HOW IT WORKS

There are just under 8 billion people in the world today. That means close to 80 million people are in the top 1% of talent – and they live everywhere.

EdisonWatt’s aim is to hire remote talent exclusively from this group. We not only believe that it’s possible to build a business where every worker is a rockstar – we’re already doing it.
It’s not easy to qualify for a role on EdisonWatt… because our system of assessments is designed to shortlist only the top 1% of applicants.
But it’s worth it… because qualifying on EdisonWatt is the ticket to a world-class job (with matching pay).
If you’re up for the challenge, here’s what to expect…

STEP 1

Chat-style screening interview.

Your application starts with a short 15–20 minute conversation with our AI interviewer. This step confirms whether your background, experience, and qualifications align with the role you’ve chosen – so you don’t waste time on a position that isn’t the right match.

Just upload your CV and answer a few straightforward questions about your skills, education, and eligibility. The AI checks for essential fit criteria before you move on to the next stage. Final hiring decisions are always made by human experts – this first step is designed to make sure that you’re starting in the right lane.

STEP 2

Cognitive aptitude test.

Because we accept applications from all over the world, every role on EdisonWatt attracts thousands of candidates. To shortlist fairly, we use a 15-minute Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT) to measure problem-solving and learning ability – essential skills that predict real-world performance better than résumés alone.

Each role has its own target score range. If you don’t meet it the first time, don’t worry – you can retake the test after six months. It’s a quick, objective way to show that you can excel in a high performance role.

STEP 3

Prove real-world job skills.

There’s more to great work than test scores. This step is where you show what you can actually do. You’ll complete a job-specific assignment designed to mirror real-world tasks for the role – for example, software engineers write code, while marketing managers create campaign content.

Your work is graded blindly to eliminate bias and guarantee fairness. It’s a straightforward way to demonstrate your skills in action and prove that you can deliver results in a real-world setting.

STEP 4

Interview with the hiring manager.

Because we accept applications from all over the world, every role on EdisonWatt attracts thousands of candidates. To shortlist fairly, we use a 15-minute Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT) to measure problem-solving and learning ability – essential skills that predict real-world performance better than résumés alone.

Each role has its own target score range. If you don’t meet it the first time, don’t worry – you can retake the test after six months. It’s a quick, objective way to show that you can excel in a high performance role.

STEP 5

Pass proctored test.

This short, live-proctored session confirms the integrity of your earlier test results. It’s the same 15-minute CCAT you’ve already taken – just monitored by a trained examiner to verify your identity and ensure exam conditions are consistent for everyone.

Every successful Crossover candidate completes this step, from senior leaders to first-time hires. It’s how we maintain a level playing field and make sure that every score truly reflects individual ability.

STEP 6

Accept job offer.

Once your results are verified, you’re ready for the best part – your job offer. EdisonWatt’s process moves fast and top candidates often go from application to offer in just a few days.

When we find top talent, we act quickly to connect you with high-impact roles. Because we often hire for multiple positions at the same level, several outstanding candidates may receive offers all at once. If that’s you – congratulations, and welcome to the top 1% in tech.

Frequently Asked Questions

Because we aim to recruit the very best people in the world, the standard of applications is extremely high, and we’re not able to accept every great application that we receive. If your initial application was unsuccessful, we encourage you to continue applying for similar roles on EdisonWatt – there could be another one with your name on it! All the badges that you’ve already earned can be applied to your new role so you don’t need to repeat the ones you’ve already done. To protect the integrity of our hiring process, we cannot provide individual feedback on assessment grading or the reasons an application was unsuccessful. There are many factors that can influence acceptance, including experience, position-specific assessment results, language proficiency, and occasionally suspicious/fraudulent activity.Interviews are the final stage in EdisonWatt’s recruitment process for good reason. Traditional recruitment is full of opportunities for unconscious bias; from resumé to interview to salary negotiation. EdisonWatt aims to create the fairest pipeline by removing as many of these opportunities as possible. So, a lot of the process is automated, and the parts that can’t be are graded blindly (reviewers score submissions without seeing name, country, gender etc). That’s how EdisonWatt can guarantee an objectively unbiased shortlist. But, of course we understand that it’s important for candidate and hiring manager to meet before an offer is made, so that’s why our process does include this as the final step.In some situations, we can allow candidates to retake an incomplete or aborted test. Please use EdisonWatt’s Customer Support chatbot to tell us what happened and raise a support ticket. It will help if you can include evidence (e.g. screenshot of error message, or internet outage report).Yes! All badges remain valid for six months and can be reapplied towards any new application – so you don’t need to repeat the steps you’ve already done. We strongly encourage all candidates who make it through to late-stage testing but don’t receive a job offer to find a comparable role and give it another shot!Most of our assessments are designed to measure aptitude, not knowledge. This means they’re not the kind of test you can cram for. Results should remain fairly consistent over time, and it’s unlikely that anyone will do significantly better tomorrow than they did today. However, scores can evolve in the long term, especially when candidates take the time to study new skills. That’s why we don’t allow people to retake tests immediately, but we do allow them after a six month cooling off period.EdisonWatt is founded on the principle that everyone deserves equal opportunity to prove their skills. Our testing process is designed to create the fairest possible playing field, so no candidate receives better or worse treatment due to factors like geographic location, or a hiring manager’s cognitive bias. However, no system is perfect, and we recognize that standardized testing can present a challenge for candidates with certain disabilities. In these situations, EdisonWatt offers support on a case-by-case basis, for example an adapted version of the CCAT test is available for vision-impaired candidates, and there are other instances where extra time can be granted. If you require reasonable accommodations to complete a job application, pre-employment testing, a job interview or to otherwise participate in the hiring process; please use EdisonWatt’s support chatbot (“Crosby”) to raise a support ticket, and we will do what we can to ensure your experience is equitable.We don’t accept resumés but we do encourage you to have an up-to-date LinkedIn profile.

