Hiring an editor or agency based on a portfolio alone is a gamble. Portfolios are curated, and you don't know how much direction went into each piece. A small paid test with your own footage removes most of the guesswork. Here's how to run one that's fair to candidates and genuinely useful to you.
Why paid, not free
Good editors are busy, and many won't do unpaid work. Asking for free tests filters out the people you most want. Paying also makes the test feel like real work, so you see how they'll actually perform. Keep the test small enough to be affordable, but real enough to be meaningful.
Choose the right footage
Use real footage that represents your typical content, not your easiest or hardest video. If you mostly post talking-head YouTube videos, use one of those. If shortform is the main job, give a long recording and ask for clips. Include some imperfections, like a flubbed line or a tangent, because handling messy footage is part of the job.
Write a clear brief
- Goal: what the video should achieve and who it's for.
- Format: platform, length, aspect ratio.
- Style: two or three reference videos.
- Brand assets: fonts, colours, logo, caption style.
- Deliverables: exactly what you want back.
- Deadline: realistic for the format.
Give every candidate the same footage and brief so the comparison is fair.
Leave some decisions open
Don't over-specify. Leaving room for judgement, like which moment to clip or how to open the video, shows you how they think. You'll learn more from their choices than from watching them follow instructions.
What to judge
The opening
Would the first few seconds keep a stranger watching?
Structure and pacing
Does it flow? Are slow parts cut? Does it build to something?
Details
Caption accuracy, audio levels, colour consistency, safe zones, clean exports.
Following the brief
Did they use your brand assets and respect the format?
Creative judgement
Did they make smart choices where the brief was open?
Communication
Did they ask sensible questions? Did they deliver on time without chasing?
Include one revision round
Send consolidated, timestamped feedback and see how they respond. Do they apply it accurately? Do they push back thoughtfully where they disagree? Do they fix things you didn't mention because they understood the reason behind your notes? How someone handles feedback predicts the working relationship better than the first draft does.
Score it, then trust your gut
A simple scorecard keeps you honest: rate each candidate on the areas above. Then step back and ask the most important question: whose version would you be happiest to publish? Sometimes the highest scorer on paper isn't the one whose taste matches yours.
Testing an agency vs a freelancer
With a freelancer, you're testing one person. With an agency, you're testing a system: the editor, the project manager, the QA step and communication. Ask the agency who will edit your ongoing work, and whether it's the same person or team who did the test. For agencies, a slightly larger pilot of a few videos often gives a fairer picture than a single edit.
Common mistakes
- Using different footage for each candidate, so you can't compare.
- Vague briefs, then judging candidates on guesses.
- Judging on effects instead of clarity and retention.
- Skipping the revision round, which is where you learn the most.
- Asking for huge free tests. It damages your reputation with editors.
After the test
Tell every candidate the outcome, and share a sentence of feedback if you can. Editors talk, and being a good client to test candidates makes it easier to hire next time. With your chosen editor, start with a short trial period of regular work before committing long term, and review together after the first few weeks.
How big should the test be?
Big enough to show real skill, small enough to be quick and affordable. For shortform, a few clips from one long recording. For YouTube, one video or a substantial section of one. For ads, one concept with a couple of hooks. If you're choosing an agency for a large ongoing account, a slightly bigger paid pilot over a week or two gives a more reliable picture of their process.
Be clear about rights
State in writing that you're paying for the test, that you may use the result, and that the footage stays confidential. Clear terms make good editors more comfortable taking part.
The short version
Pay for it, use the same real footage and brief for everyone, leave some decisions open, include one round of feedback and score the results honestly. Then pick the editor whose work you'd be proud to publish, not just the one who followed instructions most precisely.
Related guides
Part of our working with editors series. See also hiring a shortform editor, hiring a YouTube editor and giving useful feedback. Look at our work or ask about a pilot.