Essential Work Samples for Hiring a Top-Performing PPC Manager

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) management is a critical digital marketing function that directly impacts a company's ability to acquire customers cost-effectively. A skilled PPC Manager can dramatically improve marketing ROI by optimizing campaigns, reducing wasted ad spend, and increasing conversion rates across platforms like Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, and social media advertising channels.

The challenge in hiring for this role lies in distinguishing between candidates who understand PPC theory and those who can actually execute successful campaigns. Many candidates can discuss strategies and best practices, but fewer demonstrate the analytical thinking, creative problem-solving, and technical skills required to excel in real-world scenarios.

Traditional interviews often fail to reveal a candidate's true capabilities in campaign management, budget optimization, ad copywriting, and performance analysis. By incorporating practical work samples into your hiring process, you can observe candidates applying their skills to realistic scenarios that mirror the actual responsibilities of the role.

These work samples are designed to evaluate not just technical knowledge but also critical thinking, adaptability, and communication skills. They provide insight into how candidates approach problems, make data-driven decisions, and respond to feedback—all essential qualities for a successful PPC Manager who will be entrusted with your advertising budget.

The following four activities will help you identify candidates who can truly drive results through paid advertising, rather than those who simply interview well. Each exercise simulates a different aspect of the PPC Manager role, allowing you to comprehensively assess each candidate's capabilities.

Activity #1: Campaign Performance Optimization

This exercise tests a candidate's ability to analyze underperforming campaigns and implement strategic optimizations. Successful PPC Managers must be able to quickly identify issues, prioritize changes, and develop solutions that improve campaign performance while maintaining efficiency.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a simplified Google Ads or Facebook Ads account report showing 3-4 campaigns with various performance issues (high CPC, low CTR, poor conversion rates, etc.).
• Include key metrics such as impressions, clicks, CTR, CPC, conversions, conversion rate, and cost per conversion.
• Provide 3 months of historical data to show trends.
• Create a document outlining the business goals, target audience, and budget constraints.
• Allow candidates 45-60 minutes to complete this exercise.
• Have a marketing team member available to answer clarifying questions.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the provided campaign data and identify the top 3-5 performance issues across the campaigns.
• Develop specific, actionable recommendations to address each issue.
• Create a prioritized optimization plan that outlines:
• What changes you would make
• Why you believe these changes will improve performance
• How you would measure success
• Estimated timeline for implementation and results
• Prepare a brief presentation (5-7 minutes) explaining your analysis and recommendations.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the presentation, provide one piece of positive feedback about the candidate's approach or recommendations.
• Offer one constructive suggestion for improvement, such as an overlooked optimization opportunity or alternative strategy.
• Ask the candidate to spend 5-10 minutes revising one aspect of their plan based on your feedback, explaining how they would incorporate this new perspective.

Activity #2: Ad Copy Creation and Testing

This exercise evaluates a candidate's ability to craft compelling ad copy that drives clicks and conversions while adhering to platform requirements. It also tests their understanding of A/B testing principles and how to use data to refine messaging.

Directions for the Company:

• Provide a brief for a product or service your company offers, including:
• Key features and benefits
• Target audience information
• Unique selling propositions
• Any brand voice guidelines or restrictions
• Include competitor ad examples if available.
• Specify the ad platform (Google Ads, Facebook, etc.) and any character limitations.
• Allow 30-45 minutes for this exercise.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Create 3-4 different ad variations for the specified platform, including headlines, descriptions, and call-to-action elements.
• Each variation should test a different approach (e.g., benefit-focused, problem-solution, social proof, urgency).
• Explain the rationale behind each variation and what specific element you're testing.
• Develop a testing plan that outlines:
• How you would structure the A/B test
• What metrics you would use to determine success
• How you would iterate based on initial results
• Your hypothesis about which variation will perform best and why

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide feedback on one strength of the candidate's ad copy (e.g., compelling headlines, clear value proposition).
• Offer one suggestion for improvement (e.g., stronger call-to-action, better alignment with audience needs).
• Ask the candidate to revise one ad variation incorporating your feedback, explaining their changes and how they address the feedback.

