'Perhaps it's better if we reschedule': Candidate ambushed with unpaid 'working trial,' walks out

The process of preparing for an interview is immensely time-consuming and stressful for any candidate. You've already sunk considerable amounts of time into prepping your CV, writing an effective cover letter, and applying for the role—and there's likely been some back-and-forth communication between yourself and the company's HR. To have all of that done only to be blindsided and discover that the interview preparing for isn't actually an interview is—well—devastating. Instead, you're asked to work a 5-hour 'working trial' shift—for free—because the lack of staffing and proper planning has made it so the manager isn't able to follow through with the interview and probably forgot you were coming in the first place.