That is a great approach to seeing what people are made of. I call that a "Ride Along". I usually set an amount to pay them for the day and buy them lunch on the road just to see if they can handle the work and have some good 1 on 1 time to chat in the truck. Your company is a little different than mine but hiring the right person is always a connected subject. I go from different site to different site all day, sometimes 4-5 a day. I like to see how they interact with people, what they are looking at, how confident they are, if they will go up on a ladder, etc. It's a great way to get to know someone and see where they stand with their skill level.
