Exploitative ‘interview task’ I realised early on, it was unlikely there was a real job here. Covid-driven scarcity of opportunities drove me to see this interview process through. After a call with HR, I was invited to stage 2. Attached to the invite was a detailed 3 page ‘interview task’ (font size 8), asking me to conduct B2B ‘personalized healthcare’ research for a current client. “We want you to present everything you would do, from kick off, to final deliverables”. And a nice patronising line to end, “Hint! – do desk research to find the most important personalized healthcare topics we should analyse!” Challenge accepted; got it done. Minutes into the zoom meeting, HR entered to let me know that the person interviewing me ’was 'too busy'. After I prompted the following morning, HR replied at 2pm with a new time, 5pm(!). I presented my work. I learned this was a live project and they were ‘brainstorming’. Great – it was confirmed, I had been used. Then I was asked to explain things they didn’t understand about their social listening tool and probed on other things that felt more for their benefit. This was not an interview. I received glowing feedback for my work. I was abruptly told (not asked) to send my deck across. Obviously, I didn’t agree to this. I was pestered for almost a week for the shiny deck I had presented, and my “I don’t think there is a job” comment was glossed over with a “who said that? Can you please just send the deck over?”. I ignored every email. 5 days after the interview, the very senior person who had interviewed me, emailed me requesting the deck, *urgently*. Who would employ a candidate who had not taken your orders to send a deck over, 5 days later? Especially after saying in the interview that the decision would be made within 48 hours? Also, please note – this job is advertised 12 months of the year, same goes for the Data Scientist role. They just change bits of text here and there. Seems their business is founded on candidate interview tasks. I’ve since read through the previous interview reviews. I’m seeing a recurring theme where candidates are completing ‘interview tasks’ and then being ghosted. Their emphasis and outrage has been focused on not receiving interview/task feedback. People! Realise your worth, this is not a case of someone else getting the job and you not being good enough. You have been used and exploited. There was never a job. Equally, I hope clients (especially the pharmaceutical client) read and realise that the person completing their project is likely an overworked office junior, taking instruction from a senior interview candidate’s ‘interview task’. 2020 is a tough year for everyone, including businesses. But this does not excuse this shameful tactic. This cut-throat industry is getting worse and this has got to be addressed. Interview candidates are human beings with a lot of pressure on their shoulders. You only have to watch the news to see that unemployment related mental health issues and suicide is on the rise. Weber Shandwick doesn’t care, but this warning needs to be provided to all the decent, honest and hardworking people out there that think they have found an opportunity.