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In an AI era when resumes can be generated in seconds and rehearsed answers can be anticipated before you ask the question, the work sample is one of the few signals left that cannot be faked. In this employer worksheet, former retained search consultant turned executive coach Nicole Barbano traces the practice from the post-WWII maturity of the SHREK firms to the modern interview, and offers a decision table for when to assign homework, seven rules for doing it right — including NDAs, flat-fee compensation, and an explicit AI policy — and a one-page checklist to run every assignment through before you send it. This is a strong perspective for the hiring manager and for the executive wondering, “why am I getting homework to interview?”
In an AI era when resumes can be generated in seconds and rehearsed answers can be anticipated before you ask the question, the work sample is one of the few signals left that cannot be faked. In this employer worksheet, former retained search consultant turned executive coach Nicole Barbano traces the practice from the post-WWII maturity of the SHREK firms to the modern interview, and offers a decision table for when to assign homework, seven rules for doing it right — including NDAs, flat-fee compensation, and an explicit AI policy — and a one-page checklist to run every assignment through before you send it. This is a strong perspective for the hiring manager and for the executive wondering, “why am I getting homework to interview?”