RE: Sample Writing Tests Needed

[Jim_McAward -at- Ademco -dot- com]

     Hello, Colleen (and all my Techwr-L friends)!
     
     I always administer a writing test, though I never call it that... 
     it's a real-time "sample."  I usually save the writing sample for the 
     second interview, which means by then I feel the candidate probably 
     meets the basic job requirements.  Oh, and it's never a surprise... I 
     tell them before the interview that it's a requirement.  
     
     And it is.  A writing sample will tell you much more about the person 
     than will a fancy resume.  People who bring writing samples with them 
     may be bringing the fruit of other people's labor...  it's useful 
     fodder for discussion ("...how did you solve THAT problem?") but it's 
     not definitive.  Also, the test lets you open the door to a 
     "diamond-in-the-rough" since people who do well on the test will 
     likely work out well on the job, even if their resume is short.
     
     Candidates generally have no problem writing the sample - senior level 
     people need to be reassured that you test everyone, so they don't feel 
     singled out...  and you DO need to test everybody.  (I've avoided 
     hiring enough posers to convince me of this.)
     
     The truth winds up on the paper...  people who do well on the test do 
     well on the job, while people who do poorly on the test don't get 
     hired.  "Well" is not necessarily perfect, or entirely complete... but 
     you'll be able to follow the candidate's thought process, and see if 
     they can communicate well.
     
     Here's the text of my test - er, Sample... which is usually supplied 
     with a *very* familiar piece of office equipment.  Rather than the PBJ 
     sandwich or starting a car, I prefer something that the writer can 
     actually hold, such as an electric pencil sharpener or a stapler.
     
     <snip>
     Writing Sample Instructions
     
     Examine this simple product, about which people *think* they know 
     everything.  Look carefully, and allow it to teach you!
     
     After examining the product, write an operation guide for it.  Your 
     target audience is a person with average (high-school level) reading 
     skills.  Your reader has sufficient mechanical acumen to change a 
     light bulb, and, at the breakfast table, can retrieve the toast from a 
     malfunctioning toaster without incident.
     
     Be sure to cover purpose, functions, care/feeding, and maintenance 
     issues.  After you are finished, your reader should understand how to 
     use the product - just by reading your work!
     
     Some tips:
     
     - If in doubt of a part's name, don't fret!  Describe the part based 
     on its functionality.
     
     - Well written, clean copy is your goal - make your sentences strong, 
     clear, and short without being choppy.
     
     - You may use paper/pencil, MS-Word, Corel WordPerfect, or any Windows 
     text editor.  By the way, the typical sample is between two and five 
     pages in length.  
     
     Good luck - have fun, and take as long as you want. 
     
     </snip>
     
     Good luck in hiring your writer(s), Colleen...  & have a great 
     afternoon!
     
     Jim