Skipping the concept of submitting assignments as part of the application process for a moment...
Everybody searching for a job finds that a significant number of companies never respond, or they issue a short response via email or website that you haven't moved to the next stage. Sometimes it isn't a lack of response it is a very slow response, my record is over two years later they said my application was finally reviewed and would not move to the next phase. Sometimes this ghosting happens early in the process sometimes it is later in the process.
Everybody who is trying to hire somebody finds a significant number of people ghost them. They don't respond to a request for more information, they skip telephone screens, in-person and Skype interviews. It happens at all stages of the process. Some have even not responded to an offer letter, or failed to show up for the first day of work.
The more time and energy you spend in the process the more the ghosting hurts. The pain from ghosting is different from the pain of not getting selected. When you submit an assignment, but still get ghosted, you then expend further energy trying to get a response.
This isn't a new trend. There have been complaints by applicants for decades that some of the questions being asked of them felt like they were be using to help the company, not as a way to evaluate them. Building contractors, and landscape designers have felt that people use their detailed estimates as a guide for the company that ultimately gets the job. They pay the one with the cheaper labor to follow the best design.
One way to avoid the situation is not to do the assignments. Of course that means that you will apply to places, and then not complete the entire application process. Just don't ghost them - leave them short, polite note saying that your policy is not not submit long assignments.
manpreet![Tuteehub forum best answer]()
Best Answer
2 years ago
I've been doing assignments as part of my job applications to join tech startups in past weeks and I've noticed a lot of times they don't even get back to me with a feedback. This has happened so frequently to me and people around me, that got me thinking if it's a new trend for companies, especially tech startups, to just outsource their projects for free.
I might appear skeptical but that's because based on my experience most of these assignments are closely related to their app like integrating something to it / integrate it to some other services and etc.
As an example this is taken from the last assignment I received last week:
This whole thing, if true, is very frustrating and I'm keen to find out if they can actually use my project without my permission and if I can do something to prevent it? I'm aware in most cases it's even impossible to find out whether they are using my piece of work since they are based on close-sourced projects.