Job candidate rejects recruiter's request for free, unpaid work during interview process: 'I was asked to produce a full list of tasks for [free]'

Author image for Ben Weiss
Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Sep 10, 2024 8:00 AM EDT

Why is the interview process so unnecessarily drawn out these days?

If you get to the point of an interview, it should not take long for a recruiter to understand if your resume, cover letter, and initial application match well with the actual person interviewing. It should also not take long to see if it's a "personality fit." In other words, cards should be on the table from the get-go and that goes both ways. This means that salary expectations and benefits should be clearly explained before any in-person interview. Let's not waste each other's time here.

As for assignments during the interview process, these should be brief and to the point. One should not be asked to complete work tasks for free that a manager could then use for their own job. This Redditor declined to complete a laundry list of tasks and responsibilities after advancing to the third round of interviews for a new position. After all that interviewing, it became clear that he was being manipulated. Let's give this dude a virtual round of applause for standing up for himself.

For more stories like this, check out this post about an employee's malicious compliance and how a micromanager finally backed off afterward.

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10401501952
    via Mina Rad
  • 02
    Today, I was asked to produce a full list of tasks for a follow up interview. I kindly told them to stick it up their O
    via [deleted]
  • 03
    Context: Had a phone call interview and then a full 1 hour interview with two of the managers via Zoom. It went well. I'm over qualified for the role and a very good fit for the company due to my previous experience. This is for a company who rents out short term lets, similar to Airbnb.
    via [deleted]
  • 04
    They then vanished for a week despite me following up twice. No response. Nothing. I assumed I had been ghosted.
    via [deleted]
  • 05
    They finally got back to me today. No apology for disappearing or explanation. Just a full list of completely free, unpaid tasks they want me to do for the third interview.
    via [deleted]
  • 06
    I firmly and categorically DECLINED. I emailed them asking if they're actually joking. They could easily steal these ideas and use them for their social media then vanish again. I've seen it happen numerous times to job seekers.
    via [deleted]
  • 07
    Here is the full list of free, unpaid tasks they want me to produce for the sake of an interview with no guarantee of a job at the end of it:
    via [deleted]
  • 08
    Following the culture interview last week, we think you'd be a good cultural fit for the company and would like to invite you to a technical interview which involves a task.
    via [deleted]
  • 09
    This exercise will give us an idea of how you would approach a project in a real-life work situation.
    via [deleted]
  • 10
    Below is a brief containing a few questions we'd like you to answer and present back to us with the presentation lasting no longer than 30 minutes. We'll then use the remaining 30 minutes for questions relating to what you've presented.
    via [deleted]
  • 11
    The brief: 1 - Based on our current social presence, what would be your top 3 recommendations for improving engagement. Give examples or visuals where relevant.
    via [deleted]
  • 12
    2- Based on seasonality, our peak period is January. We'd like you to draft a social media campaign for this time frame aimed at attracting our new short-term vacation rental hosts and capturing the increased demand.
    via [deleted]
  • 13
    Please detail your approach to the following: • The platforms and placements you would use and why • • Content ideas/recommendations
    via [deleted]
  • 14
    • How you would monitor and report on the performance of the campaign 3- Attached is a paid performance report from
    via [deleted]
  • 15
    Please analyse the data and feedback 3 key takeaways or recommendations.
    via [deleted]
  • 16
    (Yep they've literally sent me a copy of their real ad campaign data where they've clearly failed to get a decent amount of clicks and want me to tell them how to improve it - for free. Something an ad campaign manager would usually get paid to do. Which isn't even the role I am going for.)
    via [deleted]
  • 17
    I'm staggered. This is the third time in a row I've encountered this now. How is this becoming so common?
    via [deleted]
  • 18
    I_Am_Dixon_Cox 19 hr. ago. FYI, I'll be out of the offic... Do a 30 minute slide show on how you don't work for free.
    via [deleted]
  • 19
    idahononono 18 hr. ago Oh oh, add in why employers who don't value your time during interviews should evaluate their HR structure and "culture".
    via [deleted]
  • 20
    silverkernel 18 hr. ago This is becoming more common. My wife had it done to hear. Not doing the same work, but work for improvements etc. Then they ghost you. Its literally just a way to get free work done
    via [deleted]

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

workplace-stories work stories toxic-workplace job work reddit thread Reddit company job interview interview toxic-work-environment
Scroll Down For The Next Article