Assessing a candidate without a résumé: trial days and the questions that matter
The candidate has no résumé. He has worn boots, a Class 5 licence and a firm handshake. Your old reflex: "Send me your résumé, I'll call you back." He won't send it, and you won't call back. In the service trades, what matters shows up better in half a day on the job than on a sheet of paper. Here's how to set up a trial by the rules, the questions that reveal reliability and the grid to make your decision.
Why a résumé says so little in the service trades
A résumé says where someone has worked. It doesn't say whether they show up on time, pick up their tools, speak politely to an 80-year-old client or stop when a ladder slips. Yet those are exactly the things that make a good building maintenance worker, a good painter or a good mover.
Plenty of good candidates don't have an up-to-date résumé: they've always found work by word of mouth, they're coming from another trade or they're returning after a break. Requiring a résumé often means losing them before the first conversation. The guide Recruiting through a labour shortage: a guide for small service businesses goes further on this, and Finding a job without a résumé in Quebec: the complete guide shows how these candidates present themselves on their side.
On GPP Emploi, profiles are created without a résumé: trades, region, availability, cards, pay and languages. Licences added to the Passport are checked against the public registry by our team, and then a badge appears. You already have the essentials before you even talk to the candidate.
Do it today: remove "résumé required" from your job ad and replace it with "Let's talk for ten minutes on the phone."
The questions that reveal reliability
Hypothetical questions ("What would you do if…") get textbook answers. Questions about past facts get real answers. Ask for specific examples, then dig with "And then?"
- "Walk me through your last workday, from waking up to getting home." You hear organization, transportation and pace.
- "The last time you were late, what happened?" You're looking for someone who called ahead, not an excuse.
- "Tell me about a time a client was unhappy." Attitude shows in how they tell the story.
- "A time you stopped a task because it wasn't safe?" A candidate who has never stopped anything should worry you.
- "What equipment do you know well, and what have you never used?" Honesty about limits is worth gold.
- "What's your real availability, and what could change it this winter?" Childcare, a second job, school: better to know now.
Avoid: any question about the grounds in section 10 of Québec's Charter of human rights and freedoms (age, pregnancy, civil status, origin, religion, disability…). Section 18.1 prohibits them in an application form or interview, except as provided, and section 16 prohibits discrimination in hiring. As for criminal records, section 18.2 prohibits refusing to hire someone solely because of an offence that has no connection with the job or for which they've obtained a pardon.
Do it today: write your six questions on a sheet and ask them in the same order to every candidate.
The trial day, by the rules
A trial is work. Under Québec's Act respecting labour standards (s. 57), an employee is deemed to be at work during any trial or training period required by the employer. So it's paid, at least at the minimum wage, which has been $16.60 an hour since May 1, 2026. There's no such thing as a "free trial day."
Watch out for a trial that's too short. Under section 58, an employee who reports to work at the employer's express request and works less than three consecutive hours is entitled, except in cases of superior force, to an indemnity equal to three hours of their regular hourly wage (some situations are excluded). A 90-minute trial is therefore generally paid as three hours. You might as well plan a real half-day.
| Do | Avoid | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | A half-day or a full day, announced in advance | A week "to see how it goes" |
| Pay | Rate confirmed in writing, paid on the next payday | "We'll see if you get the job" |
| Tasks | Real tasks, paired with an experienced employee | Alone at a client's place from the first hour |
| Safety | Instructions, protective equipment supplied | "Get up on the roof, let's see if you're scared of heights" |
| Wrap-up | A ten-minute debrief the same day | Radio silence |
Run the day through your payroll like any other, on the usual schedule: according to the CNESST, pay must be handed over at regular intervals of no more than 16 days. Tuesday's trial doesn't wait for "the end of the month, if you get the job." Your accountant can confirm the deductions; for labour standards questions, the CNESST.
Do it today: write your template confirmation message: date, time, length, rate, what to bring and who to report to.
Safety, from the first hour
A person on trial doesn't know your equipment, your clients or your routines. That's exactly why they need more supervision, not less. A trial day isn't an endurance test; it's a way to see how someone works when things are explained properly.
- A ten-minute welcome: instructions, exits, first aid kit.
- Protective equipment in the right size, ready on arrival.
- Pairing with an experienced employee all day.
- No machine, ladder or roof without prior training.
- A number to call if there's a problem.
This isn't just good practice. Under Québec's Act respecting occupational health and safety (s. 51), the employer must give the worker adequate information about the risks connected with the work and provide appropriate training, assistance or supervision. The employer must also supply, free of charge, all individual protective means and equipment and make sure they're used. So the person on trial doesn't pay for their gloves or their hard hat.
The same Act (s. 12) gives every worker the right to refuse to perform work if they have reasonable grounds to believe it exposes them to a danger to their health, safety or physical or mental well-being. If your candidate says "I'm not going up there without a harness," don't mark it down as a flaw: that's exactly the reflex you're looking for, and it deserves a 3 on the "Safety" line of your grid.
If an accident happens during the trial, handle it as you would for any employee and check with the CNESST on the steps to follow. And if the trial goes well, here's what comes next: Onboarding a new employee: the first 30 days plan.
