Interview Task: Ask Candidates to Build a Micro-App Prototype in 48 Hours

Cut hiring time and uncertainty: give candidates a 48-hour micro-app prototype task

Pain point: You need to find qualified remote ops candidates quickly, but sifting through resumes and superficial interviews wastes time, money, and leads to bad hires. A short, practical, timeboxed micro-app prototype solves this by showing how a candidate thinks, builds, and ships solutions tied to real operations problems.

Why a 48-hour micro-app works in 2026

By 2026 the hiring landscape has shifted. AI-assisted low-code tools, generative models, and “vibe-coding” workflows let non-developers and developers alike ship functional prototypes in days (not weeks). micro-apps — single-purpose tools built to solve one ops task — are now a realistic and fair way to evaluate applied skills.

“Micro-apps let candidates demonstrate product sense, automation skills, and execution capacity in a single deliverable.”

Use a 48-hour assignment to capture signal that interviews and CVs miss: how well candidates break down problems, design flows, choose tradeoffs, document work, and communicate results. It also aligns with operational hires’ day-to-day: shipping small, iterative tools that improve throughput.

Core principles for the assignment

• Real ops problem: The task must mirror a real pain your team has (scheduling, inventory, vendor onboarding, approvals).
• Timeboxed: 48 hours total; clear checkpoints and an explicit submission window.
• Fair scope: Allow low-code/no-code tools for non-devs and code repos for devs; don’t require production-grade systems.
• Outcomes over perfection: Prioritize a working prototype, documentation, and a short walkthrough video.
• Clear evaluation rubric: Share what you’ll score (usability, implementation, impact, documentation).
• Anti-cheat & trust: Ask for a short screen-recorded walkthrough and commit history or a timestamped recording to verify work.

48-hour timebox template (recommended schedule)

Give candidates a clear timetable to manage expectations. Below is a practical schedule you can include in the assignment brief.

1. Hour 0–4 — Kickoff & discovery: Candidate reads the brief, asks clarifying questions, and submits a 30–60 minute plan (deliverables + tech stack).
2. Hour 4–28 — Build phase: Core prototype development. For non-devs, this is where they wire up Airtable/Glide/Make/Retool; for devs, where they scaffold and implement core flows.
3. Hour 28–40 — Polish & edge cases: UX improvements, validation, basic error handling, simple integration (email, webhook).
4. Hour 40–46 — Documentation & testing: README, setup steps, test data, and a 2–3 minute screen recording demo or 3-minute webcam walkthrough.
5. Hour 46–48 — Submission window: Candidate submits prototype link, code repo, README, scoring checklist, and the walkthrough video.

Allowed tools, constraints and fairness rules

Make the rules explicit to avoid ambiguity. Fairness increases completion rate and reduces candidate frustration.

• Allowed: low-code platforms (Airtable/Glide/Make/Retool), single-file web prototypes (HTML/CSS/JS), quick servers (Vercel, Netlify), basic relational DBs, Google Sheets integrations, and any public libraries.
• For dev roles allow use of frameworks (React/Next, Express, FastAPI) and tests, but set a practical scope (no clustering, no infra provisioning).
• Internet is allowed — this is a take-home task to assess resourcefulness. Plagiarism check: require a 2–3 minute screen recording of the candidate demonstrating the prototype and walking through commit history.
• Provide seed data (CSV, sample API keys to a sandboxed endpoint) so candidates spend time solving problems rather than generating mock data.
• Accessibility: ensure the task isn’t exclusive — offer an alternative timed pairing session if needed for candidates with disabilities.

Example micro-app assignments tied to ops problems

Below are six concise assignment prompts you can copy, tweak, and paste into your job pipeline. Each is written to be deliverable in 48 hours and to highlight the skills most vital for ops hires.

1) Inventory alert micro-app (small e‑commerce)

Problem: Your small store often runs out of key SKUs because stock levels are tracked manually.

Deliverable: A micro-app that reads current inventory (CSV/Airtable), sets threshold alerts, and sends notifications (email or Slack) when items fall below threshold. Include a simple UI for adjusting thresholds and viewing recent alerts.

Success criteria: Correct alerts triggered, easy threshold edits, clear README, and a 2‑minute demo video showing an alert flow.

