Trial projects: when they work and when they backfire

A bad hire in a cross-border setup rarely fails loudly. It fails quietly, over months, while the costs pile up where you are not looking.

Trial projects promise a way out: see the work before you commit. Sometimes that is exactly what happens. Other times the trial becomes a filter for who can afford to work for free, and the best candidates walk away before you ever see them.

The difference comes down to scope, payment and what you actually measure at the end.