What is a Trial Task?

Hiring a Filipino virtual assistant?

Awesome.

But let’s be real — hiring the wrong person can be expensive.

Not just money.

Time. Energy. Stress.

That’s why trial tasks are your secret weapon.

Let’s talk about them.

What’s a trial task?

It’s a small assignment.

One you give before hiring someone.

Something that mirrors what they’ll actually do.

Not a generic test. Not a fake project.

Real work. Just smaller.

You give it. They do it. You evaluate.

Simple.

Why trial tasks matter:

Because most hiring mistakes start with assumptions.

You assume they can do the job. They assume they understand what you want.

Then reality hits.

They start the job and… it’s not a fit.

Wrong skills. Wrong pace. Wrong expectations.

Trial tasks stop this.

They replace assumptions with proof.

• You see their actual work.
• You see how they follow instructions.
• You see how they communicate.

Resumes don’t tell you this. Interviews don’t either.

Trial tasks do.

Also — trial tasks reduce churn.

Hiring churn = when someone quits or gets let go fast.

You hired them. Trained them. Got them access. Wrote SOPs. This might take you weeks to do…

Then… they ghost. Or struggle. Or it just doesn’t work out.

Now you’re starting over. Again.

Trial tasks catch that mismatch before it becomes a problem.

You get a sense of:

• Their pace
• Their tone
• Their output
• Their understanding

So when you do hire, you already know what you’re getting.

Designing a good trial task:

You don’t need to overcomplicate it.

You just need:

✅ Something realistic

✅ Clear instructions. Give as little or as much as you want in xontext

✅ 1–3 hours max

✅ A deliverable you can actually evaluate

Don’t ask them to do the entire job. Just a sample slice.

The goal? See how they think. How they follow directions. And if the quality is close to what you need.

Tips that make trial tasks even better:

1. Use the same task for all candidates. Makes comparison easier.
2. Tell them how long it should take. That way they don’t overthink it. Give them a deadline as well (for yourself, auto-filters serious candidates, and stress-tests)
3. Ask for it in the format they’d normally deliver it in. If they’re writing copy — ask for a doc. Editing video — send an export. Spreadsheet — give a template to fill.
4. Optionally, pay them. Not always necessary. But if it’s a bigger task, it helps. Even $10–$25 can go a long way in showing respect. I always do this if the position is long-term.

Okay, now the good stuff.

Here are real examples of trial tasks. For real modern VA roles.

Because in 2025… VAs aren’t just handling inboxes. They’re running tools. Tools you probably use every day.

1. Lead Gen VA (Instantly AI)

The role: Cold email outreach. Finding leads. Filling your pipeline.

Trial task:

• Find 10 qualified leads in [your niche].
• Write 1 cold email you’d send to them.

What this tests:

• Research skills
• Tool familiarity (Instantly, Apollo, LinkedIn)
• Copywriting
• Data accuracy
• Can they match your targeting?

2. AI-Powered Research VA (ChatGPT / Claude / Perplexity)

The role: Use AI tools to draft outlines, do deep research, summarize ideas.

Trial task:

• Use ChatGPT (or any AI) to create a blog outline on [topic].
• Include an intro paragraph and 3 supporting facts (with sources).

What this tests:

• Prompting ability
• Judgment
• Source quality
• Info summarization
• Original thinking vs just pasting AI text

3. Video Editing VA (CapCut / Final Cut Pro)

The role: Edit reels, TikToks, YouTube videos for promos and education.

Trial task:

• Take a 1–2 minute raw clip.
• Turn it into a polished 30-second social video.
• Add captions, music, 1 animated text.

What this tests:

• Timing & pacing
• Branding sense
• Export quality
• Eye for attention spans
• Sound mixing

4. Graphic Design VA (Canva + Topaz Photo AI)

The role: Create daily designs for Instagram, YouTube thumbnails, PDFs. Touch up product photos.

Trial task:

• Improve this photo (background, clarity, etc.)
• Design a square IG post using it with a short quote.

What this tests:

• Eye for detail
• Design aesthetic
• Canva layout skills
• Ability to enhance bad photos fast
• Typography + brand fit

5. Podcast Editing VA

The role: Edit podcast episodes. Clean up mistakes. Add music.

Trial task:

• Edit this 5-min raw clip to a clean 3-min version.
• Remove filler words, background noise.
• Add intro jingle (provided).

What this tests:

• Audio transitions
• Editing discipline
• Attention to tone
• File delivery

6. Shopify VA (Product Research + Upload)

The role: Find winning products. Write listings. Keep store updated.

Trial task:

• Research 1 trending product in [your niche].
• Submit:
  • Product title
  • Price suggestion
  • 1 image
  • 200-word description

What this tests:

• Market research
• Writing skills
• Niche understanding
• Ecom common sense

7. Email Marketing VA (ConvertKit / MailerLite)

The role: Write emails. Build sequences. Segment lists.

Trial task:

• Write 3 promo email based on our brand guidelines:
  • Subject line
  • Body (max 200 words)
  • CTA

What this tests:

• Clarity
• Tone match
• Persuasion
• Formatting

8. Customer Support VA (Gorgias / HelpScout)

The role: Handle support tickets. Stay kind. Stay helpful.

Trial task:

• Respond to 6 fake emails:
  • One complaint
  • One product info question

What this tests:

• Empathy
• Grammar
• Problem solving
• Policy understanding

Evaluating the trial task:

Here’s what you’re looking for:

✅ Did they follow the instructions?

✅ Did they put in effort?

✅ Did they ask any good questions?

✅ Is the result close to what you need?

You’ll quickly spot the difference between:

• Someone who just wants the gig
• Someone who wants to do the gig well

You’ll also probably want to skip reading all the other trial tasks once you find a good one because you’ll want to hire the person immediately (don’t do that). Read them all, narrow down everyone that has a viable task, then go back through resumes/applications and see who fits the role the best. Either interview or offer the position (maybe a 1 week paid trial, that mimics the actual job but if they do good they’re fully hired).

Trial tasks change the game.

They make hiring less stressful. They reduce churn. They give you peace of mind.

And at HireTalent.ph — we believe in them so much, we let you assign trial tasks inside the platform.

Easy for you. Fair for the VA.

Smart hiring, made simpler.

Use trial tasks!!

Watch your success rate go way, way up.