RESEARCH ANSWER
Companies seek work signal beyond the résumé.
PostHog uses a paid SuperDay, Automattic a trial project, and Bending Spoons prioritizes talent and judgment over experience. The shared pattern is observing candidates in work-like conditions.
Questions
How do great companies protect the hiring bar?
Which companies do real work with candidates?
How do remote teams assess written communication?
CROSS-COMPANY SYNTHESIS
Evidence-linked practices
01
PostHog
SuperDay hiring
Candidates do paid real work to generate hiring signal.
Hiring Handbook02
Automattic
Trial project
A paid project is run with candidates before a full-time offer.
How We Hire03
Bending Spoons
Starting strong
The first period combines explicit expectations, intensive context, early feedback and progressively larger responsibility.
Starting Strong