Effective Work Samples for Evaluating GTM Strategy and Operations Associate Candidates

Go-to-Market Strategy and Operations roles are critical for companies looking to optimize their market approach, sales processes, and revenue operations. These professionals serve as the connective tissue between strategy and execution, ensuring that GTM initiatives are effectively implemented and measured. Finding candidates with the right blend of analytical thinking, strategic vision, and operational excellence can be challenging through traditional interviews alone.

Work samples provide a window into how candidates actually approach problems relevant to the role. For GTM Strategy and Operations positions, this means observing how candidates analyze market opportunities, optimize processes, manage cross-functional projects, and leverage data to drive decisions. These practical exercises reveal capabilities that might not emerge in standard behavioral interviews.

The best GTM Strategy and Operations professionals combine analytical rigor with practical execution skills. They need to translate complex data into actionable insights, design scalable processes, and collaborate effectively across teams. Work samples allow you to assess these multifaceted skills in context, providing a more reliable prediction of on-the-job performance.

By implementing the following work samples in your interview process, you'll be better equipped to identify candidates who can truly excel in this multifaceted role.

Activity #1: Market Opportunity Analysis

This exercise evaluates the candidate's ability to analyze market data, identify opportunities, and develop strategic recommendations. GTM Strategy and Operations professionals must regularly assess market dynamics and translate findings into actionable plans for the business.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a dataset containing information about a product category, including market size, growth rates, competitive landscape, and customer segments.
• The dataset should be anonymized but realistic, ideally based on a real market your company operates in or is considering entering.
• Provide the candidate with the dataset and any necessary context about your company's current position and capabilities.
• Allow 45-60 minutes for the candidate to analyze the data and prepare recommendations.
• Have a senior GTM leader available to review the analysis and provide feedback.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the provided market data and identify the most promising opportunity segments based on size, growth, and competitive dynamics.
• Develop a high-level GTM approach for targeting the identified opportunity, including target customer profile, positioning, and channel strategy.
• Create a simple prioritization framework for the opportunities you've identified.
• Prepare a brief presentation (3-5 slides) outlining your analysis, recommendations, and rationale.
• Be prepared to discuss how you would measure success for this initiative.

Feedback Mechanism:

• The interviewer should provide feedback on the candidate's analytical approach, strategic thinking, and ability to translate data into actionable recommendations.
• Specifically highlight one strength in the candidate's analysis and one area for improvement.
• Give the candidate 10 minutes to refine their prioritization framework or target customer profile based on the feedback.

Activity #2: Sales Process Optimization

This exercise tests the candidate's ability to identify operational inefficiencies and develop process improvements. GTM Operations professionals often need to optimize complex workflows across marketing, sales, and customer success to improve conversion rates and reduce friction.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a simplified diagram of your current sales process, from lead generation to closed deal, including conversion rates at each stage.
• Include some obvious inefficiencies or bottlenecks in the process.
• Provide context about the teams involved, systems used, and any relevant constraints.
• Allow 30-45 minutes for the candidate to review and develop recommendations.
• Have a sales operations leader available to discuss the candidate's approach.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the provided sales process diagram and identify 2-3 key bottlenecks or inefficiency points.
• For each identified issue, propose a specific solution that could improve conversion rates or reduce cycle time.
• Outline how you would measure the impact of your proposed changes.
• Create a simple implementation plan for your top recommendation, including key stakeholders, timeline, and potential challenges.
• Be prepared to discuss how you would gain buy-in from affected teams.

Feedback Mechanism:

• The interviewer should provide feedback on the candidate's process analysis skills, practical solution design, and implementation planning.
• Highlight one particularly insightful observation and one area where the candidate could have dug deeper.
• Ask the candidate to refine their implementation plan based on a new constraint you introduce (e.g., "What if the sales team is resistant to changing their CRM workflow?").

Activity #3: Cross-Functional Project Planning

This exercise evaluates the candidate's ability to plan and coordinate complex initiatives across multiple teams. GTM Strategy and Operations professionals frequently lead cross-functional projects that require careful planning, stakeholder management, and execution tracking.

