Can companies use my assignment in their product without my permission?

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.