Activity #3: Budget Allocation Strategy

This exercise assesses a candidate's strategic thinking and ability to allocate limited resources effectively across multiple campaigns, platforms, and audience segments to maximize ROI.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a scenario with a monthly PPC budget (e.g., $20,000) and multiple marketing objectives (e.g., lead generation, e-commerce sales, brand awareness).
• Provide historical performance data for different channels (Google Search, Display, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.).
• Include information about seasonal trends, competitive landscape, and business priorities.
• Specify 2-3 KPIs the business is focused on improving.
• Allow 45-60 minutes for this exercise.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Develop a comprehensive budget allocation strategy across channels and campaigns.
• Create a spreadsheet showing:
• Budget breakdown by platform and campaign type
• Projected performance metrics (clicks, conversions, CPA, ROAS)
• Rationale for each allocation decision
• Explain how you would adjust the budget allocation based on:
• Weekly performance data
• Seasonal factors
• Competitive activity
• Outline a contingency plan for underperforming channels or unexpected market changes.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Highlight one particularly effective aspect of the candidate's budget allocation strategy.
• Suggest one area where the allocation could be refined or where assumptions should be reconsidered.
• Ask the candidate to adjust their budget allocation plan based on a new constraint or opportunity you introduce (e.g., a competitor dropping out of the market, a new product launch, a 20% budget cut).

Activity #4: Campaign Performance Analysis and Reporting

This exercise evaluates a candidate's analytical skills, ability to extract meaningful insights from data, and skill in communicating results to stakeholders with varying levels of technical knowledge.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a dataset showing 6 months of PPC campaign performance across multiple platforms.
• Include standard metrics plus some anomalies or interesting patterns in the data.
• Create a brief describing the business context and the types of stakeholders who will receive the report (e.g., CMO, CEO, marketing team).
• Provide information about previous goals and whether they were met.
• Allow 45-60 minutes for this exercise.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Analyze the provided data to identify key trends, successes, and areas for improvement.
• Create a concise performance report that includes:
• Executive summary of overall performance
• Key metrics and KPIs with month-over-month and year-over-year comparisons
• Visual representations of data (charts, graphs) that highlight important trends
• Explanation of any anomalies or significant changes in performance
• Actionable recommendations based on the data
• Prepare a 5-7 minute presentation as if you were presenting to the specified stakeholders.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide positive feedback on one aspect of the candidate's analysis or presentation (e.g., clear data visualization, insightful recommendations).
• Offer one suggestion for improvement (e.g., additional context needed, overlooked trend, clearer explanation of technical concepts).
• Ask the candidate to revise one section of their report based on your feedback, explaining how their changes improve the clarity or value of the information presented.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Each exercise requires 30-60 minutes for the candidate to complete, plus time for presentation and feedback. We recommend scheduling a half-day session for candidates to complete 2-3 of these exercises, or splitting them across multiple interview stages. The Campaign Performance Optimization and Budget Allocation Strategy exercises are particularly valuable for final-round candidates.

Should we provide real company data for these exercises?

While using real data creates the most authentic assessment, it's not always necessary or appropriate. You can anonymize historical data or create realistic mock data based on industry benchmarks. The key is ensuring the data presents challenges similar to what the candidate would face in the actual role.

How should we evaluate candidates who use different approaches than our current practices?

Different approaches can bring valuable innovation to your PPC strategy. Evaluate candidates on the soundness of their reasoning and methodology rather than adherence to your current practices. The best candidates will be able to clearly explain why their approach would be effective, even if it differs from your existing methods.

Can these exercises be completed remotely or as take-home assignments?

Yes, all of these exercises can be adapted for remote or take-home completion. For take-home assignments, we recommend setting clear expectations about time investment (2-3 hours maximum) and providing a structured template for responses. Remote exercises can be conducted via video conference with screen sharing for presentations.

How do we ensure these exercises don't disadvantage candidates without experience on our specific platforms?

Focus evaluation on the candidate's analytical approach, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills rather than platform-specific knowledge. Make clear which platforms you use during the initial screening, and consider providing brief platform overviews before exercises if a candidate has transferable skills but different platform experience.

Should we compensate candidates for completing these work samples?

For extensive work samples that require significant time investment, offering compensation demonstrates respect for candidates' time and expertise. This is particularly important for senior roles or when exercises require several hours to complete. Even a modest honorarium signals that you value their contributions to the interview process.

Implementing these work samples will significantly improve your ability to identify truly skilled PPC Managers who can drive results for your business. By observing candidates tackle realistic challenges, you'll gain insight into their technical capabilities, strategic thinking, and communication skills—all essential qualities for success in this role.

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