Recruitment testing for the ‘write’ candidates

Penny Maxwell | August 5, 2025

Testing times call for the right test

A client once approached us about coaching support for a staff member in their communications team, who was responsible for writing regular articles for the internal intranet and newsletter. The team manager was frustrated with the number of edits and rewrites needed to bring the articles up to standard.

The quality of the staff member’s work did improve with some coaching sessions. However, the manager still struggled to delegate additional tasks due to the staff member’s slow writing pace. Eventually, they moved to another role, leaving the manager to hire again.

The manager recalled previous hiring challenges where new recruits lacked the necessary writing proficiency. Because strong writing skills were essential for this role, the manager collaborated with Write to design a writing test for shortlisted applicants. This test was based on real-life scenarios applicants would encounter in the business.

The results of the writing test clearly identified a standout candidate whose writing skills were well suited to the demands of the role.

Test for the best

Our Writing Assurance test is a pre-hire writing test. It’s designed to help recruiters and managers assess a candidate’s writing to check they have the writing skills required for the role. It tests the essential principles of clear written communication — for any role that needs effective writing skills.

With large volumes of applications, you need to feel equipped to choose the right fit. Realistically, most jobs ask for excellent written communication skills — and most applicants say they have them. But how do you actually know?

The answer is to test before you hire — or try before you buy. A Writing Assurance test can help prevent:

We work with you to filter candidates

Our Writing Assurance Test is for recruitment, onboarding, and skills development. It complements any other pre-hire testing and objectively assesses a candidate’s writing skills before you hire them. At the job interview, you interview — they talk. But what happens on the job at the keyboard? A candidate’s writing can reveal problems with clear thinking and can affect people at all levels of responsibility. The flow-on effects can be huge.

In our experience, the result of the test is often the deciding factor between two candidates who otherwise meet your client’s requirements. Comparing the writing skills of two or three candidates often makes the hiring decision very clear.

An added benefit is that any areas of weakness that show up can be addressed at induction, giving the candidate the best chance of success in their new role. You may have a candidate who appears an excellent fit, but our pre-hire writing test will clarify what sort of training they will need if you hire them.

Who the test is for

The Writing Assurance Test is suitable for all roles in the business or public sector that require clear, effective writing skills. Even people who are ‘just’ writing emails can cause confusion and inefficiency without the necessary skills.

Good writers help everyone involved if they:

We can customise the test to fit, even for a specific role — for example, for a marketing company we can include testing on persuasive copywriting.

We can adjust the test for the unique requirements of your organisation and sector, such as:

We provide a detailed report on each candidate.

Why test for written communication skills?

At Write, we know the cost of poor writing. And the cost of hiring. Hiring is expensive! You have to soak up all sorts of internal costs.

Recruitment takes a lot of time too. And then think about the cost of getting it wrong.

A survey of over 1,500 HR professionals across Australia and New Zealand found an organisation’s average cost of hiring to be:

Sourced from the Human Resources Director online article on the cost of hiring.

Costs include the salary, benefits, and facilities. Onboarding costs can range from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands.

What happens at your workplace?

How much time do your people spend writing? Virtually the whole day? You’re not alone — this is a common theme.

And what do your people write? Anything from emails, reports, contracts, project plans, to policy, websites, social media content, and legal opinions. Writing takes a lot of time and may pass through many sets of eyes before being sent or published. Have you considered how often poor-quality writing may have wasted money and time, caused confusion and embarrassment, or cost you business? Good writing is more important than ever.

For managing client and stakeholder communication, clear writing is essential across most roles to varying degrees. And its impact is undeniable — from improving customer connection and increasing conversions, to enhancing brand reputation and ensuring clear internal communication.

What we see in our work

We have a unique perspective at Write. We’ve been training people in how to get value from writing for 35 years, so we have a lot of experience.

I’m a trainer. I spend my days working with organisations who have identified writing needs. The cost of ineffective, inefficient writing adds up. Getting teams up to scratch with writing proficiency saves huge amounts of money annually.

Our content team also works on documents across many organisations, seeing what organisations need and why. Managers are taking work home, time is wasted in peer review cycles, and people are frustrated. Testing for the best skills at the start avoids such problems.

Writing quality is one of the most important determiners of business success. Yet its importance is least likely to be recognised.

Lynda Harris, Rewrite

Book ahead once you know the timeline for a role

Once you know you are advertising for a writing role, book Write’s pre-hire writing test. Clients have got back to us wishing they had booked ahead, so book in early to avoid disappointment. (Saying that, we have always managed to fit them in!)

The impact of poorly written content, multiple corrections, and iterations on manager and team time is often not recognised until too late. We can also vouch for this from our daily interaction with clients who book our training, coaching, and content services to overcome this very problem.

Get in touch to discuss investing in this service to save you time and money.

Let’s talk

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