Do it today: put together a "trial" bag: hard hat, gloves, glasses and safety vest depending on your trade, ready to hand over.
The evaluation grid to use
Without a grid, you hire the person who's most like you or the one who talks the most. With a grid, you compare facts. Score each criterion from 1 to 3, during or right after the trial.
| Criterion | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Punctuality | Late without warning | On time | Early and ready |
| Safety | Ignores instructions | Follows them when reminded | Applies them unprompted and asks questions |
| Quality | Needs redoing | Fine after corrections | Clean the first time |
| Pace | Slow for no reason | Steady | Brisk without cutting corners |
| Client contact | Avoids or is abrupt | Polite | Reassuring, explains |
| Instructions | Does it their own way | Applies them | Applies them and asks again when needed |
| Teamwork | Keeps to themselves | Helps when asked | Offers to help |
Use the same grid for everyone and write down facts, not impressions: "arrived at 6:50 a.m." rather than "seems motivated." Under Québec's Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector (s. 5), collect only the information you need. And if a digital tool ranks your candidates, read AI tools in recruiting: what the law requires of employers.
Do it today: copy the grid, print five copies and keep them in the truck.
The mistakes that skew a trial
It's 7 a.m., the candidate is waiting at the door, and you find out the employee who was supposed to pair up with them is sick. Two choices: improvise or reschedule. Reschedule, and let them know as early as you can. A poorly prepared trial tells you more about your own organization than about the candidate.
Here are the most common traps, and how to avoid them:
- Testing on the worst task. Three hours emptying a damp basement measures patience, not talent. Pick a representative day: a regular cleaning, a round of lawns, a small three-room move.
- Judging on the first hour. Everyone's nervous at the start, even you on your first day. Fill out the grid at the end, not after ten minutes.
- Changing the rules from one candidate to the next. A shorter trial for one, a harder task for another, and you're no longer comparing anything.
- Evaluating alone. The paired employee saw everything up close. Ask them to fill out the same grid, without seeing yours, then compare.
- Promising the job halfway through. "You're hired, for sure" at 10 a.m., then a no at 4 p.m.: nobody comes out ahead. Save the decision for the end-of-day debrief.
- Forgetting the candidate you turned down. A clear no, with an honest and respectful reason, keeps your reputation good in your region. And they might know someone.
Do it today: choose the standard task for your trial and write it in one sentence: where, what, with whom and for how long.
Decide fast, and decide well
A good candidate doesn't stay available for long. Give your answer the same day as the trial or the next day, even if it's no. On GPP Emploi, when you receive an application, you have 14 days to respond; otherwise it closes on its own and your response time is shown publicly on your job ads.
On the cost side, you only pay for results, when a contact is accepted: the worker accepts your invitation or you open an application you received. It's generally 2 credits per contact, or $50 (the price can vary by trade and region). If the person you hire doesn't show up on day one and confirms it, the credits for that contact are refunded, up to 2 refunds per 90 days. Everything is explained on the employer page.
Do it today: create your employer account, filter the profile bank by your trade and region, then invite three profiles to a ten-minute conversation.
The bottom line
Six questions about facts, a paid and supervised half-day trial, a grid filled out the same day: that's all it takes to replace a résumé. The job site doesn't lie, as long as you watch it closely.
Frequently asked questions
Does a trial day have to be paid in Quebec?
Yes. Under the Act respecting labour standards, an employee is deemed to be at work during any trial or training period required by the employer. That time is paid at least at the minimum wage, $16.60 an hour since May 1, 2026. For a specific case, check with the CNESST.
What do you have to pay if the trial lasts less than three hours?
An employee who reports to work at the employer's express request and works less than three consecutive hours is entitled, except in cases of superior force, to an indemnity equal to three hours of their regular hourly wage. Some situations are excluded. Planning a trial of at least half a day avoids the question.
How do you assess a candidate with no experience?
Assess what you can observe: punctuality, following instructions, safety, client contact and willingness to learn. A short paid trial, paired with an experienced employee, and a grid scored from 1 to 3 give you a solid basis for deciding.
What questions should you ask to assess a candidate's reliability?
Ask about past facts rather than hypotheticals: their last workday, the last time they were late, an unhappy client, a task they stopped for safety reasons. Ask every candidate the same questions so you can compare them.
Can you turn down a candidate because of a criminal record?
Québec's Charter of human rights and freedoms prohibits refusing to hire someone solely because of an offence that has no connection with the job or for which they've obtained a pardon. If you bring up the subject, stick to what's genuinely related to the position. For a specific case, the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse can inform you.
Sources
- N-1.1 - Loi sur les normes du travail
- Hausse du salaire minimum - Dès aujourd'hui, le taux général du salaire minimum s'établit à 16,60 $ l'heure
- C-12 - Charte des droits et libertés de la personne
- P-39.1 - Loi sur la protection des renseignements personnels dans le secteur privé
- S-2.1 - Loi sur la santé et la sécurité du travail
- Salaire et paye - CNESST
