Effective Work Sample Exercises for Hiring a Top-Performing Billing Specialist

Billing specialists serve as the financial backbone of an organization, ensuring accurate and timely billing processes that directly impact cash flow and customer satisfaction. The role requires a unique blend of analytical skills, attention to detail, and customer service abilities that can be difficult to assess through traditional interview questions alone.

Implementing practical work samples during your hiring process allows you to observe candidates performing tasks they would encounter in their day-to-day responsibilities. This approach provides valuable insights into their technical proficiency, problem-solving abilities, and how they handle real-world billing scenarios under pressure.

For billing specialists, who often manage sensitive financial information and resolve complex discrepancies, seeing their work in action is particularly important. The right candidate must demonstrate not only technical knowledge of billing systems but also the ability to communicate effectively with customers and internal stakeholders about financial matters.

The following work sample exercises are designed to evaluate the essential skills required for billing specialist success: accuracy in data entry and calculation, problem-solving abilities, customer communication skills, and proficiency with billing systems. By incorporating these exercises into your interview process, you'll be able to identify candidates who can maintain billing accuracy while efficiently resolving issues that arise.

Activity #1: Invoice Discrepancy Resolution

This exercise tests a candidate's ability to identify billing errors, apply proper correction procedures, and communicate effectively with customers about sensitive financial matters. Accuracy in billing is crucial for maintaining customer trust and ensuring proper revenue collection, making this a fundamental skill for any billing specialist.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a mock customer invoice with 3-5 intentional errors (e.g., incorrect pricing, duplicate charges, missing discounts, or mathematical errors).
• Include a brief customer profile and account history for context.
• Provide the candidate with your company's standard procedure for handling billing corrections.
• Allow 20-25 minutes for this exercise.
• Have a team member role-play as the customer who has called to dispute the bill.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the invoice carefully to identify all discrepancies.
• Calculate the correct total based on your findings.
• Prepare a brief explanation of the errors found and corrections made.
• Role-play a call with the customer to explain the discrepancies and your resolution.
• Document the corrections according to the company's standard procedure.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide feedback on the candidate's accuracy in identifying errors and calculating the correct amount.
• Offer one piece of constructive feedback about their customer communication approach.
• Allow the candidate 5 minutes to adjust their customer communication strategy and demonstrate the improvement in a brief follow-up interaction.

Activity #2: Billing System Navigation and Data Entry

This exercise evaluates the candidate's ability to efficiently navigate billing software and enter data with high accuracy. Proficiency with billing systems is essential for productivity and error prevention, making it a critical skill to assess before hiring.

Directions for the Company:

• Set up a test environment in your actual billing system or a simplified version.
• Prepare a packet of 5-7 billing documents (invoices, credit memos, etc.) that need to be entered.
• Include some common scenarios that require decision-making (e.g., missing information, unusual codes).
• Allocate 30 minutes for this exercise.
• Prepare a cheat sheet with basic navigation tips for candidates unfamiliar with your specific system.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Familiarize yourself with the billing system using the provided navigation guide.
• Process all documents in the packet, entering them accurately into the system.
• Flag any issues or missing information according to company protocol.
• Prioritize the work in a logical order.
• Complete as many entries as possible within the time limit while maintaining accuracy.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Review the entries with the candidate, highlighting one strength in their approach.
• Identify one area where efficiency or accuracy could be improved.
• Allow the candidate to correct any errors and demonstrate an improved approach to one of the entries.

