If I do the homework, you owe me a phone call. The death of decency in hiring.


Honestly, I almost didn't post this.

You know how it is. You don't want to look salty. You don't want to look difficult. It’s easier to just roll your eyes and move on to the next application.

But I can’t be the only one dealing with this nonsense, so I’m saying it.

Here’s the situation:

I’m interviewing for a senior role. Things are going great. The hiring manager is cool, we’re clicking, the vision matches. Then comes the homework.

And not a 30-minute writing sample. They asked for the full package: A 12-month strategic plan for Analyst Relations. How to position them for MQs, Waves, the works.

I sat down and did the work. I audited their competitors. I built the roadmap. I gave them a strategy I would usually charge a consulting fee for.

I sent it off, ready to talk shop.

The result? Ghosted by the human, rejected by the robot. No feedback. No "hey, thanks for the effort." Just a generic, no-reply template email: “We have decided not to move forward.”

Since when is this okay?

Look, if we talk for 20 minutes and it’s not a fit? Fine, send the form letter. I get it, everyone is busy.

But if you ask me to spend my weekend building a strategy for your company? You owe me 5 minutes of human interaction.

  • If I do the homework, you don't get to hide behind an automated system.

  • If you want the free ideas, you have to at least have the decency to tell me why you passed.

It feels like theft. It feels like you wanted the plan, not the person.

And honestly? If that’s how you treat people during the romance phase of hiring, I’m glad I dodged the bullet.

Has this happened to you lately? At what point do we just stop doing the free homework?

#Hiring #Recruiting #RealTalk #AnalystRelations

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