Effective Work Samples to Evaluate AI Process Automation Candidates

Intelligent Process Automation (IPA) represents the convergence of artificial intelligence and business process automation, creating transformative opportunities for organizations to streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance decision-making. Professionals skilled in AI for process automation possess a unique blend of technical expertise, business acumen, and problem-solving capabilities that make them invaluable assets in today's data-driven landscape.

Evaluating candidates for AI process automation roles presents unique challenges. Traditional interviews often fail to reveal a candidate's practical abilities to identify automation opportunities, design AI-powered solutions, and implement them effectively. Technical knowledge alone isn't sufficient—successful IPA professionals must also understand business processes, communicate complex concepts to stakeholders, and manage implementation challenges.

Work samples and role-playing exercises provide a window into how candidates approach real-world IPA challenges. By observing candidates as they analyze processes, design solutions, and communicate their ideas, hiring managers can gain valuable insights into their problem-solving approaches, technical capabilities, and business acumen. These practical assessments reveal skills that might otherwise remain hidden in a traditional interview format.

The following exercises are designed to evaluate candidates across the full spectrum of skills required for AI process automation success. From process analysis and opportunity identification to technical implementation planning and stakeholder communication, these activities simulate the actual challenges professionals face in this field. By incorporating these exercises into your hiring process, you'll be better equipped to identify candidates who can truly drive intelligent automation initiatives forward in your organization.

Activity #1: Process Analysis and Automation Opportunity Identification

This exercise evaluates a candidate's ability to analyze business processes, identify inefficiencies, and recommend appropriate AI-powered automation solutions. Successful IPA professionals must be able to recognize where automation can add value, understand process constraints, and propose technically feasible solutions that align with business objectives.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a detailed description of a business process with clear inefficiencies (e.g., a manual claims processing workflow, customer onboarding process, or inventory management system).
• Include process diagrams, sample documents, and key metrics like average processing time, error rates, and resource requirements.
• Provide context about business constraints, such as compliance requirements or integration needs.
• Allow 45-60 minutes for the candidate to review materials and prepare recommendations.
• Have a whiteboard or digital collaboration tool available for the candidate to map their thinking.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the provided business process documentation and identify 3-5 key inefficiencies or bottlenecks.
• Map the current process and propose a redesigned workflow that incorporates AI-powered automation.
• Identify specific AI technologies or approaches (e.g., document processing with OCR/NLP, predictive analytics, decision automation) that could address the identified inefficiencies.
• Estimate potential benefits of your proposed solution (time savings, error reduction, etc.).
• Prepare a brief presentation (5-7 minutes) explaining your analysis and recommendations.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the presentation, provide feedback on one strength of the candidate's approach (e.g., thoroughness of analysis, creativity of solution, technical feasibility).
• Offer one area for improvement (e.g., missed opportunity, technical constraint not considered, business impact not fully addressed).
• Ask the candidate to refine one aspect of their proposal based on the feedback, giving them 5-10 minutes to adjust their recommendation.

Activity #2: Technical Implementation Planning

This exercise assesses a candidate's ability to develop a technical implementation plan for an AI automation solution. It evaluates their understanding of AI technologies, data requirements, integration challenges, and implementation best practices—critical skills for translating automation opportunities into executable projects.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a scenario describing an approved AI automation initiative (e.g., implementing predictive maintenance, automating document processing, or creating an intelligent routing system).
• Provide information about the current technical environment, including systems, data sources, and constraints.
• Include any specific requirements or objectives for the implementation.
• Prepare a template for the implementation plan or allow candidates to use their preferred format.
• Allow 60 minutes for the candidate to develop their implementation plan.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the scenario and develop a technical implementation plan that includes:
• Data requirements and sources
• AI/ML model selection and approach
• Integration points with existing systems
• Implementation phases and timeline
• Required resources (technical, human, infrastructure)
• Potential technical challenges and mitigation strategies
• Success metrics and validation approach
• Be prepared to explain your technical choices and justify your implementation approach.
• Consider both the technical feasibility and business impact of your plan.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Review the implementation plan with the candidate, highlighting one particularly strong element (e.g., thorough data strategy, well-considered integration approach).
• Identify one area that could be strengthened or refined (e.g., model selection rationale, testing strategy, risk mitigation).
• Ask the candidate to elaborate on how they would address the improvement area, giving them 10 minutes to enhance that section of their plan.

