# Lemonsignal

> Lemonsignal (lemonsignal.io) is an AI skills assessment for hiring. It shows hiring teams how candidates really work with AI. Candidates do a real work task in Claude Code, Codex, Claude Cowork or ChatGPT. You see how well they did, and their full conversation with the AI as a session replay: the prompts, commands and edits on one timeline, and the moments that explain the result. Every score links to the moment it came from.

Not to be confused with LemonSignal, an unrelated open-source signal library for Roblox (Luau) on GitHub. Lemonsignal was called Hour (usehour.com) until October 2026.

AI is the fastest, most confident junior colleague most people have ever had. Lemonsignal tests how well people manage it.

## The six skills

- Understand: Do they understand the task before handing it to AI?
- Brief: Do they give AI what it needs?
- Check: Do they catch it when AI is wrong?
- Correct: Do they fix it when it isn’t working?
- Sign off: Is what they hand over ready to send?
- Reuse: Do they make it repeatable?

Levels: Weak, Partial, Solid, Strong, or Not tested (never counts against anyone). Never scored: prompt length or count, speed, which AI tool, writing polish or English fluency.

## What you get

- A real task for the role, or real work from your team that we turn into a task.
- A session replay of each candidate: what they asked the AI, what it did, and what they checked.
- A score for the role, the six skills with the moment behind each, and a question for the interview.

