A content writer is hired to explain something accurately at length, so test research before prose. Commission one paid assignment on a topic they do not already know, and require an outline first, a source list, and one quote the writer obtained themselves. Read for structure, accuracy, and whether the piece contains anything the existing results do not.
Trade journalists and reporters carry habits that transfer directly: they chase sources, attribute claims and hit deadlines. Practitioners who write are the highest-value seam for specialist subjects, because an accountant, a nurse or an engineer who can write produces material that a generalist simply cannot fake. Freelance networks and pitch-based hiring work well provided you commission a real piece before committing to anyone. Entry-level candidates from journalism and communications programmes are plentiful and need editing capacity you may not have. Application volume for this title is enormous and largely indistinguishable on paper, so read published bylines rather than a résumé summary. Publish the subject matter and the standards in the [content writer job description](/job-descriptions/content-writer).
The subject, the depth and the editorial process. Say what the pieces actually are: short explainers, long guides, customer stories, documentation-adjacent articles or a newsletter. Give a realistic length range and the monthly volume, since a writer producing two researched guides a month is doing a different job from one filing eight short pieces. State whether they get access to internal experts and customers for interviews, who edits, who fact-checks and how many review rounds are normal. Say whether they work from briefs somebody else writes or build their own outlines. Writers with real subject knowledge choose roles on standards and access more than on the salary line, so lead with those. Mention where the work is published, whether a byline is offered, and use [job posting software](/job-posting-software) to reach writing communities rather than general boards.
Commission a paid assignment on a topic in your domain the candidate does not know. Provide two internal contacts they may interview, set a realistic deadline and require four things: an outline before any drafting, the draft itself, a source list with links, and one quote they obtained themselves rather than lifted from a published article. The outline stage alone separates the field, because it exposes whether someone can build an argument or only assemble subheadings. Watch whether facts are attributed, whether the piece says anything the existing search results do not, and whether the agreed deadline held. Automated [resume screening software](/resume-screening-software) can handle the volume, but only the commissioned piece decides anything.
Four short ones. A screen about the subjects and beats they genuinely know, where you can ask a follow-up question and hear whether the knowledge is real. An outline conversation before the draft is written, which is the highest-signal twenty minutes in the whole process. A draft review with one full revision round, so you see how they take an edit and whether version two is better. Then a short accuracy conversation: pick one claim from their own draft and ask how they know it. Honest writers answer instantly and cite where it came from. Anchor the panel with the [content writer interview questions](/interview-questions/content-writer) and score every candidate on the same rubric.
Rates span a very wide range and correlate with research depth rather than output speed, so a cheap writer producing paraphrase is the most expensive option once editing time is counted. Expect a longer search for genuinely specialist subject matter and a very fast one for generalist work. Writers choose on editorial standards, subject interest, whether a byline is offered, whether their work gets rewritten badly, and, for freelancers, whether invoices are paid on time. Show them something you published and are proud of, and be candid about what the review chain is really like. If you publish question-led material such as an [answers library](/answers), show that too, since the format shapes who finds the work interesting.
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