When the Interview Ended and the Real Test Began

A Different Kind of Interview

Recently, I was interviewing with a company called Skillz, and they surprised me.
Instead of another round of behavioral questions and generic prompts, they gave me an actual timed assignment. Three hours. Real deliverables. A genuine test of thought, precision, and judgment.

It was the best interview experience I’ve had in years.

The Smartest Way to Hire

The exercise was simple in design but brilliant in intent.
It didn’t ask, “Tell us about a time you faced a challenge.”
It asked, “Show us how you think.”

That’s a completely different kind of filter, one that exposes curiosity, logic, and problem-solving instincts in a way that no résumé or conversation can.

In three hours, they learned more about how I approach complexity than most companies learn after five interviews and a background check.

Why It Works

Timed, scenario-based assignments do something powerful:

• They separate real operators from title-holders.

• They measure how candidates prioritize under pressure.

• They reveal judgment, clarity, and discipline, the muscles that make good leaders great.

For a company, it’s a test drive. For the candidate, it’s a stage.
And it levels the playing field, no AI filters, no keyword screens, no “years of experience” bias. Just proof of thought.

The Broader Lesson

If hiring is broken, and it is, this is how we fix it.
Replace personality tests and behavioral trivia with practical simulations.
Instead of asking, “How would you handle X?”, say, “Here’s X. Show us.”

We already do it in aviation, medicine, and the military. Why not in audit, risk, and compliance, where judgment is the whole job?

A Note to Hiring Leaders

Don’t be afraid to see how someone actually performs.
Real assignments uncover potential you’d never find on paper.
The next great leader on your team might not have the “right” title — but they’ll have the right instincts, and that’s what moves an organization forward.

A Note to Candidates

If a company ever asks you to prove your thinking in real time — say yes.
That’s not a trap. It’s an opportunity.
It means they respect skill more than surface. And that’s the kind of culture you want to join.

Closing Thought

Three hours with Skillz told me more about them than they learned about me.
They value intellect over image, output over optics, and substance over show.
That’s what hiring should look like in 2025 and beyond.

#Leadership #Hiring #RiskManagement #Audit #CareerDevelopment #Recruiting #Compliance #Governance #WorkCulture #Skillz