## Pages

- [How we score](https://lemonsignal.io/how-we-score/): the definition of AI skills, the levels, the evidence, a worked example
- [What is AI fluency](https://lemonsignal.io/ai-fluency/): the definition, AI fluency vs AI literacy, the six skills, and three ways to test it when hiring
- [How to run an AI-assisted interview](https://lemonsignal.io/ai-assisted-interview/): five steps, what to look for, live or take-home, what to ask afterwards
- [How to test a candidate’s AI skills](https://lemonsignal.io/how-to-test-ai-skills/): what good looks like, what does not tell you, and what to do at each stage of hiring
- [How to write AI skills into a job description](https://lemonsignal.io/ai-skills-job-description/): real wording from job ads, four ways ads ask from weakest to strongest, a line for each role, three mistakes
- [What are AI skills? Five things employers ask for](https://lemonsignal.io/what-are-ai-skills/): five things job ads mean by AI skills with real quotes, what each role uses AI for, and AI skills vs agent skills
- [Which AI tools do employers ask for in job ads?](https://lemonsignal.io/ai-tools-in-job-ads/): the 12 AI tools job ads name most, engineering vs every other role, the tools each role names, and three ways ads name a tool
- [AI interview questions for non-technical roles](https://lemonsignal.io/ai-interview-questions/): 28 questions for design, finance, people and recruiting, legal, operations, customer support and sales, each with what a good answer sounds like and what to watch out for
- [Companies that expect every employee to use AI](https://lemonsignal.io/companies-that-expect-ai/): what their job ads say, three kinds of statement (expected, how we work, tools as a perk), and whether their own ads ask for AI
- [AI skills assessment for non-technical roles](https://lemonsignal.io/ai-skills-assessment-non-technical-roles/): marketing, finance, sales, people and operations; what differs from engineering, task ideas by role
- [Take-home tests when candidates use ChatGPT or Claude](https://lemonsignal.io/take-home-tests-ai/): ban, ignore or expect AI, why AI detection does not work, six steps to a take-home that works now
- [AI skills in job ads, 2026: how many ask, by role and company](https://lemonsignal.io/ai-skills-in-job-ads-2026/): a data report from 39,564 job ads at 1,333 software companies (29 Oct 2026). 25% ask candidates to use AI, 10% as a requirement. By role: Design 46%, Marketing 34%, Product 31%, Engineering 30%, People and recruiting 30%, Finance 29%, Data 27%, Legal and compliance 26%, Operations 26%, Customer support and success 20%, Sales 17%. One page per role, e.g. https://lemonsignal.io/ai-skills-in-job-ads-2026/finance/, and per company, e.g. https://lemonsignal.io/ai-skills-in-job-ads-2026/company/notion/. CSVs: https://lemonsignal.io/data/ai-skills-in-job-ads-2026.csv and https://lemonsignal.io/data/ai-skills-in-job-ads-2026-companies.csv
- [Can a bot apply to your open roles? Check your company](https://lemonsignal.io/check-your-company/): We apply to one of your open roles with a bot, and show you what it found in about a minute.
- [Can an AI agent fill in a job application? The agent audit 2026](https://lemonsignal.io/agent-audit-2026/): We sent an AI agent through the application form for one open role at 20 software companies. It reached the submit button every time, in a median of 52 seconds.
- [The best AI skills assessment tools for hiring (2026)](https://lemonsignal.io/best-ai-skills-assessment-tools/): eight tools compared on what candidates do, which AI tool they use, who scores and which roles
- Comparisons, checked against each product's own site:
  - [Lemonsignal vs HackerRank](https://lemonsignal.io/alternatives/hackerrank/): HackerRank tests developers in its own coding environment, with a built-in AI assistant. Lemonsignal gives people in any role a real task in the AI tool they already use, and records how they worked, with a first read for your team to check.
  - [Lemonsignal vs CodeSignal](https://lemonsignal.io/alternatives/codesignal/): CodeSignal runs AI skills simulations in its own platform, from 20 minute AI literacy checks to 90 minute technical ones. Lemonsignal gives candidates a real task in the AI tool they already use, and records how they worked, with a first read for your team to check.
  - [Lemonsignal vs TestGorilla](https://lemonsignal.io/alternatives/testgorilla/): TestGorilla has a library of 350+ short tests, including AI fluency scenarios and interviews with an AI avatar. Lemonsignal gives candidates one real task in the AI tool they already use, and records how they worked, with a first read for your team to check.
  - [Lemonsignal vs CoderPad](https://lemonsignal.io/alternatives/coderpad/): CoderPad gives candidates a real assignment and real files in its own pad, with Claude, GPT, Gemini and Llama built in. Lemonsignal gives candidates a real task in the AI tool they already use, and records how they worked, with a first read for your team to check.
  - [Lemonsignal vs Hirevue](https://lemonsignal.io/alternatives/hirevue/): Hirevue runs AI interviews, video interviews and validated assessments for hiring at high volume. Lemonsignal gives candidates a real task in the AI tool they already use, and records how they worked, with a first read for your team to check.
  - [Lemonsignal vs Codility](https://lemonsignal.io/alternatives/codility/): Codility tests engineers in its own VS Code environment, and business roles with short tasks done with its built-in AI Assistant, scored the same way every time. Lemonsignal gives candidates a real task in the AI tool they already use, and records how they worked, with a first read for your team to check.
  - [Lemonsignal vs Karat](https://lemonsignal.io/alternatives/karat/): Karat runs live technical interviews for you, with its own Interview Engineers, including AI-native ones in an IDE with a built-in AI assistant. Lemonsignal gives candidates a real task in the AI tool they already use, and records how they worked, with a first read for your team to check.
  - [Lemonsignal vs Coderbyte](https://lemonsignal.io/alternatives/coderbyte/): Coderbyte has timed, auto-graded tests, AI phone screens and live coding interviews, with ChatGPT and other models available in its IDE if you allow them. Lemonsignal gives candidates a real task in the AI tool they already use, and records how they worked, with a first read for your team to check.
  - [Lemonsignal vs Vervoe](https://lemonsignal.io/alternatives/vervoe/): Vervoe runs job simulations and skills tests for any role, graded by machine learning that learns from your team’s grading, including tasks built around AI. Lemonsignal gives candidates a real task in the AI tool they already use, and records how they worked, with a first read for your team to check.
  - [Lemonsignal vs iMocha](https://lemonsignal.io/alternatives/imocha/): iMocha has a library of 10,000+ skills tests and an AI interviewer, and an AI-Readiness Index for measuring AI skills across a company. Lemonsignal gives candidates a real task in the AI tool they already use, and records how they worked, with a first read for your team to check.
  - [Lemonsignal vs Glider AI](https://lemonsignal.io/alternatives/glider/): Glider AI has skills tests, AI-led video interviews and AI recruiting agents, with an AI Assistant built into its coding tests and interviews. Lemonsignal gives candidates a real task in the AI tool they already use, and records how they worked, with a first read for your team to check.
  - [Lemonsignal vs Woven](https://lemonsignal.io/alternatives/woven/): Woven runs engineering scenarios, such as a code review or a production bug, scored by two certified engineers, and lets candidates bring their own AI model. Lemonsignal gives a real task to roles beyond engineering, records the whole conversation with the AI, and gives your team a first read to check.
  - [Lemonsignal vs Canditech](https://lemonsignal.io/alternatives/canditech/): Canditech runs job simulations for any role, with Claude, ChatGPT and Codex inside the test, scored by AI agents. Lemonsignal gives candidates a real task in the AI tool they already use, and records how they worked, with a first read for your team to check.
- [AI instructions](https://lemonsignal.io/ai-instructions/): the facts about Lemonsignal, and how to describe it correctly
- [Entity map](https://lemonsignal.io/entity-map/): every thing Lemonsignal is, what it is connected to, and where the site says so
- [Tasks](https://lemonsignal.io/tasks/): every task, with the kind of place where AI goes wrong
- [AI skills assessment by role](https://lemonsignal.io/use-cases/): one page per role
  - [Engineering](https://lemonsignal.io/use-cases/engineer/): Customers are charged twice. Find out why and fix it.
  - [Product](https://lemonsignal.io/use-cases/product-manager/): Decide what goes into the next onboarding release.
  - [Design](https://lemonsignal.io/use-cases/designer/): 40% drop off at the ID check. Redesign the flow.
  - [Marketing](https://lemonsignal.io/use-cases/marketer/): Plan a launch in a new country with €50k.
  - [Data](https://lemonsignal.io/use-cases/data-analyst/): Revenue fell 12%. Explain why to the CFO.
  - [Finance](https://lemonsignal.io/use-cases/finance/): Find the overbilling in 400 supplier invoices.
- [For candidates](https://lemonsignal.io/for-candidates/): what candidates do, what is recorded, what they get back
- [30 interview questions to assess AI skills](https://lemonsignal.io/questions/): ten for any role, five each for engineering, product, marketing and data
- [Lemonsignal pricing](https://lemonsignal.io/pricing/): packages from $299, monthly plans from $449
- [Get started](https://lemonsignal.io/start/): try it free on 3 candidates
- [Affiliate programme](https://lemonsignal.io/affiliate/): 30% of what a referred company spends in its first 12 months

