# FDE support: working checklist

Companion to https://lunaprompts.com/blog/forward-deployed-engineer-hiring-guide

LunaPrompts Editorial. Original illustrative exercise.

## Define the workflow

- Role or campaign:
- Owner:
- Decision this workflow should support:
- Candidate instructions and support route:

## Worked example: Calibrate a niche retrieval assessment

Suppose the team is hiring an engineer to build retrieval over specialized documents. Bring the FDE a small approved example set, a description of the real work, and the mistakes the team needs the hire to recognize. Avoid using confidential production records when a representative sample will do.

Agree on a scoped exercise: retrieve relevant evidence, handle a question with no supported answer, and identify an outdated source. Define what a reviewer should inspect in each case. A correct final answer may be one part of the evidence, alongside source selection and the candidate’s explanation.

Pilot the exercise with the agreed review group. Ask reviewers to evaluate the same sample work independently and compare the reasons for their conclusions. If two reviewers interpret a criterion differently, refine it. If the setup consumes most of the session, reduce unnecessary environment work.

Define the handoff from the engagement. Your team should know which task version to use, how to interpret the rubric, who owns future updates, and how to raise an implementation issue. Scope any integration or enterprise customization separately enough that its acceptance criteria and dependencies are visible. The value is a workflow your team can operate, not only a polished demo.

## Review checklist

- [ ] Discovery: Representative work and constraints
  Evidence or open question:
- [ ] Deliverables: Task, configuration, and review guidance
  Evidence or open question:
- [ ] Pilot: Timing and reviewer calibration
  Evidence or open question:
- [ ] Handoff: Ownership, documentation, and agreed support
  Evidence or open question:

## Working session

Write an FDE brief with one hiring question, an approved sample task, three observable criteria, and the deliverable your team will accept.

## Avoid this mistake

A custom assessment can grow into unpaid candidate work if its scope is not controlled. Use a representative exercise with a defined purpose and reasonable effort.

## Record the next step

- Observed evidence:
- What remains uncertain:
- Person responsible:
- Next action and date:

Keep candidate examples anonymous when sharing this worksheet.