A résumé tells you what a candidate says they have done. A job-relevant work sample lets you observe how they handle a defined task. Neither is a lie detector, and neither proves how someone will perform in every situation. For hiring teams, the stronger approach is to check claims, test only essential skills candidates should already have, and score evidence consistently.
What a work sample can—and cannot—show
A work sample or simulation gives an applicant a chance to perform a task or demonstrate behavior relevant to the role. Assessors can observe how the candidate works or measure the result. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) describes examples such as tasks at a workstation resembling the job and role-play exercises for broader competencies. OPM’s work-sample guidance says these assessments are appropriate when applicants are expected to possess the competency on entry.
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That last condition matters. A test should not treat skills candidates are expected to learn after hiring as prerequisites for selection. The assessment should sample important job behavior or work products, and its manner, setting, and complexity should approximate the work situation. The federal regulation explains that the closer a selection procedure’s content and context are to actual work, the stronger the basis for content validity. 28 CFR § 50.14 sets out this principle; the EEOC’s interpretation discusses the limits of using content validity for skills expected to be learned after hire. EEOC guidance
A work sample is still a narrow snapshot. A candidate may do well on one task and struggle with other parts of the role; a poorly designed task may measure something unrelated to job performance. OPM also cautions that developing and administering work samples can take time and money, and that trained observers may be needed. The method is most useful for critical competencies that must be present from day one, not as a universal test of honesty or future success.
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Match the evidence to the question
Résumé review, a work sample, and references answer different questions. Use each for the kind of evidence it can reasonably provide rather than treating one as a substitute for all the others.
| Method | What it can help establish | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Résumé review | The candidate’s account of their experience and qualifications | Identifying claims and experience to explore during selection |
| Work sample or simulation | Observed behavior or a task outcome under defined conditions | A critical skill applicants should already possess, tested with work-like tasks |
| Structured reference check | Verification of candidate-provided information and comparison of past experience with job competencies | Checking relevant claims using consistent, job-related questions and ratings |
This is a functional comparison, not proof that one method predicts performance better across every role. The sources do not establish a universal advantage for work samples over résumés or references. A sample demonstrates performance on the task assessed; a reference can shed light on past work but is not a substitute for observing the candidate perform a relevant task.
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Design a fair, job-related work sample
- Start with the job. Use an up-to-date job analysis to identify important duties and the competencies genuinely needed at entry. OPM recommends job analysis and validity evidence when designing selection procedures.
- Choose a representative task. Sample a meaningful work behavior or product. Match the task’s context, setting, and complexity to the role rather than adding difficulty or constraints that do not reflect the work.
- Define the scoring before candidates take it. Specify what assessors will observe or measure and how they will rate it. Use consistent administration and standardized collection of information; train observers when the assessment requires judgment.
- Explain the assessment. Tell candidates what it measures and why that competency matters for the job, as OPM recommends. Clear expectations help candidates understand what they are being asked to demonstrate.
- Review whether the exercise earns its burden. Work samples can take substantial candidate and assessor time, and they require development and administration effort. Reserve them for skills important enough to justify that cost.
Use references to check claims, not to improvise
OPM describes reference checks as a way to verify information applicants have provided elsewhere in the hiring process and to compare past experience with job competencies. Its guidance recommends building questions from job analysis, asking references the same questions, and collecting and rating responses in a standardized way. OPM’s reference-checking guidance
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That structure makes responses easier to assess against the role and reduces reliance on casual impressions. Keep questions job-related and consistent. A reference speaks to reported past experience; it does not make a résumé claim true merely because someone repeats it, and it does not show exactly how the candidate will handle a new work task.
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Account for U.S. background-check rules
In the United States, a third-party background report or algorithmic score used in an employment decision may be a consumer report under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). A June 3, 2024 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau circular says FCRA duties can include obtaining a worker’s permission and giving required notices before and upon adverse action; individuals also have rights to learn about and dispute information in a report. CFPB Circular 2024-06
This is U.S. federal guidance, not a complete account of state or local requirements. Employers should assess the rules that apply to their jurisdiction and process before relying on third-party reports or scores.
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What the title gets right—and where it stops
A résumé is a set of claims; a work sample creates an opportunity to observe selected behavior or results directly. That makes the sample useful evidence, not proof that every claim on a résumé is false or that a candidate cannot fake an exercise. The official guidance cited here does not measure how often résumés are fabricated or establish that work samples universally predict performance better. The defensible lesson is narrower: verify claims with structured methods and assess essential, entry-level skills using tasks that genuinely resemble the job.
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