2) Interview scheduling micro-app (talent ops)

Problem: Coordinating interviews across timezones wastes hours.

Deliverable: A lightweight scheduler that syncs interviewer availability (Google Calendar or mock data), proposes common slots, and generates calendar invites with a single click. Optional: automatic timezone normalization.

Success criteria: Usable flow for both interviewer and candidate, timezone handling, link to invite, and short walkthrough.

3) Vendor onboarding form + approval workflow (procurement)

Problem: Vendor onboarding is manual and approvals are lost in email threads.

Deliverable: A form for vendor submission, a short approval queue for managers, and an audit log. Bonus for automatic document validation or integration with a file store.

Success criteria: Clear submission→approval path, audit trail visibility, and a deployment link or repo.

4) Shift-swap micro-app for hourly teams (operations)

Problem: Employees struggle to swap shifts without manager intervention.

Deliverable: Allow employees to post available shifts, request swaps, and notify managers for approval. Include constraints (skill match, minimum rest hours).

Success criteria: Swap requests process end-to-end, simple UI or Slack-based flow, and concise documentation.

5) Expense approval micro-app (finance ops)

Problem: Small expenses sit in Slack and never get logged correctly.

Deliverable: A micro-app to submit expenses with receipt upload, basic policy validation, and manager approval. Persist submissions in a simple DB/Sheet.

Success criteria: Validation rules, manager approval flow, and exportable CSV report.

6) Ops KPI mini-dashboard (growth/ops)

Problem: Weekly metrics are manually collected and visualized in disparate reports.

Deliverable: A dashboard aggregating sample metrics (daily sales, tickets resolved, lead response time) with drilldown and a refresh button. Provide sample CSVs for data.

Success criteria: Meaningful visuals, filter controls, and ability to export a snapshot.

Evaluation rubric: what to score (and how)

Provide candidates with this rubric in the brief. It both focuses their work and speeds up your review.

Below is a recommended weighted rubric you can use immediately. Score each category 0–4 (0 = missing, 4 = excellent). Multiply by weight to get total.

• Product fit & impact (Weight 25%) — Does the prototype solve the stated ops problem? Is the impact clear? (0–4)
• Usability & UX (Weight 20%) — Is the flow intuitive? Is the UI clear and accessible? (0–4)
• Implementation & completeness (Weight 20%) — Is the core functionality implemented reliably? Are edge cases handled? (0–4)
• Data & integrations (Weight 10%) — Are data models reasonable? Are integrations configured correctly? (0–4)
• Documentation & communication (Weight 10%) — README, setup steps, design notes, and the walkthrough video. (0–4)
• Security & privacy (Weight 10%) — Reasonable handling of sample data, no secrets shared, basic access controls. (0–4)
• Code quality & testability (Weight 5%) — For devs: code structure, readable commits, basic tests. For non-devs: clarity of logic and automations. (0–4)

Scoring example: convert to percentage. A pass threshold at 70% is a reasonable baseline; 85%+ indicates a strong hire. Use rubric comments to provide actionable feedback.

Sample scoring sheet (copy/paste)

Provide candidates a short checklist they submit with their work. This accelerates review.

1. Prototype link (URL): _______
2. Code repo (if any): _______
3. Walkthrough video (3 min max): _______
4. Seed data used: _______
5. Stack/Tools used: _______
6. Estimated hours spent: _______

Different rubrics for non-devs vs devs

Adjust expectations by role. Non-developer ops hires should be judged more on automation logic and product sense; engineers should be scored on code and system design too.

• Non-devs: emphasize workflow mapping, low-code integrations, UX simplicity, repeatability, and documentation.
• Developers: emphasize architecture, test coverage, deployability, error handling, and efficient data models.

Anti-cheat and trust signals

To prevent fraud and ensure the work represents the candidate’s effort:

• Require a short screen-recorded walkthrough showing the prototype working end-to-end.
• Ask for commit history or file timestamps; for low-code projects, ask for a short Loom video showing the builder canvas and steps taken.
• Include one small live follow-up: a 15-minute walk-through call where the candidate explains tradeoffs and answers two rapid-fire bugfix questions.

