What are performance tasks or exercises?

 
 

Whether you are celebrating Valentine’s Day or another holiday or nothing at all, I hope you find some time to take a break and do something you love to do–whether by yourself or with others. I helped my kids spread the love to their classmates and teachers with homemade cards.

Speaking of those valentines, getting them ready can feel like a chore, sometimes they feel like homework for the parents. If you are on the job hunt, you may have to do literal homework during the hiring process. Performance tasks, or exercises, are designed to see you in action. I know it can be a drag to do any kind of work without compensation, so that’s why we always encourage our clients to pay for work done during the hiring process. 

 
 

What are exercises/performance tasks?

Exercises are a chance for candidates to show off their skills and for hiring managers to see candidates in action. We try to cater the exercise to what the job is. That means you can also use this as an opportunity to see if you really want this job. If you don’t enjoy doing the exercise, maybe the job isn’t a fit.


What’s involved? Can you provide an example?

We always recommend that candidates spend no more than 2-3 hours. However, we know that they spend more but hope they don’t. Nothing is guaranteed and we know that the hiring process takes a lot of time and feels like a job on its own. Try to spend enough time to showcase your skills beyond just the interviews and answering questions but don’t spend so much time that it takes over your life.  

 
 

Here is an example of an exercise we have used for an Executive Assistant position. We shortened it and changed a few details but hopefully you get the picture: 

The following exercise should allow you to demonstrate your administrative, writing, and prioritizing skills that we’re looking for in this role.  Please spend no more than 90 minutes on this activity.

You are the Special Assistant to the Executive Director at [Organization]. Please review the following scenario and draft an email to the Executive Director with your advice on the next steps. 

When you check your email in the morning, you have 3 emails waiting for you:

  • Subject: Introducing New Exciting Fund

To whom it may concern: I’m reaching out to introduce myself and my organization, I’m the Grants Director at the New Exciting Fund. Attached you will find our annual report. I’d love to set up a time to meet with [ED] and talk about potential future funding. I can work around [ED’s] schedule. Let me know what works. Sincerely, Jane Doe New Exciting Fund, Grants Director.

  • Subject: Need Giving History 

Hi! Can you pull our giving history for the New Potential Partner Organization? I’m meeting with someone on their Board and would love to know more about them. Thanks! Samantha Doe, Board Member

  • Subject: Need to Bail

Please let [ED] know that I can’t make our 10 am meeting today. I had a minor bike accident and need to lay low for a couple of days. I’ll be in touch to reschedule. -Blanca (Communications Director)

During your weekly Monday morning check-in with the ED, they ask you to take care of the following:

  • Schedule video calls with state campaigns staff to check in on each of the state-based teams in GA, NC, MI, TX, CA, NY, and NJ. [ED] wants to meet with the States Campaign Manager, and the lead organizer in each state. Each meeting should be 30 minutes long.

  • Big Name’s Executive Assistant at the Big Deal Foundation has asked you to find time for a call with the ED.

  • A conference has been scheduled for an upcoming Tuesday that the ED must attend for the day in New York City – she needs you to make travel arrangements for a day trip.

  • A Washington Post reporter reached out for a comment about the recent story they are writing. 

  • The ED of Longtime Partner Org is coming to town next month – can you find a day that works to hold a 2-hour meeting together?

Tasks:

Please provide an email you will write to [ED] coming out of your weekly check-in. Assume you are in the first four weeks of the job and are therefore moving forward on some things, but checking with the ED for approval on others. In this email you should do the following:

  • Summarize what the key priorities are for the week coming out of the meeting

  • Make specific scheduling recommendations

  • Move items forward with regard to the emails you found in your inbox. Include a sample response to the New Exciting Fund Grants Director. 

  • Ask any questions you have for [ED] 

 
 

How can I ace this part of the hiring process?

It’s all in the details. The mistake some make is not allowing for enough time. Yes, we only want you to spend 2-3 hours, but it’s best to spend the majority of that time in the creation part and then take a break. 

Maybe you sleep and get up early the next day to put the finishing touches on it and edit. Make sure you have that break to bring fresh eyes to it before you hit send. That will prevent you from sending the exercise along with minor errors that you missed from staring at it for too long or overthinking it.

When in the hiring process you can expect exercises

Typically we send out exercises after the phone interview but before the hiring manager interview. Sometimes we send  them post the hiring manager interview but before the panel interview. 

Depending on the search, we might grade the exercises blind. This means that the hiring manager reviews the content but doesn't know who produced the work. Sometimes this makes sense for the search and is just one tactic to remove bias from the interview process. 

 
 

Bottom line: Trust yourself. You are applying for jobs you want. Look forward to this part of the process as a break from thinking about answering questions and remember it’s a time when you can do what you really want to do: show them exactly what you can do and what you will bring to the organization. 

 
 
 

On to the jobs! Check out all of NRG’s searches here. Twenty-eight of those positions are remote.

Opportunities NRG is hiring for:

In addition to this list, you can find more opportunities on the website. Follow NRG on LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on all of the roles we are hiring for.

Let’s move,

Naomi

P.S.  If you are launching a new job search in 2024 or just want to hit reset, sign up right now for 15 minutes with Kristin to learn how NRG’s coaching programs can help you.

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Job search tips, Interview processNaomi Roth-Gaudette