How do I test a new hire's knowledge without making them take a formal, stressful quiz?

Test new hire knowledge informally through practical tasks, casual check-ins, and reverse teaching. Instead of a quiz, ask the new hire to walk you through a process they learned, have them complete a real task independently, or ask them to explain a concept to a colleague. These methods test comprehension without the anxiety of a formal assessment.

What are the best informal assessment methods?

Method	How It Works	What It Tests
Reverse teaching	"Walk me through how you'd process a refund"	Comprehension and recall
Supervised first task	Complete a real task while manager observes	Practical application
Scenario questions	"What would you do if a customer says X?"	Decision-making and judgment
Peer explanation	Explain a process to another new hire	Deep understanding
SOP treasure hunt	"Find the SOP for vendor onboarding and tell me the first 3 steps"	Documentation navigation
Error spotting	Show an intentionally wrong process and ask them to identify issues	Critical thinking

When should you check at each stage?

Timing	Assessment Method	What You're Looking For
End of week 1	Reverse teaching of 2-3 basic processes	Can they explain what they learned?
End of week 2	Supervised first real task	Can they perform the task correctly?
End of week 3	Independent task with output review	Can they do it without help?
End of month 1	Handle a challenging scenario independently	Can they adapt and make decisions?

If the new hire cannot pass an informal check, the issue is usually the documentation — not the person. Review the SOPs they studied and improve them. Glyde creates clear, visual guides that are easier to learn from than text-heavy documents.

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This answer is part of our guide to employee onboarding documentation.