What it tests

Versatility across community communication formats, brand voice internalization, and ability to modulate tone for different audiences and urgency levels — all under time pressure

Format

1Candidate receives a brand voice guide and product brief 24 hours before the interview
2During the 90-minute session, candidate must produce 4 pieces back-to-back: (1) a welcome post for new community members, (2) a response to an angry user who had a bad experience, (3) a hype post for an upcoming product launch, (4) a moderation action message banning a repeat offender
3Each piece has a 15-minute time limit and specific character/format constraints that mirror the actual platform (Slack message, forum reply, social post, in-app notification)
4After submission, interviewer reads each piece aloud and asks: 'What were you trying to make the reader feel? What did you deliberately leave out?'

What to look for

Does the voice stay consistent across wildly different emotional registers — welcoming, de-escalating, celebrating, enforcing?
Is the ban message humane and clear — does it explain the rule, close the door with dignity, or does it read as punitive?
Does the hype post feel authentic or does it read like a press release?
Under time pressure, do they produce polished final copy or rough drafts that need heavy editing?

Adaptation guide

Replace the brand voice guide with your actual company style guide. Use your real platform constraints for the format requirements. For a community that skews technical, swap the hype post for a 'here's what we shipped and why it matters' technical announcement.

Full description

Format:

Candidate receives brand voice guide and product brief 24 hours in advance
90-minute live timed session: 4 pieces in sequence — new member welcome, angry user response, product launch hype, moderation ban message
Each piece has a 15-minute limit and specific platform format constraints (character count, format)
Debrief: interviewer reads each piece aloud and asks "What did you want the reader to feel?" and "What did you deliberately leave out?"

Time: 90 minutes

What to look for:

Does brand voice hold across welcoming, de-escalating, celebrating, and enforcing registers?
Is the ban message humane, clear, and dignified — or punitive?
Does the hype post feel authentic or like a press release?
Under time pressure, is output polished or rough?

Adaptation: Use your actual style guide and real platform constraints. For technical communities, replace the hype post with a "what we shipped and why it matters" announcement. For senior roles, add a fifth piece: a community newsletter lede that synthesizes all four events into one narrative.