about a new employee starting in a specific department.
• Provide basic information about the company culture, the department, and what the new hire needs to know before their first day.
• Allow 20 minutes for this exercise.
• Provide access to a computer or writing materials.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Draft a welcome email to the new employee that:
• Introduces them to the company
• Provides essential information for their first day (timing, location, what to bring, dress code)
• Conveys the company culture in a warm, professional tone
• Includes any necessary paperwork or pre-start requirements
• Offers a point of contact for questions
• Keep the email concise, informative, and welcoming.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Review the email draft with the candidate, discussing their approach and choices.
• Highlight one strength in their communication (e.g., clarity, tone, organization, or completeness).
• Suggest one area for improvement (e.g., additional information needed, tone adjustment, or formatting).
• Ask the candidate to revise a specific section of the email based on your feedback.

Activity #3: HR Policy Research and Summary

This activity tests the candidate's research abilities, comprehension of HR concepts, and communication skills - important for an HR intern who will need to understand and explain policies.

Directions for the Company:

• Select a straightforward HR policy topic relevant to your organization (e.g., time-off requests, remote work guidelines, or professional development opportunities).
• Provide access to relevant resources (company handbook, policy documents, or approved websites).
• Allow 25-30 minutes for research and writing.
• Prepare a computer with word processing software.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Research the assigned HR policy topic using the provided resources.
• Create a one-page summary that:
• Explains the key points of the policy in clear, accessible language
• Organizes information in a logical structure
• Anticipates and addresses common questions employees might have
• Maintains accuracy while being easy to understand
• Be prepared to explain how you would verbally communicate this information to an employee.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Review the summary with the candidate, discussing their approach to research and communication.
• Provide positive feedback on one aspect (e.g., clarity, organization, or thoroughness).
• Suggest one area for improvement (e.g., missing information, structure, or language simplification).
• Ask the candidate to revise a specific section based on your feedback, observing how they incorporate the suggestions.

Activity #4: Candidate Screening Simulation

This exercise assesses the candidate's judgment, interview skills, and ability to evaluate qualifications - valuable for an HR intern who may assist with initial candidate screenings.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a fictional job description for an entry-level position at your company.
• Prepare 2-3 fictional resumes of varying quality and fit for the position.
• Designate an interviewer to play the role of a job applicant.
• Allow 15 minutes for resume review and 15 minutes for the mock screening call.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the job description and candidate resumes.
• Prepare 5-7 screening questions you would ask to determine candidate fit.
• Conduct a 10-15 minute mock phone screening with the "applicant."
• After the call, provide a brief assessment of the candidate's fit for the role, noting strengths and potential concerns.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Discuss the candidate's approach to resume evaluation and question development.
• Provide positive feedback on one aspect of their screening process (e.g., insightful questions, professional demeanor, or thoughtful evaluation).
• Suggest one area for improvement (e.g., additional questions needed, active listening, or evaluation criteria).
• Ask the candidate to revise their assessment or develop 1-2 additional questions based on your feedback.

Frequently Asked Questions

How should we adapt these exercises for virtual interviews?

All of these activities can be conducted virtually using screen sharing, collaborative documents, and video conferencing. For the data organization exercise, share the spreadsheet through a collaborative platform. For written exercises, use Google Docs or similar tools that allow real-time collaboration. For the screening simulation, conduct it through your video conferencing platform.

How much weight should we give these work samples compared to traditional interview questions?

Work samples typically provide more predictive information about job performance than traditional interviews alone. Consider giving these exercises 40-60% of your overall evaluation weight, with behavioral interviews and other assessments making up the remainder. For intern positions specifically, aptitude and potential demonstrated in these exercises may be more valuable than prior experience.

Should we provide these exercises to candidates in advance?

For HR intern positions, it's generally best to conduct these exercises during the interview process without advance notice. This approach tests candidates' ability to think on their feet and apply their skills in real-time, which is often required in HR roles. However, you should inform candidates in advance that the interview will include practical exercises.

How do we evaluate candidates who are nervous during these exercises?

Some nervousness is natural, especially for early-career candidates. Focus on the quality of their thinking and approach rather than perfect execution. Look for how they respond to feedback and their ability to adapt. Consider providing a brief warm-up activity to help candidates get comfortable before beginning the evaluated exercises.

How can we ensure these exercises don't disadvantage candidates from diverse backgrounds?

Review all exercises to ensure they don't require specific cultural knowledge or experiences that might disadvantage certain candidates. Focus on fundamental skills rather than industry-specific knowledge that can be taught. Consider having diverse team members review the exercises for potential bias. Provide clear instructions and be willing to clarify expectations during the exercise.

Can these exercises be shortened if we have limited interview time?

Yes, these exercises can be modified to fit your time constraints. Consider selecting the two most relevant activities for your specific HR intern role, or shortening each exercise while maintaining the feedback component, which is crucial for assessing adaptability and coachability.

Implementing these work samples will significantly enhance your ability to identify HR intern candidates with the right mix of skills, aptitude, and potential. By observing candidates in action and assessing their ability to incorporate feedback, you'll gain deeper insights than traditional interviews alone can provide.

For more resources to improve your hiring process, explore Yardstick's tools for creating AI-powered job descriptions, generating effective interview questions, and developing comprehensive interview guides.

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