Episode 7: The Secret Weapon to Hiring Top Talent: Paid Test Projects Explained
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In this solo episode, Alyssa Lang dives deep into the power of paid test projects as a game-changing hiring strategy for business owners. Alyssa unpacks why she implemented this system, breaks down the exact costs and steps involved, and shares the critical factors that will help you find high-quality team members—saving you time, money, and headaches on your next hire!
In this episode, you’ll hear:
Why paid test projects can transform your hiring process and help you avoid costly team mistakes
How the exact hiring process works, from job ads to narrowing down candidates and offering test projects
What the costs look like for ad spend, candidate payments, and the overall investment in hiring
Who Alyssa hired for (marketing coordinator), and how the test project was designed to vet real skills
How to structure and decide on what to include in a paid test project for your own business
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If you’ve ever hired someone who looked perfect on paper… only to discover a few months in that they couldn’t actually deliver, you’re not alone. Hiring is one of the most high-stakes decisions we make as founders. A great team member can be a growth catalyst but a wrong fit can can cost you thousands of dollars, not to mention your time, energy, and momentum.
If you've ever found yourself frustrated a few months after hiring, wondering why someone who seemed perfect on paper just isn't delivering, this is for you. I’m breaking down the exact paid test project process I use across both of my companies to find high-quality hires who actually follow through. This system has helped us weed out red flags, eliminate misalignment, save thousands in turnover, and now I help my clients do the same.
I’ll walk you through the exact system we now use across both of my companies, including:
Why we started using paid test projects
What role we were hiring for (and how it was structured)
The cost breakdown, from job ads to test project payouts
Our step-by-step process for vetting and selecting candidates
What we asked them to deliver—and why
Why I Started Using Paid Test Projects
2024 was a weird hiring year. After nine years and three businesses, I’ve hired dozens of people, but last year brought two back-to-back hires that just didn’t work out. One was a full-time executive assistant who only took things 75% of the way and made expensive mistakes. The second was hired to support both of my companies but struggled with the realities of virtual work and didn’t meet expectations. Both looked perfect on paper. Both nailed their interviews. Neither delivered. When one quit after a hard conversation about performance, that was my wake-up call. I needed a better system to vet skill, execution, and critical thinking before someone joined the team. I realized resumes and interviews weren’t giving me the clarity I needed. So, I implement paid test projects, and it’s been a complete game changer.
What Is a Paid Test Project?
It’s exactly what it sounds like. Instead of relying solely on interviews and applications, we invite top candidates to complete a real (but hypothetical) project for our company, and we pay them for their time.
It’s designed to simulate the actual work they’d be doing. We get to see:
How they think
What questions do they ask
What quality of work do they produce
How they communicate and organize information
It’s a win-win. They get paid to show you what they’re capable of, and you get to assess their skills, execution, organization, and communication before making a final offer. This approach helps us make hiring decisions based on actual performance, not just potential. Yes, it’s an investment upfront. But it’s nothing compared to the cost of hiring the wrong person.
Real Numbers: What It Cost Us
Here’s the full breakdown from a recent hire:
Job ads:
LinkedIn: $391.70
Indeed: $679.80
Total Ad Spend: $1,071.50
Paid Test Projects (5 candidates):
$31.25/hour (based on the low end of our offered salary range)
Average of 25.08 hours per person
Total Paid Test Cost: $3,918.76
Total Cost to Hire: $4,990.26
Could we have skipped this? Sure.
But after losing two team members, paying out full-time salaries for subpar performance, and wasting hours cleaning up messes, I’m telling you, five grand to find the right person is worth every penny.
The Hiring Funnel
We were hiring a full-time marketing coordinator for both companies. Here’s what our process looked like:
Job Ad Posted for 5 Days
Platforms: LinkedIn + Indeed
1,500 applicants
Initial Filter
150 followed the instructions fully (secret subject line, Loom video, PDF resume)
Interviews
10 candidates interviewed
Paid Test Projects Offered to Top 5
Each received the same project and hourly pay
Final Evaluation + Offer
3 moved to the final round
1 person hired
The Paid Test Project Breakdown
We gave each candidate the same task: create a launch strategy for a hypothetical Mini Course extracted from our larger program. We were testing both strategic thinking and tactical execution.
Deliverables included:
Strategy Document
How would they position and launch the product?
Funnel Plan
Email sequences, upsells, landing page needs
Branding & Resource Plan
Colors, fonts, brand voice, asset list
Copywriting & Design Samples
Landing page
Thank-you page
Welcome email + nurture sequence
Social media ads + graphics
SEO & Content Strategy
Blog topics, keywords, content ideas
Podcast Topics + CTAs
How I could promote this offer on my podcast
Creative Feedback & Ideas
Overall marketing enhancements and integration strategy
The test project was capped at 35 hours, due in one week. On average, each candidate spent about 25 hours. We paid them promptly via ACH and made it clear upfront: no AI allowed. We wanted to see their real skills, not ChatGPT’s.
What We Learned from the Test Projects
Honestly? This process revealed more than any interview ever could.
Some candidates…
Turned in incredible work, but failed to follow directions.
Waited until the last minute.
Asked zero questions.
Produced beautiful design, but weak strategy—or vice versa.
This wasn’t just about the deliverables. We watched how they worked. In the end, we made one incredible hire. Someone who aligned with our values, showed strategic thinking, and delivered high-quality work. And we walked away with insights we can repurpose for future hiring rounds.
The person we hired wasn’t “perfect,” but she was right for us. She showed initiative, delivered a strong strategy, and asked smart, clarifying questions that reflected how she thinks, not just how she executes. That level of insight? You don’t get that from a resume.
Tips for Creating Your Own Paid Test Project
Use your job posting as your foundation.
What outcomes do you expect from this role? Reverse engineer the project from there.
List your deal-breakers.
If bad copywriting is a no-go, test for it. If initiative matters, don’t spoon-feed them everything.
Create a single project for comparison.
Don’t assign different tasks to each person—you’ll have no baseline.
Make it paid.
Pay them fairly. You’re not just getting free labor—you’re evaluating someone for a real opportunity.
Be strict with directions.
If they can’t follow the steps in a hiring process, they won’t follow them on your team.
Is This For You?
At this level, you can’t afford to guess. Your time and team are your most valuable assets. You need to know someone can deliver before they’re in your Slack channels and inbox.
If you’re in a season of hiring—or rehiring after a misstep—and want help mapping this out, I offer paid strategy calls to walk founders through this exact process. We’ll design a custom paid test project for your next hire and help you avoid costly turnover.
Because at the end of the day, your business deserves team members who don’t just talk the talk, but deliver, drive results, and free up your time to grow. Your business deserves better than “hope this works out.” Stop relying on resumes. Stop hiring off vibes. And stop wasting time training the wrong person. Start hiring with clarity. With strategy. And with a system that protects your time, energy, and bottom line.
Because when your team is strong, everything gets easier.
Want to hear the full episode?
🎧 Tune in to The Magnetic Millionaire Show, Episode 7.
Have questions or want to share your experience with hiring?
Come find me on Instagram @magneticprofits — I’d love to hear from you.
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