How to integrate the task into your hiring workflow

Here’s where the 48-hour micro-app lives in a typical pipeline:

1. Resume screen → short phone screen (30 minutes) to verify baseline fit.
2. Send the 48-hour micro-app assignment to shortlisted candidates (clear rules + rubric).
3. Candidate submits prototype and checklist.
4. Reviewer uses rubric to score (15–30 minutes per submission). Top scores invited to a technical debrief and cultural interview.
5. Final decision based on combined rubric scores and interview outcomes.

Pricing, time, and ROI (practical numbers for 2026)

Hiring teams often worry about the cost of sending tasks. Here’s a realistic cost breakdown you can use when budgeting:

• Candidate time: 48 hours window; expected focused effort 6–12 hours (median ~8 hours) depending on scope.
• Reviewer time: 15–30 minutes per candidate to score and leave feedback. Add 30–60 minutes for debrief calls for finalists.
• Tooling costs: low-code subscriptions in 2026 typically range from $20–$50/user/month for small teams (Airtable/Make tiers). Retool-like seats for internal tools run $50–$200/user/month for production. Use free tiers or sandboxes for short tasks to keep candidate cost low.
• Estimated cost savings: Replacing 1 extra interview round and improving hire quality can save weeks of productivity loss. Anecdotally, teams using prototype tasks report 30–50% fewer bad-fit hires and 20–40% reduced time-to-hire.

2026 trends you should factor in

• AI-assisted prototyping: Candidates will likely use generative models for UI copy, automation mapping, and boilerplate. Expect this and assess the candidate’s ability to guide tools effectively. See practical patterns for AI-assisted workflows.
• Low-code parity: Many ops roles now expect demonstrable expertise with low-code platforms; treating these tools as first-class is essential.
• Security & privacy scrutiny: Post-2025 regulatory updates require stricter data handling —score candidates on basic privacy hygiene.
• Edge & offline-first micro-apps: New edge devices and local AI runtimes (e.g., small AI HATs and edge inference) are emerging; for hardware-adjacent roles, consider micro-apps that demonstrate local data handling or lightweight inference. See a guide to deploying models on edge devices: Deploying Generative AI on Raspberry Pi 5 with the AI HAT+ 2.

Concrete employer template: copy, paste, send

Use this starter brief to send to candidates. Paste it into your ATS or email.

Assignment brief (starter) — You have 48 hours to produce a working prototype that solves [INSERT OPS PROBLEM]. Allowed tools: low-code/no-code platforms or a public code repo. Deliverables: prototype link, README with setup steps, a 2–3 minute walkthrough video, and the short scoring checklist. Please follow the provided rubric. We’ll score your submission and invite the top candidates to a 30-minute technical debrief. Starter kit and deployment hints: Ship a micro-app in a week: a starter kit.

Example feedback template for reviewers

Provide rapid, constructive feedback — this improves candidate experience and your employer brand.

• What was excellent: [positive specifics — e.g., ‘clear threshold logic, well-documented README’]
• What to improve: [specific next steps — e.g., ‘add error handling for missing data, explain integration choices’]
• Score summary: [percentage and category breakdown]
• Next steps: [invite to debrief, or decline with feedback]

Final checklist before you roll it out

• Publish the assignment and rubric publicly in your job post so candidates know what to expect.
• Seed sample data and sandbox credentials to reduce friction.
• Decide your pass thresholds and reviewer panel in advance.
• Offer an accommodation pathway and short pairing option for candidates who need it.
• Track outcomes: time-to-hire, interviewer hours saved, and first‑quarter ramp of hires who passed the task.

Closing: Start small, iterate fast

In 2026, hiring is about measuring real-world execution quickly and fairly. A 48-hour micro-app prototype balances depth and speed: candidates show applied skills while you get a tangible product to evaluate. Start with one role, iterate the prompt and rubric after 5–10 hires, and you’ll find the signal-to-noise ratio in your hiring funnel rise sharply.

Try it now: Pick one ops hire, copy the starter brief above, and run a pilot. Use the rubric in this guide and commit to reviewing every submission within 72 hours — fast feedback improves conversion and candidate experience. For additional templates and starter kits, see Ship a micro-app in a week.

Call to action

Ready to test the 48-hour micro-app in your next hire? Download our assignment and rubric pack, or post your role on our marketplace to reach candidates experienced with low-code micro-apps. Contact our hiring team for a free 15-minute consultation on customizing assignments to your ops workflows.

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