A template for creating paid test projects that show you exactly what working with a contractor will be like.
Describe the test project clearly. Keep it small enough to complete in 2 to 5 hours, but real enough to show their actual working style. Use a real task from your pipeline, not a made-up exercise. This respects their time and gives you a usable deliverable.
Be extremely specific about what you expect them to hand over. Format, file type, number of options, level of finish. The more specific you are, the easier it is to evaluate.
Set a clear deadline. A good test project should take no more than one week from brief to delivery. Shorter is better.
Always pay for test work. This is not optional. Unpaid test projects attract desperate people and repel professionals. Pay their normal rate or agree a fixed fee upfront.
Decide how you will grade the work before you send the brief. Write your criteria down now so you are evaluating objectively, not based on gut feel after the fact.
Set clear benchmarks before the test begins. What does a pass look like? What is an automatic fail? This removes emotion from the decision.