Job candidate completes unpaid free labor for hiring manager, gets rejected for not going above and beyond: '[I] already have a full-time job [and] was only given two days to do this!'

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
May 18, 2025 2:00 PM EDT

Going through multiple rounds of interviews can feel unnecessary, but having to complete unpaid labor that takes entire days to finish should be a bridge too far for many prospective candidates. Unfortunately, in this day and age, assignments such as these have become standard practice during the recruitment process. Job applicants can expect to have to do a little work in subsequent rounds of interviews prior to sitting down with more people. This is an opportunity for candidates to demonstrate their skillset outside of whatever is written in your cover letter or on your resume. In theory, assignments make sense. However, at the same time, they need to be realistic. 

Far too many applicants have had to essentially do work for potential future employers without substantial feedback or support. Sometimes, they do all that work only to be ghosted when scheduling a follow-up interview. Employers have taken the idea of assignments and have instead used them to deceive candidates into doing free work and wasting their time in the process. Keep scrolling below for this one candidate's story, in which he completed what seemed appropriate for a job application and was criticized for not doing more!

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    Cheezburger Image 10506200064
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Mutual respect for one another's time is an important indicator of a good employer-employee relationship. Candidates should consider if their time is being respected when they are asked to complete assignments that involve a substantial amount of free work. This author was only willing to do so much, as he believed he had already demonstrated his skills in other ways. That may have cost him the employment opportunity in the end, but at least he respected his own time enough not to give it up for someone else!

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    "Absolutely inhumane interview process"

    So the HR manager of this big company reaches out to me and shes like youre great for this job we would love to hire you. They then make me go through 4 rounds of interviews and then at the end give me 2 days to finish a "prework"
    via Lavalanche17
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    This pre-work brief just says this: build a platform strategy. Your strategy should include: • Chosen social platforms, with ranking of focus/priority. Outline the approach, thinking and research that led you to your chosen platforms
    via Lavalanche17
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    Role of each platform (including objectives) Target audience by platform Recommended objectives by platform
    via Lavalanche17
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    • Recommended content formats, with rationale Content frequency
    via Lavalanche17
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    So I put together a 7 page single spaced document with a super detailed platform strategy including everything they ask for.
    via Lavalanche17
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    They ask me for a call and in the call they tell me "we arent moving forward with you but wanted to give you some feedback"
    via Lavalanche17
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    e-re WE ARE HIRING APPLY TODAY
    via Eric Prouzet

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    They tell me they expected a fully designed powerpoint deck with objectives, design work, numbers, research done for each target audience, how to do the research step my step methodology, paid media, how much money for each paid media like thats insane and wasnt listed in the brief. They also wanted graphics done and mockups.
    via Lavalanche17
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    if they wanted more why not just tell me? why not just ask for what you actually wanted? if they told me they want a deck with all that stuff I would have happily made it and included KPIs and numbers that I guess they wanted me to pull out of my because they never gave me a budget
    via Lavalanche17
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    I brought up my concerns that I 1. already have a full time job, 2. was only given two days to do this and 3. why not just ask for what you wanted?
    via Lavalanche17
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    Their answer:"we wanted to see where your mind would naturally go"
    via Lavalanche17
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    its just effed they expect me to magically know that they want way more than just what they brief asked for
    via Lavalanche17
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    Am I crazy? I tried to go to my friends and their replies were: "Next time follow up with an email with all the questions that you have. shows that you're being proactive."
    via Lavalanche17
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    "usually you have to just give number which is dependent on the running period and KPIs"
    via Lavalanche17
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    "it's a pretty common standard to keep the brief "brief" and then see what the candidate asks as a follow up."
    via Lavalanche17
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    happened to if you want something you say what you want and dont expect people to read your mind. Am I losing my mind? I feel like I'm going crazy
    via Lavalanche17
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    BeerscotchR6 • 4 hr. ago | Am I crazy? From my perspective, you were crazy before the end of the four rounds of interviews. Even that's excessive.
    via Lavalanche17
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    Working for free for two days for the company? That's a huge red flag, if the four rounds of interviews wasn't already.
    via Lavalanche17
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    OnionCuttinNinja · 3 hr. ago All your friends' responses were way off, you don't provide work that costs thousands for free. And this is my guess as to exactly what the company is doing here, stealing good ideas for free.
    via Lavalanche17
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    And some food for thought, the best case scenario, where you produced the perfect pre-work brief, is where this company would still need your expertise the least. So where's the incentive for you here, really?
    via Lavalanche17
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    theunkindpanda 3 hr. ago There should be protections against this. It's basically a scam. Hold "interviews" where you have candidates do free work you get to keep. I'd try to report it to the labor board.
    via Lavalanche17

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