We do a subset of on-boarding, just enough to get them running a local dev environment and able to push commits and connect with the team.
We pick real tasks from the backlog that don't require a lot of ramp-up to complete.
We assign someone to work with them during the trial period, help get their environment going and orient them to the tasks, help them if they get stuck.
Someone with experience with the technologies (Java, C#, Javascript, Linux) used in our stack can usually get up and running and complete a simpler task in the 1st week. Over 2-3 weeks, most people accomplish several tasks of increasing difficulty.
We discuss with the candidate how things are going each week, how they're feeling about things and how we think things are going. Usually by the 2nd week it becomes pretty clear if it's a good fit.
Since we are remote-only, candidates have to be capable of figuring things out mostly on their own - technically and organizationally, so we look for more experienced people - who probably are more likely to be successful with this kind of interview process.
