Can you decline an interview assignment?

20 Comments

1. Megan KaleitaFebruary 5,2022 at 10:09PM UTC

   I've asked to be paid the current contractor market rate for the work or have it in writing that unless there's a job offer imminent, the work will revert to me as the sole owner for portfolio reasons. If they balk at either one of those things, red flag.

2. Tanika (Nika) Vasquez - (she/her)February 5,2022 at 10:27PM UTC

   I agree with Megan, I would ask to be paid for working on their campaign. If they want fresh ideas they should hire you.

3. Deborah PavekFebruary 5,2022 at 11:17PM UTC

   This sounds as if they want you to work for free. Let them know you are more than willing to complete the assignment but you will be charging them your freelance hours for the work, as it is for an upcoming campaign and you do not want your work used without proper compensation.

   This has happened to some writer friends of mine, they've been asked to provide notes on a script, then asked for more specifics on how they punch it up. All this on the hook being told if their ideas were chosen they'd get the punch up job and the pay that goes with. Only to find out later the production co took all of their advice and put some under-paid intern on the punch-up and no one got paid. No one I know does it any longer for free.

4. Kim CallinanFebruary 5,2022 at 11:46PM UTC

   Are you sure that it's an upcoming campaign? Or is there a chance that they just made a scenario that seemed real but is actually not? I think you could say something like: "I'm very excited about this job, and happy to demonstrate my knowledge and skills through an assignment. However, I'm struggling a little with figuring out how to do the assignment without giving away my intellectual property for free. Can you help me understand how the organization balances those two things? I can not promise that this won't have a negative outcome; however, it sounds like if they are not reasonable this may not be the right place for you to work.

5. AnonymousFebruary 7,2022 at 1:30PM UTC

   Be very clear to them about your concerns. If they want fresh ideas for free they should hire an intern. Not take them from unsuspecting interviewees.

6. AnonymousFebruary 7,2022 at 2:21PM UTC

   Be careful with this request.
   I've been on the other side and they used my campaign and I wasn't selected for the position.

   I contacted the hiring manager when I saw my campaign live exactly how I pitched it and their response was anything that happens during the interview process is company owned. They didn't even hire anyone for the role and it makes me wonder if there was a position?

   If used effectively, it can be a test of your skillset and what you would bring to the table. If it's extensive, they are either testing your project management ability or sadly, trying to generate new ideas.

   It's up to you how much you want the job. If you decline the assignment, that might influence their decision. That being said, you have the right to protect your ideas and not work for free.

7. AnonymousFebruary 7,2022 at 2:25PM UTC

   Has anyone ever actually gotten paid when they come back with a contract for a request like this?

   I agree be super careful and don't waste your time if it feels like a bait and switch. I just wondered if there's some kind of template contract out there that could be sent when these requests come up?

   I had this come up in an instance where I didn't have time to complete such a lengthy assignment so I just declined moving any further in the process.

8. Megan KaleitaFebruary 7,2022 at 7:12PM UTC

   I did, I think I kind of shamed them into it because the hiring manager made it a big deal about how they don't normally do that and I said: "well then you shouldn't ask people to work for free." I didn't get the job and I didn't turn anything in until they paid me, which they did very grudgingly. Later, their LinkedIn post was something about people wanting handouts and how you should feel lucky to get an interview.

9. Susan R. MasonFebruary 10,2022 at 7:10PM UTC

   Wow!, it's getting nasty out there.

10. JYJFebruary 7,2022 at 2:29PM UTC

    Decline the assignment and don't walk-RUN away from this company. I have seen this too many times. They want your amazing ideas for free.

    The other option has already been well stated. You are happy to pull together a presentation for this request and you charge x amount per hour as your consulting rate.

11. Susan R. MasonFebruary 10,2022 at 7:09PM UTC

    I think accepting the project as a consultant is a great idea. It shows that you value your experience and knowledge, and have great self confidence and self esteem. Great advice!