Activity #3: Collections Call Simulation

This exercise assesses the candidate's ability to handle sensitive payment discussions professionally while effectively representing the company's interests. Strong communication skills and the ability to navigate difficult conversations are essential for maintaining customer relationships while ensuring timely payments.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a scenario involving an overdue account with specific details (e.g., payment history, amount overdue, previous communication attempts).
• Prepare a role player to act as the customer with specific objections or excuses.
• Provide the candidate with your collections policies and any script guidelines.
• Record the call (with candidate permission) for evaluation purposes.
• Allow 15 minutes for preparation and 10 minutes for the call.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the account information and collection policies.
• Prepare a strategy for approaching the call that balances firmness with customer service.
• Conduct a professional collections call with the goal of securing payment or establishing a payment plan.
• Document the call outcome according to company procedures.
• Be prepared to handle objections or difficult responses from the customer.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide feedback on one aspect of the call that was particularly effective.
• Suggest one improvement in their approach or communication style.
• Allow the candidate to role-play a specific portion of the conversation again, implementing the suggested improvement.

Activity #4: Billing Cycle Analysis and Optimization

This exercise evaluates the candidate's analytical thinking and process improvement capabilities. A strong billing specialist should be able to identify inefficiencies and suggest practical improvements to billing workflows, making this an important higher-level skill to assess.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a flowchart or written description of your current billing cycle with intentional inefficiencies or bottlenecks.
• Include relevant metrics such as average days to payment, error rates, or customer complaints.
• Provide information about available resources and system capabilities.
• Allow 45 minutes for analysis and presentation preparation.
• Have 1-2 team members available to answer clarifying questions and hear recommendations.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the billing cycle documentation and metrics.
• Identify at least three areas for potential improvement.
• Prepare specific, practical recommendations to address each issue.
• Create a brief presentation (5-7 minutes) outlining your findings and recommendations.
• Be prepared to explain the potential impact of your suggestions on efficiency, accuracy, and customer satisfaction.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide feedback on the quality and practicality of one recommendation.
• Suggest one way the analysis or presentation could be more compelling or thorough.
• Allow the candidate 10 minutes to refine one recommendation based on the feedback.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should we allocate for these work samples in our interview process?

Each exercise requires approximately 30-45 minutes including setup, execution, and feedback. We recommend selecting 1-2 exercises most relevant to your specific needs rather than attempting all four in a single interview. The billing system navigation and invoice discrepancy exercises work well as a pair if you need to assess both technical and customer service skills.

What if candidates aren't familiar with our specific billing software?

The billing system exercise can be modified to focus on the candidate's ability to learn new systems quickly rather than testing existing knowledge. Provide a brief tutorial and assess how quickly they adapt. Alternatively, you can use a simplified spreadsheet-based exercise that tests the same data entry and accuracy skills without requiring specific software knowledge.

Should we provide these exercises to candidates in advance?

For the billing cycle analysis, providing information 24 hours in advance allows candidates to prepare more thoughtful recommendations. The other exercises are best conducted without advance notice to assess how candidates perform under realistic conditions. However, you should always inform candidates that the interview will include practical exercises so they can mentally prepare.

How do we evaluate candidates consistently across these exercises?

Create a simple rubric for each exercise that scores candidates on the key skills being assessed (e.g., accuracy, efficiency, communication, problem-solving). Have the same team members evaluate all candidates for a particular role, and take detailed notes during the exercises to support your ratings and provide specific feedback.

What accommodations should we consider for these exercises?

Be prepared to offer reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities. This might include extended time, alternative formats for materials, or modifications to the exercise structure. The core skills being assessed can typically be evaluated through multiple approaches, so be flexible while ensuring you're still assessing the essential job functions.

How do these exercises complement traditional interview questions?

These work samples should be used alongside behavioral interview questions that explore past experiences. While the exercises show what candidates can do in the moment, behavioral questions reveal their track record and approach to similar situations over time. Together, they provide a more complete picture of the candidate's capabilities.

Implementing these practical work samples will significantly improve your ability to identify billing specialists who can maintain accurate financial records, resolve discrepancies efficiently, and communicate effectively with customers. By observing candidates performing actual job tasks, you'll gain insights that traditional interviews simply cannot provide.

For more resources to enhance your hiring process, check out Yardstick's AI Job Descriptions, AI Interview Question Generator, and AI Interview Guide Generator.

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