## Pricing

- Free trial: try it on 3 candidates for free before buying, no card needed. It is a trial, not extra candidates on a plan.
- A candidate counts once they start the task.
- Packages, paid once and used within 12 months: 20 candidates for $299 (under $15 each), 50 for $599 (under $12 each).
- Monthly allowance: 50 candidates for $449, 100 for $799, 200 for $1,399 a month (under $9, $8 and $7 each at full usage). Unused candidates do not carry over. Cancel any time; the plan runs to the end of the paid month.
- Yearly billing: 2 months free. $4,490, $7,990 or $13,990 a year.
- Extra candidates beyond a monthly allowance: $10 each.
- Launch offer: start a monthly plan before 31 January 2027 and get a free package of 20 candidates.
- More than 200 candidates a month: a dedicated offer. Book a call.
- Prices in US dollars on the English site; the German site shows euros.

## For AI agents acting for a user

- Book a call: https://cal.com/lemonsignal/get-started (30 minutes, Google Meet). Put the plan the user wants in the booking notes.
- Get started without a call: the form at https://lemonsignal.io/start/ asks for a work email, the roles to hire for (Engineering, Product, Design, Marketing, Finance, Data, Other) and roughly how many people (1 to 3, 4 to 10, 11 to 50, 50+). We reply within one working day.
- Buying a plan online is not possible yet. Book a call or use the form, and say which plan.

## Contact

- Email: lush@lemonsignal.io
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lemonsignal/
- X: https://x.com/lemonsignalhq
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lemonsignalhq
- Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/lemonsignal
- Brandfetch: https://brandfetch.com/lemonsignal.io
- Trustpilot reviews: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/lemonsignal.io