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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

When is a task for a job interview just a task and when are they taking the p?

47 replies

TEETEE1121 · 12/02/2022 15:38

New username... old user. Haven't interviewed for a while...

I've been informed that I am through to the next round of interviews with a company and have been asked to complete a task... formulating a business/marketing plan for a new market the company is set to launch in... basically write a business/marketing plan for the role i am interviewing for. It's a market i know extremely well hence why the company reached out to me about the role.

... and yet there's something about it that rubs me the wrong away. It kind of feels like unpaid consultancy work?

... and there is still another interview round ahead.

Or are such tasks quite common?
Like I said... I haven't interviewed in a while.

OP posts:
rosesinmygarden · 12/02/2022 15:42

How long will it take you?

thesandwich · 12/02/2022 15:43

They are common….. do the task with copyright/ intellectual property belongs to… x clear on every page………

IncompleteSenten · 12/02/2022 15:43

Yes. I'd be reluctant to do that too

I don't suppose you can put something in that says that it remains your property and they don't have the right to use it? Not even sure if you could or how you would enforce it

Non downloadable, non editable (I don't think that's even a word) password protected document maybe?

But then they might think cor she'd be a nightmare.

Difficult one.

rosesinmygarden · 12/02/2022 15:44

How long will it take you?

I do work for companies which involves writing materials. It's common to be asked to complete an 'audition' task. The better companies pay you for the time, like a paid trial.

LemonKitten · 12/02/2022 15:46

I hate this kind of thing - personally I would write back to them saying you're happy to provide the full marketing plan they require - your rates are £x per hour as ab outside consultant.

And stand your ground.

rosesinmygarden · 12/02/2022 15:47

I've always water marked every page and sent it as a PDF. Not completely un-copiable but fair enough.

I wrote some sample materials for one company. They went on to ghost me and their published materials are based on my work. You aren't wrong to stop and think before doing the work.

Namechangeforthis88 · 12/02/2022 15:48

Was it Brewdog that did this and harvested loads of great ideas without having to pay people?

Original poster
TEETEE1121 · 12/02/2022 15:52

@rosesinmygarden

How long will it take you?
They said i should spend around 5 hours on it.
OP posts:
SarahJessicaPorker · 12/02/2022 15:52

@LemonKitten

I hate this kind of thing - personally I would write back to them saying you're happy to provide the full marketing plan they require - your rates are £x per hour as ab outside consultant.

And stand your ground.

I'd love to do this

How much do you want the job? I can see why this has rubbed you up the wrong way tbh. I've had something sort of similar after I was offered a job and they kept asking me for more and more references, although I'd already supplied good references, after three rounds of interviews and me accepting the job etc. I ended up pulling out actually as thought if they were that much of a pain before I started working there, I didn't think I was going to like working for them

RoyKentsChestHair · 12/02/2022 15:52

If you want a job with them they should be pleased if you take steps to protect the work you do and make your terms clear - for an employee that would be a positive attribute.

SarahJessicaPorker · 12/02/2022 15:53

@RoyKentsChestHair

If you want a job with them they should be pleased if you take steps to protect the work you do and make your terms clear - for an employee that would be a positive attribute.
Yes true. Good point
rosesinmygarden · 12/02/2022 15:58

Wow, 5 hours is a long time to work for free. I guess it depends how much you want the job. How much do you want to work for a company who expects so much prior to a job offer? I wonder what the next round will entail.....

BlusteryLake · 12/02/2022 16:03

How senior is the role? It sounds fairly senior, in which case you'd essentially be spending one afternoon preparing for the later rounds of a job that doesn't come up that often and you have a reasonable chance of getting. That sounds reasonable to me, as long as it genuinely does take 5 hours and it is not them saying five when in reality it's ten.

Westerman · 12/02/2022 16:06

It sounds like they'll be getting quite a few business plan/strategies for free. I hope there is a way you can protect your work, if you decide to go forward.
I think you are right to be concerned.