Directions for the Company:

• Develop a scenario for a cross-functional GTM initiative, such as a new product launch, market expansion, or sales methodology rollout.
• Outline the key teams involved (e.g., Product, Marketing, Sales, Customer Success) and their primary objectives.
• Include some potential conflicts or competing priorities between teams.
• Allow 45-60 minutes for the candidate to develop a project plan.
• Have a project management or operations leader available to review the plan.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Create a project plan for the described initiative, including key workstreams, dependencies, and milestones.
• Identify the critical success factors and potential risks for the project.
• Develop a RACI matrix (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) for the major deliverables.
• Outline a communication plan for keeping stakeholders aligned throughout the project.
• Propose metrics to track progress and measure the success of the initiative.

Feedback Mechanism:

• The interviewer should provide feedback on the candidate's project planning approach, stakeholder management strategy, and risk mitigation planning.
• Highlight one strength in the candidate's plan and one area that needs more development.
• Ask the candidate to revise their risk mitigation approach based on a specific challenge you introduce (e.g., "What if the product development timeline slips by two weeks?").

Activity #4: Revenue Operations Dashboard Design

This exercise tests the candidate's ability to identify key metrics, design reporting tools, and derive actionable insights from data. GTM Strategy and Operations professionals need to create effective dashboards that drive decision-making and performance improvement.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a scenario describing a specific GTM challenge or objective (e.g., improving sales productivity, reducing customer churn, optimizing marketing spend).
• Provide sample data points that might be available in your systems (without sharing actual company data).
• Include information about key stakeholders who would use the dashboard.
• Allow 30-45 minutes for the candidate to design their dashboard approach.
• Have a data-oriented leader available to review the design.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Design a dashboard that would help address the described challenge or objective.
• Identify 5-8 key metrics that should be included and explain why each is important.
• Create a mock-up or wireframe showing how the dashboard would be organized.
• Explain how different stakeholders would use this dashboard to make decisions.
• Outline any data sources or integrations needed to populate the dashboard.

Feedback Mechanism:

• The interviewer should provide feedback on the candidate's metric selection, dashboard organization, and ability to connect data to decision-making.
• Highlight one particularly effective element of the dashboard and one area for improvement.
• Ask the candidate to refine one section of their dashboard based on a new stakeholder requirement you introduce (e.g., "The CRO wants to see leading indicators that predict next quarter's performance").

Frequently Asked Questions

• How long should we allocate for these work samples?

  Each exercise is designed to take 30-60 minutes, depending on complexity. For remote interviews, consider sending the materials ahead of time and scheduling a follow-up discussion. For on-site interviews, you might select 1-2 exercises rather than attempting all four.

• Should we use real company data for these exercises?

  While using realistic scenarios is valuable, avoid sharing sensitive company data. Create anonymized datasets that reflect real-world situations but don't contain proprietary information. The exercises should test the candidate's approach rather than specific industry knowledge.

• How should we evaluate candidates who have different backgrounds or experiences?

  Focus on the candidate's problem-solving approach rather than specific solutions. A candidate from a different industry might propose novel ideas that challenge your assumptions. Look for transferable skills like analytical thinking, structured problem-solving, and clear communication.

• Can these exercises be adapted for different seniority levels?

  Yes, adjust the complexity and scope based on the seniority of the role. For junior positions, provide more structure and guidance. For senior roles, include more ambiguity and strategic elements. You might also adjust expectations for the depth of analysis or implementation planning.

• How do we ensure these exercises don't disadvantage candidates from underrepresented groups?

  Review exercises for potential bias in scenarios, data, or evaluation criteria. Provide clear instructions and equal preparation time for all candidates. Consider having diverse interviewers evaluate responses, and use consistent scoring rubrics to reduce subjective assessments.

• What if a candidate struggles with the technical aspects but shows strong strategic thinking?

  Consider the specific requirements of your role. Some GTM Operations positions require deep technical skills, while others emphasize strategic capabilities. Use the feedback portion of each exercise to see how candidates respond to coaching, which can indicate their ability to develop in areas where they're less experienced.

Finding the right GTM Strategy and Operations talent can transform your company's market approach and execution capabilities. These work samples provide a practical way to evaluate candidates beyond traditional interviews, revealing how they think, solve problems, and drive results in realistic scenarios. By incorporating these exercises into your hiring process, you'll be better equipped to identify candidates who can truly excel in this multifaceted role.

For more resources to optimize your hiring process, check out Yardstick's AI Job Description Generator, AI Interview Question Generator, and AI Interview Guide Generator. You can also find more information about GTM Strategy and Operations roles at this job description.

Ready to build a complete interview guide for this role? Sign up for a free Yardstick account today!