In her work with founders and small businesses, and even in her own marketing agency, Mollion noticed that job candidates were using AI tools like ChatGPT more and more to write resumes, answer questions, or present skills they don't genuinely possess.
Mollion says some job candidates have always misrepresented themselves, but AI has made the gap between presentation and reality even wider -- making interviews and written materials even less reliable.
"On top of that, traditional interviews simply don't reveal real skill, work style, responsiveness, or judgment," Mollion told me. "People can say all the right things in an interview, but none of that guarantees how they actually perform on the job."
Mollion realized the only dependable way to vet someone was to see them in action. So, she started creating small, controlled assignments that mirror the real tasks candidates would be doing day-to-day. Because she wanted to be fair, Mollion offered to pay candidates for completing these test assignments.
"This approach reveals how candidates think, communicate, and execute -- before you commit to hiring them," Mollion told me. "It dramatically reduces bad hires and gives both sides a clearer sense of fit."
For example, Mollion says some candidates refuse to take any type of test, even if paid. Others reply late, revealing that reliability is an issue. Others complete the test, but can't follow instructions without multiple reminders.
And then, there are the A-players. (More on these below.)
Of course, Mollion's not the first person to use paid tests to vet hires, but the confidence and clarity with which she does it immediately impressed me. In my own work helping organizations practice emotional intelligence and build it into their culture, I've found hiring a special challenge for smaller organizations. Mollion's technique seems to be a great solution for leaders of remote and distributed teams.
Can paid tests help you and your business make better hires? How do you evaluate candidates? And what should you expect if you use hiring tests? Let's explore. (Want more tips like this? Check out my newsletter on how to develop emotional intelligence in yourself and your teams.)
Although Mollion has run her own business for years, she comes from a corporate background, having spent time at Oracle and Autodesk. As she transitioned to entrepreneurship, Mollion realized the hiring process in her new world was nothing like hiring inside a corporate structure, where HR, recruiting support, established procedures, and legal guardrails provided layers of distance between managers and candidates.
"When you're a solopreneur or independent operator, you suddenly lose all of that," Mollion explained. "The process becomes more emotional, more personal, and frankly, a lot riskier. We relax our standards because we don't want to act 'too corporate,' but the truth is hiring the wrong person can be devastating."
Here's where paid tests come in. They don't have to be large or complicated, Mollion says. Just a small, fair task that helps managers see the following:
Over time, Mollion noticed patterns. She described these as "hilarious" or "horrifying," depending on your perspective.
For example, some candidates block her the moment they receive an assignment. "They clearly realized, 'Oh no... she's going to find out I can't actually do any of this,'" says Mollion. "And their solution was to disappear."
Mollion's also received assignments that were obviously written by AI. She describes them as structurally identical, with a generic tone, or even mismatched logic. "It's almost always obvious," she says. "And it shows who relies on shortcuts."
And then there are the gems.
"The candidates who over-deliver," Mollion says, "not only understand the assignment, they elevate it by bringing new ideas I didn't even ask for. Those are the A-players every founder dreams of."
All of these experiences led Mollion to create a simple framework she uses to evaluate talent. She calls it the "A/B/C/D Player Rating."
The A Players are the rare ones. They over-deliver, follow instructions, anticipate needs, and show ownership.
The B Players are strong performers. They meet expectations, do everything well, but don't go beyond the brief. They also communicate with professionalism.
The C Players are the majority you'll come across. They do the bare minimum to complete the assignment. "It's 'fine,'" Mollion says, "but you can tell they're not putting real thought or heart into it."
The D Players are the red flags. They're late. They communicate poorly, miss instructions, deliver partial or incorrect work, and require constant back-and-forth. "These are the hires to avoid at all costs," says Mollion.
For best results, Mollion recommends combining a test assignment with reference checks from past clients or employers. Do this, she says, and it's hard to make a bad hire.
"I teach small business owners that these foundations aren't 'corporate bureaucracy,' they're what keep teams calm, efficient, and drama-free," Mollion concludes.
"I'll never hire anyone again without a paid test project. It's the best investment I've made in improving my hiring process."
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