New-Hire Test
This page explains New-Hire Test and its relevance to business operations.
D01 - Process Documentation Coverage
Definition
A documentation quality test in which a person unfamiliar with a specific process attempts to execute it using only the written SOP with every pause, re-read, or question treated as a required revision to the document, not a training gap for the person.
A document that requires prior knowledge to interpret is not a process document. It is a note for someone who already knows. The new-hire test is the only reliable way to verify that a document is genuinely usable by anyone, rather than only interpretable by the person who wrote it.
Indicators
- SOPs in your library have never been tested by someone unfamiliar with the process they describe.
- New hires learn processes primarily by asking colleagues rather than by following documentation.
- Your documentation was written by the most experienced person who runs each process, not by the person who runs it most often.
Quick Win
- Hand one SOP to someone who is unfamiliar with the process.
- Watch them attempt it without help.
- Mark every pause, re-read, or question. Each pause is a required document revision — not a training gap for the person attempting it.
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