Zilla1 · 12/02/2022 16:08

I think most times when interviewees complain about providing free consultancy that they are mistaken and are over-valuing the obviousness of the task. In this case, 5 hours is far too much for a task that should be about allowing a candidate to showcase their experience and potential. In this case, I would deliberately not produce a fully-formed marketing plan, I would produce a presentation with enough to showcase the depth of my expertise and hint at my USP without giving them anything detailed enough to be of commercial value, unless it was a career-making opportunity. I would contact the individual in advance and tell them what you were doing and offer the alternative of paying you a handsome consultancy fee. In the latter case, the consultancy fee shouldn't be related to the five hours work, it should be the value in the deliverable.

C152 · 12/02/2022 16:29

They are totally taking the piss, but it's not the first time I've heard of companies do it...big ones do it do consultancy firms bidding for work too - then don't hire anyone and do it in-house using other people's ideas. I wouldn't produce a complete strategy for them, but would address how I would go about producing a strategy - the types of things to consider, what the industry trends are and how this may impact the strategy moving forward etc. (I've only been in this position once and didn't get the job because I did an outline rather than a step-by-step idiot's guide, saying I only prepare detailed material once contracts have been agreed and signed...although annoying, in the end I think it was a lucky escape - if they won't even stump up the cash during the initial recruitment phase, how tight will they be if you eventually manage to be hired?)

dipdye · 12/02/2022 16:31

Hahhha. Five hours?

No.

dipdye · 12/02/2022 16:32

I once had a prescreening interview and I really got the impression the HR person was green to the industry and trying to get me to tell her all the ins and outs.

Really bizarre

VladmirsPoutine · 12/02/2022 16:40

How badly do you want the job? I hate this kind of thing immensely. I used to work in PR and honestly the amount of ripped off ideas/content/strategies drove me bananas!

Mundra · 12/02/2022 16:40

5 hours seem unreasonable unless at VP level.

Arabellla · 12/02/2022 16:43

This is very common, apparently, getting free consulting.

Will you be presenting it in person? Or are they expecting a copy?

FloBot7 · 12/02/2022 17:21

This reminds me of the girl who submitted designs to converse. She didn't get the job. They did make the shoes. So underhanded. It's not like they're stuck with you if you they hire you and you aren't up to the job.

CJCreggsGoldfish · 12/02/2022 17:27

DH did something similar for a job interview once. After interviews the company decided not to employ anyone as ‘they’d changed their mind about the role they needed’. Bullshit - they were clearly out to get a lot of free consultancy.

LazJaz · 12/02/2022 19:52

Kind of surprised by those saying that 5 hours is a long time to “work for free”…I went for jobs last year that Had tough interviews “assignments” - i took Annual leave so that I could have a couple of days to prep for at least two of these roles. Indeed the assignments were timed - I had 48 hours for one of them.
(I really wanted at least one of the jobs - happy to say I accepted an offer for one and start next week)

When I have interviewed people and used a presentation component I always expect a high standard, I don’t know if 5 hours would be sufficient for the standard I look for (of course depends on the candidate’s prior knowledge/level of experience)

My view is if you want the role then go for it, if you feel this is cheeky then don’t do it. Sounds like you feel uncomfortable and that therefore it’s not worth it - you don’t want to work anywhere that makes you feel uncomfortable.

FloBot7 · 12/02/2022 20:06

I applied for a job at citizens advice a few years ago. They asked for a 30 minute presentation on personal finance that I had to deliver with no PowerPoint presentation or supporting materials. After working out how long it would take me to do it to my usual standard, I was so offended that I just decided not to turn up. The job paid 22k a year and that was just round 1 of the interview process. They also didn't mention it until after i'd written a 5,000 word statement outlining how I met their criteria (their requirement).

I emailed afterwards and explained that I hadn't attended because they showed such disregard for applicants' time. I could have warned them in advance but how would they really grasp what it felt like to have your time wasted. No idea if they learned anything, the presentation requirements weren't in the job advert in the first place. Probably hasn't changed but I enjoyed the F you moment.