ASK HR: I read pride in your reaction; you should have taken the challenge
They wanted me to create a product for them as part of the interview, I clarified that I don’t design for free. PHOTO| FILE| NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- To ensure each party gets the best out of the interview experience, companies apply different ways to evaluate candidates, but all focused on key competencies critical to the role.
- If the question goes beyond need to demonstrate the process and perhaps how you would manage the project chain, you are justified in feeling exploited.
- My view is that everything at work, and in life generally, is not about money. A little generosity can go a long way in securing lasting relationships and open doors for business opportunities at a time when you need them most.
Q. I recently completed college, I am a designer. Last month, I attended an interview, but feel that the company was out to take advantage of me. They wanted me to create a product for them as part of the interview, but I declined and clarified that I don’t design for free. The HR manager had called me for an interview after being referred to me by a HR manager of another company I had worked for, so he already knew of my capabilities.
Was I right?
Recruiters use various methods to ensure they pick the best candidate. It is very costly for any employer to hire wrongly for any job. It is equally unfair to the candidate whose CV gets tainted by a short stint in role.
To ensure each party gets the best out of the interview experience, companies apply different ways to evaluate candidates, but all focused on key competencies critical to the role. It is common to undergo a psychometric test, leadership assessment profiling and to undertake a written assignment towards finding the most suitable person.
There are skills that are not easy to assess without a demo. Even where a candidate presents their work portfolio, a recruiter would still be keen to ascertain that the work can truly be credited to the candidate, therefore being asked to create a product to demonstrate competency should not be an issue.
However, such request depends on level of detail expected in such a demo. If the question goes beyond need to demonstrate the process and perhaps how you would manage the project chain, you are justified in feeling exploited. But how you communicate this is important. It is okay to say you do not design for free, but that is not news anyway.
The recruiter knows that, and the reason you are being interviewed is to be hired and paid to design. To assume that the recruiter has invited you for the purpose of getting a freebie seems harsh. It is also easy to read incompetence or pride in your answer.
My view is that everything at work, and in life generally, is not about money. A little generosity can go a long way in securing lasting relationships and open doors for business opportunities at a time when you need them most.
The most important trait a recruiter seeks for in a candidate in addition to competency is trust. Your answer suggests an employee who equates every task to pay, yet employers tend to prefer employees who can go the extra mile, who put in discretionary effort when most needed.
