Re videos, have you never created video tutorials because users haven’t needed them, or because no project manager ever asked you to create them? If it’s the former, how do you know users don’t need them? And if it’s the latter, maybe the project manager doesn’t realize how helpful they are to users. I think good video tutorials for software applications are as helpful or more helpful to users than written instructions.

On the other hand, I wouldn’t want to be tested in a manner subject to arbitrary standards, no standards,or could open my testing efforts to gross misinterpretation.

The whole point to such a test would be to determine whether a writer can write in a way that answers clearly stated criteria that match the employer’s needs.

As a contractor, I think I’ve run across more scary people who passed themselves off as tech writers than anyone would care to know. Their poor skills tend to put the rest of the team they work with in danger.

Those people should be recognized for what they are. Many times I find them to be good editors. But if they cannot even do a simple task like editing, then they should be out the door.

I’ve been a technical writer for ten years (and in the high tech industry for 20 years) and I have never taken a test during an interview. I also have never needed to create a video for any documentation that I’ve ever written and I’ve done everything from APIs to blog entries.

I also feel that asking silly or absurdly hard questions just because you can is a waste of everyone’s time. This isn’t a game and that kind of interviewing isn’t going to tell you any thing. It speaks more about the interviewer than the interviewee. If the writer has samples and enough experience it should be obvious that they can do the job or not. It then boils down to personality fit.

Best of all, you can find tons of free samples on the Internet!…

Many candidates pose as technical writers but really lack the skills. Writing tests can help weed these candidates out. I guess I’ve come full circle on this. I now would also encourage a writing test, and require that candidates provide instructions on how to document a typical company widget. When you get that writing sample, here are some obvious signs that you shouldn’t hire them:

* The writer doesn’t use numbered steps.
* The procedure had 20+ steps without being broken into separate tasks.
* The writing is unclear.
* The writing is poorly organized.
* The formatting is sloppy.
* The writer doesn’t structure the content with styles.
* The steps are inaccurate.
* Field definitions aren’t illuminating.
* You can spot misspellings and grammar errors.

My alternate tests are still valid. I’m just now endorsing the standard writing test.

As an added bonus, requiring writing tests will drastically reduce the number of candidates who apply.