Why pre-screen digital content interns before the interview
Intern applications for this role all list the same tools. What differs is whether anything has been published where strangers could see it, whether they can get a page live without help, and whether an edit is received as help. A short screen asks what they made that people actually saw, which surfaces the doers quickly.
What actually matters when screening Digital Content Intern candidates
- 01
Campaigns that performed
Ask for specific posts, reels, newsletters or blog pieces they produced, including the platform, publish date, and reach or engagement numbers they can recall from Instagram Insights or GA4.
- 02
Audience and segmentation
Probe how they decide tone and format per channel: TikTok versus LinkedIn versus email, and whether they have read audience data or comments rather than guessing.
- 03
Measurement and testing
Test familiarity with basic measurement: UTM links, GA4 or Meta Business Suite dashboards, A/B testing thumbnails or subject lines, and how they judge a post that underperformed.
- 04
Working with the business
Check how they take briefs and feedback from a marketing manager, handle content calendars in Notion, Trello or Asana, and clear copy through brand or legal review.
Pre-screening questions to ask Digital Content Intern candidates
12 questions grouped by what they test. Ask the same set in every screen and score answers on a consistent scale, or send them as an async video screen and compare answers side by side.
Content they published
3 questions01Can you describe any experience you have creating digital content?
Listen forPieces they finished and published somewhere, with the purpose of each one described clearly.
Only unpublished coursework, or content described without saying where it appeared.
02Do you have experience with video or audio content?
Listen forAny produced and published work, with a realistic sense of the editing time involved.
Production experience claimed without output, or no sense of how long editing takes.
03Do you have any experience with graphic design?
Listen forAssets they produced for a real use, with an understanding of formats and sizing for each channel.
Design experience limited to templates, or exported files sized wrongly for their destination.
Tools they can use
4 questions04Are you familiar with content management systems?
Listen forA system they can publish in unaided, including images, links and basic formatting.
Systems named without hands-on use, or an inability to publish without step-by-step help.
05How comfortable are you with design software?
Listen forOne or two tools used confidently for real tasks rather than a long list at beginner level.
Every tool claimed at intermediate level, or software listed from a course syllabus.
06How proficient are you with basic web markup?
Listen forEnough to fix broken formatting or a link in a published page without escalating it.
No exposure at all, or reluctance to look at anything beyond a visual editor.
07Do you have experience with email marketing or newsletters?
Listen forEmails they built and sent, with subject lines and testing considered before sending.
Sends described without testing, or no awareness that email formatting differs from web.
Thinks about audience
3 questions08Have you used analytics to inform content decisions?
Listen forA number they looked up and something they changed because of it, however small.
Analytics described theoretically, or metrics named without any decision attached.
09Can you describe adapting content for a specific audience?
Listen forA concrete change in tone, format or length made for a defined group of readers.
Audience described as everyone, or the same content reused across very different channels.
10Do you have experience with search optimisation for content?
Listen forBasic understanding of search intent and structure, without treating it as keyword stuffing.
Optimisation described as repeating keywords, or search treated as unrelated to content quality.
Takes an edit
2 questions11How do you handle feedback and revisions on your work?
Listen forA specific edit they acted on and one they questioned with reasoning, described without defensiveness.
Feedback described as always welcome with no example, or visible discomfort with revision.
12Have you worked to a content calendar or editorial schedule?
Listen forDeadlines met consistently, with work planned ahead rather than produced the night before.
Deadlines described as motivating pressure, or no planning method beyond memory.
How to score responses
Score every candidate on the same four criteria immediately after the screen. At this stage you are shortlisting for panel interviews, not making the final call.
Campaigns that performed
30%5Names published pieces with dates, platforms and real numbers, and can say which format drove the best engagement and why.
Audience and segmentation
25%5Describes distinct audiences per channel, cites comment themes or follower demographics, and adapts hook, length and tone accordingly.
Measurement and testing
30%5Tracks content with UTMs, compares variants, reports CTR or watch-through honestly, and changes the next post based on results.
Working with the business
15%5Turns briefs around on schedule, keeps the calendar current, absorbs edits without friction, and flags brand or compliance risks early.
Every application lists the same tools. A one-way video screen asks what they published where strangers could see it.
Try it on HirevireScreening FAQ
Process basics
How long should a pre-screening round for this role take?
Ten minutes across eight questions, answered async alongside links to their work. Enough to hear what they made, which tools they can use unaided, and how they handle feedback.
What should I expect at intern level?
Student media, personal projects and volunteer work all count. What matters is whether they finished and published things, and whether they can explain the choices they made.
Evaluating answers
What is the strongest signal when screening an intern?
Something they published that strangers saw. Interns with initiative have examples and know roughly how they performed. Anyone whose work exists only in coursework has not tried yet.
How do I judge which tools they can really use?
Ask what they can get live without help. Honest candidates name a narrow set confidently. Anyone claiming fluency across every platform will need supervision on all of them.
Go deeper on this role
Sanat has been hiring since 2012 and watching the recruitment industry change up close ever since, and turned that screening process into Hirevire's video screening platform. LinkedIn
