Took Advantage of My Expertise for Free Work, Then Ghosted Me
I recently interviewed, and my experience was extremely disappointing and unprofessional. After an initial conversation with the recruiter, who expressed strong enthusiasm about my fit for the role, I was immediately asked to complete a case study. This request came before even meeting with the hiring manager, which was supposed to be the next step. They then indicated that if I submitted the case study by Monday, they would pass it along to the hiring manager with a promised turnaround of 1-2 days.
I put in significant effort and submitted the assignment ahead of schedule. This was the most detailed case study I've ever had to do for any role! I put in hours of work. However, despite the recruiter’s previously prompt responses, I heard absolutely nothing back. I waited a few days—still nothing. I waited until the end of the week and reached out again, but I was completely ghosted.
I followed up via email, sent messages on LinkedIn, and even reached out directly to multiple people, but received no response whatsoever. It’s now been nearly two weeks, and I have not received a single word acknowledging my assignment, let alone any feedback or updates on my candidacy.
My conclusion? It feels like they used the case study, my 90 day plan, to get free consultative work and insights without any intention of moving forward in the hiring process. This behavior is not only unprofessional but also incredibly manipulative and it needs to stop. We need to call out companies that follow these shady practices!