Activity #3: Data Preparation and Model Selection Exercise

This hands-on exercise evaluates a candidate's technical skills in preparing data and selecting appropriate AI models for process automation. It tests their ability to work with real-world, messy data and make sound technical decisions—essential capabilities for implementing effective IPA solutions.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a dataset relevant to a process automation scenario (e.g., customer service interactions, manufacturing sensor data, or transaction records).
• Intentionally include some data quality issues such as missing values, outliers, or inconsistent formatting.
• Develop a clear business objective for the automation (e.g., predicting service escalations, detecting anomalies, or classifying transactions).
• Provide access to a development environment with necessary tools (Python/R, Jupyter notebooks, or similar).
• Allow 90 minutes for the exercise.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Analyze the provided dataset to understand its structure, quality, and potential for supporting the business objective.
• Perform necessary data cleaning and preparation steps, documenting your approach and rationale.
• Identify features that would be most relevant for the automation objective.
• Recommend 2-3 potential AI/ML models that could address the business need, explaining the pros and cons of each.
• Select your preferred model and explain why it's most appropriate for this specific use case.
• Outline how you would validate the model's performance and integrate it into a production process.
• Be prepared to walk through your code and explain your technical decisions.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Review the candidate's approach, highlighting one particularly effective aspect (e.g., creative feature engineering, thorough data cleaning, well-justified model selection).
• Suggest one area for improvement (e.g., handling of outliers, consideration of model interpretability, validation strategy).
• Ask the candidate to implement the suggested improvement or explain how they would modify their approach, giving them 15 minutes to make adjustments.

Activity #4: Stakeholder Communication Role Play

This role-playing exercise assesses a candidate's ability to communicate complex AI automation concepts to non-technical stakeholders—a crucial skill for gaining buy-in and ensuring successful implementation of IPA initiatives.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a scenario involving a proposed AI automation solution that requires stakeholder approval.
• Create profiles for 1-2 stakeholders with different perspectives (e.g., a skeptical operations manager concerned about disruption, a finance leader focused on ROI, or a compliance officer worried about risks).
• Assign team members to play these stakeholder roles, providing them with specific concerns to raise.
• Allow the candidate 20 minutes to prepare their presentation based on a brief description of the solution and stakeholders.
• Schedule 15-20 minutes for the role play itself.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the information about the proposed AI automation solution and the stakeholders you'll be presenting to.
• Prepare a brief (5-7 minute) presentation that:
• Explains the AI automation solution in non-technical terms
• Addresses the specific concerns of each stakeholder
• Clearly articulates the benefits and potential challenges
• Proposes a path forward that addresses stakeholder needs
• During the role play, respond to questions and objections from the stakeholders.
• Adjust your communication approach based on stakeholder reactions.
• Be prepared to provide technical details when appropriate while maintaining clarity for non-technical audiences.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the role play, provide feedback on one strength of the candidate's communication (e.g., clarity of explanation, responsiveness to concerns, effective use of analogies).
• Suggest one area for improvement (e.g., technical jargon that wasn't explained, benefit not sufficiently quantified, specific stakeholder concern not fully addressed).
• Ask the candidate to re-address the improvement area, giving them 5 minutes to reformulate their response to that specific point.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should we allocate for these exercises in our interview process?

Each exercise requires different time commitments. The Process Analysis activity needs about 60-75 minutes total, the Technical Implementation Planning requires 70-80 minutes, the Data Preparation exercise needs at least 105 minutes, and the Stakeholder Communication role play requires about 40-45 minutes. Consider spreading these across different interview stages or selecting the 1-2 most relevant for your specific role.

Should we provide these exercises to candidates in advance?

For Activities #1 and #2, providing a general overview of the exercise type in advance allows candidates to prepare mentally without revealing specific details. For Activity #3 (the technical exercise), it's best not to provide advance notice beyond mentioning there will be a technical component. For Activity #4, giving candidates 20-30 minutes of preparation time immediately before the role play is sufficient.

How should we evaluate candidates who have strong technical skills but struggle with the communication exercise?

Consider the specific requirements of your role. If the position involves significant stakeholder interaction or leading implementation efforts, communication skills may be non-negotiable. However, for more technically-focused roles, you might weight the technical exercises more heavily while providing development opportunities for communication skills.

Can we adapt these exercises for remote interviews?

Yes, all of these exercises can be adapted for remote settings. Use collaborative tools like Miro or Mural for process mapping, provide datasets through secure sharing platforms, and conduct role plays via video conference. Just ensure candidates have access to necessary tools and clear instructions for the remote format.

How do we ensure these exercises don't disadvantage candidates from different backgrounds?

Review your scenarios and datasets to ensure they don't require industry-specific knowledge that some candidates might not have. Provide sufficient context and background information so all candidates start with a common understanding. Consider allowing candidates to ask clarifying questions before beginning the exercise to level the playing field.

Should we use real company data for these exercises?

While using real-world scenarios increases relevance, always use anonymized or synthetic data that resembles your actual data without exposing sensitive information. This protects your organization while still providing a realistic exercise environment.

Intelligent Process Automation represents a significant opportunity for organizations to transform their operations through the strategic application of AI technologies. By incorporating these practical work samples into your hiring process, you'll be better equipped to identify candidates who possess not just theoretical knowledge, but the practical skills needed to deliver successful IPA initiatives.

The most effective IPA professionals combine technical expertise with business acumen and strong communication skills. These exercises are designed to evaluate this unique combination of capabilities, helping you build a team that can drive meaningful automation initiatives that deliver real business value.

For more resources to enhance your hiring process, explore Yardstick's suite of AI-powered hiring tools, including our AI Job Description Generator, AI Interview Question Generator, and AI Interview Guide Generator.

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