12. Tabbi KinionFebruary 7,2022 at 3:01PM UTC

    I am going to go a different direction because I promise that if you don’t do the assignment, you won’t get this job.

    Because you are asking, do you have some other red flags? Why are you hesitating to show off your skills in order to get this job?

    Remember that your ideas aren’t worth anything without a place to make them happen. If you want this job, you have to out compete everyone else so put your best ideas forward. That’s the only way to make it so you land the job with the resources to make your other ideas a reality.

    If, like you seem to be hesitant about, they use your ideas and don’t hire you - great, that means you get confirmation of 2 things: 1. You really are talented (that will boost your confidence in your job search) and 2. You really didn’t want to work for these unethical people.

    Getting the job you want takes risk. You can’t sit back, hide your talents and then be frustrated. So, decide if this is a path you want to take risks to follow.

13. Madam anon663February 7,2022 at 5:02PM UTC

    I just don't see how asking this of a perspective employee can generate good feelings. I understand it, but to be specific about an upcoming campaign, seems slimy to me and insulting. Unless they put in writing they will not be using your assignment if you are not hired, and you know they won't, hard pass.

14. Janielle MyersFebruary 7,2022 at 5:07PM UTC

    Ah I can’t post an image. A recruiter I follow on LinkedIn just posted this last week: If a company is interviewing and asks you to evaluate something about the company and present what you would improve and why, you are no longer a candidate; your a consultant.

    if your giving actionable information you’re giving valuable information. Don’t work for free.

    Adam Karpiak

15. Janet ParkhurstFebruary 8,2022 at 6:53PM UTC

    Go Adam!

    As a senior copywriter (and I DO mean senior), I bristle at being asked to "prove myself" by doing an "assignment." This is, I agree, working for FREE. I mean, my resume is a results-oriented presentation of how my communications benefited companies and clients; my website features a full client list and areas of services and, most of all, it provides real, published work samples that people actually paid for.

    Do I get the job by refusing their "assignments?" No. But I wouldn't want to work for them, anyway.

16. Eva SteortzFebruary 7,2022 at 9:53PM UTC

    I recently read an article about this growing trend. So many of my clients have had to do them plus personality tests. If this is a job you want, I would recommend you do it and do your best! However, you have to do what feels right for you.

    Nearly one in four businesses now conduct such assessments, the National Association of Colleges and Employers reports; nearly 40 percent of hiring executives expect them to become widespread within three years and 70 percent within five, according to a survey conducted in 2018 by Northeastern University’s Center for the Future of Higher Education and Talent Strategy.

17. Annetta MosesFebruary 8,2022 at 5:35AM UTC

    As a hiring manager, assignments are based on the role for which I am hiring. For an entry-level role, I may assign a case. I want to evaluate if the candidate can organize data into a persuasive story. For Director and higher positions, I want to evaluate the candidate's ability to bring new thinking to business problems. I may ask a candidate to outline a 30-60-90 day onboarding plan to select a competitor and present a case for us to develop a strategy to defend against them. The preparation should be 2 hours or less.

    For a candidate to be considered for an offer, she must complete the case. I believe it is ethical for a company to ask for an assignment to evaluate a candidate. Companies should not be asking candidates to complete work as "free consulting."

18. Megan KaleitaFebruary 8,2022 at 7:03PM UTC

    It’s ethical if you pay them.

19. Karen GongawareFebruary 8,2022 at 8:52PM UTC

    No matter how anyone tries to spin it, it is still doing free work for a company that may or may not hire you. You can state you are interested and ask for an assignment that is not based on real upcoming campaigns. I don't give counselors real client cases to show they know how to counsel. They are made up ones, generic issues that the counselor can write a treatment plan for to show their knowledge of the field.

    So, if they insist you can always state your project hourly rate, or keep quiet , do the project for free and hope for the best.

    This is something only you can decide.

20. Janet ParkhurstFebruary 10,2022 at 12:15AM UTC

    Agree! And I am willing to bet companies are far less likely to ask a MAN to do "sample work" for no compensation. I wish there were a survey that would reveal the true answer.