For most assessments, only one attempt is permitted every six months. This protects the results from becoming skewed by people getting better at taking the test itself, without any real improvement to the core skill it’s designed to measure. While we understand it’s very disappointing to miss out when you only have one shot, this ensures an equal playing field for all.
That said, a second attempt will occasionally be offered if the first score came very close to the passing threshold. These scenarios are rare though, so always do the best you can on the first attempt!EdisonWatt’s application process is based on 100 years of research into the factors that predict high performance. Resumés and interviews have always been unreliable, in part because hiring managers bias towards familiar universities and workplaces. This only multiplies when recruiting on a global scale.
We started EdisonWatt with the goal of leveling an unequal playing field and finally giving talented people from overlooked places a way to prove their world-class skills. This is impossible using standard recruitment methods. That’s why we designed a series of assessments based around the factors that actually predict high performance.
It’s not easy to qualify—but neither is the Olympics, and that’s the point.
Out of respect for candidates’ time, only those who pass each assessment stage will be invited to continue. Applicants who fail an assessment should not be disheartened: the standard is extremely high. Passing grades are assigned by the hiring manager for each role, and you may still qualify for another position without repeating any of the tests you already passed.The best preparation you can do is to your environment, to ensure that you can focus completely on the assessment without interruption. This is particularly important for tests with a time limit, such as the cognitive aptitude assessment.
We do not suggest studying because these are not the kind of assessments you can cram for. We’re looking for people who are not only extremely intelligent but already subject matter experts. Just come as you are – if you are a match for the position then you will pass. Please note that there are no CCAT study guides affiliated with EdisonWatt – do not trust any third party sites that claim to offer this.Most of the time: yes! We are an AI-forward organization and view AI skills as a strength. Everyone we hire is encouraged to utilize AI tools wherever possible to increase efficiency or volume without compromising quality. For this reason, we recently introduced a Generative AI badge, and also permit candidates to utilize AI tools on many other EdisonWatt assessments. Some assessments are available through 3rd party partners, and their specific rules and expectations regarding AI usage will be displayed before you begin the skills test. You are required to abide by any AI-use restrictions outlined.
Keep in mind that regardless of when and how you decide to utilize GenAI, you will be graded based on the quality of your final submission.Our application process is based on 100 years of research into the factors that correlate with job performance. It turns out that resumés and interviews don’t contain the most reliable indicators of whether someone will be awesome at their job. Actually, the best indicator of success is cognitive aptitude – so that’s why we built our system around it.English is still the common language at EdisonWatt – it’s what helps our global teams collaborate smoothly. So yes, you’ll need a level of fluency that lets you communicate effectively with teammates and clients.
But here’s the good news – we no longer require a separate English test. Thanks to AI, we can assess your language skills naturally through written assessments and real work simulations. And once you’re on the job, async tools and AI writing support make it easier than ever to work confidently in English.
How much fluency you need depends on the role. For example, customer support roles tend to require more advanced English than technical roles like engineering.
Want to hear how others have managed? Check out this video to see how some of our Brazilian contractors navigated the language challenge – and how much English they actually use day to day.While commonplace, interviews are a really inefficient way to filter candidates. They’re also prone to cognitive bias. We’re creating the future of recruitment – we believe in a process which is not only more efficient, but where everyone gets an equal shot.