I Suspect I Work for Free While Doing The Job Application Tasks

furic7 on 01/09/2021 - 01:07
Last edited 01/09/2021 - 01:09

I applied for a position as a programmer. The employer gave me a technical test for fixing a list of bugs in a project, which is a bit weird while most companies would ask you to solve specific coding problems or developing some new features in a small project.

I've spent ~4 hours finishing them anyway, with a well-documented dev note outlining the solutions and giving suggestions on the project.

I sent the solutions back to them on Sunday night and they rejected me on early Monday morning without a reason.

I'm sure I finished all tasks pretty well, so I asked them for feedback on the tasks and the application, and waited 48 hours they still haven't replied.

I could not stop thinking they did it for just having a FREE freelancer, although the company looks pretty normal with having 20+ people on its website (can be fake though), and doesn't seem to do that for having a few hundred budgets.

Will there be anything I can do? I don't think FairWork would do anything? Or just admit I'm in bad luck meeting this company and just move on…

Education & Work

Comments

  • Agret on 01/09/2021 - 01:15
    +6

    If you haven't signed any contracts then I would assume they aren't in breach of anything. Highly possible they just used you for free work.

  • garetz on 01/09/2021 - 01:30
    +2

    They probably sent it to multiple people applying to get the job for completion hoping someone gullible would do them.

    • waterbottled on 01/09/2021 - 09:45
      +2

      Less about gullibility, and more about compliance. If a prospective employer gives you a task as part of their interview process, you don't have much of a choice other than to do the task if you want to progress.

  • morse on 01/09/2021 - 04:51
    +7

    It might be an unreasonable unpaid work trial https://www.fairwork.gov.au/pay/unpaid-work/unpaid-trials
    If they don’t provide feedback I’d say it likely is. Give them the opportunity to explain themselves but if you don’t hear anything back or get a reasonable response it might be worth reporting it to save others from misfortune. Just be wary of unintended consequences like them damaging your reputation in the industry if you do ‘name and shame’ or anything like that.

  • screensaver on 01/09/2021 - 06:28
    +6

    What a low act. I would send them an invoice for my time, stating you suspect they used you for free work.Find out the name of the person you are interacting with. Even if you have to call.

  • Platinumtelecom on 01/09/2021 - 07:06

    If this is how they operate their business, they probably won’t be around for long anyways….

  • scotty on 01/09/2021 - 07:28
    +16

    Sending a list of non-trivial bugs to an interviewee who has no idea about the overall system architecture, hoping that those bugs can be fixed for free, would be the VERY LAST thing I would do. I just don't think it is the case here.

    • Krankite on 01/09/2021 - 07:39
      +2

      maybe I'm being naive but I agree with you on this one, I would end up spending more time checking your work than you would have spent doing it. I'm surprised they would expect such a big commitment and give no feedback though that's pretty low.

    • RockyRaccoon on 01/09/2021 - 08:17

      Absolutely.

      Of course we could spend 4 hours here giving detailed forensic analysis of what crime may have been committed, but then would this be used for free by the op for some paid for project.

      If I believe in conspiracies, then any possible scenario could be applied here.

      Forgetting of course your point about the overall architecture, there are so many other simple answers, like.

      Was the response in time?
      Was the response a solution to the issues.
      Were the questions based on real time issues.
      Did someone else reply with a better response.

    • cameldownunder on 01/09/2021 - 09:47

      I am with OP. But that's not the way it should work, and OP should have refused the assignment straight away.
      But then it's also OP's error, sending it back on Sunday. OP really bending and ready to take it from the beginning?

  • mskeggs on 01/09/2021 - 08:10
    +5

    Just post your experience on glass door emphasising the lack of feedback.

  • orangetrain on 01/09/2021 - 08:10

    Why not add it to the portfolio by creating the project in github? Don't name them of course.

  • askme69 on 01/09/2021 - 09:14

    Real world

  • popsiee on 01/09/2021 - 09:18
    +2

    Can't the answer simple be they hired someone better than you ?

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 01/09/2021 - 09:57
      +3

      get out of here with your plausible reasonings. Ozbargain forums is for outrage.

      • SF3 on 01/09/2021 - 10:06
        +1

        Seems to have been mellowed out lately… outrage seems to have channelled into the covid megathread, but that’s another story.

    • furic7 on 01/09/2021 - 14:48
      +1

      If they do they can simply say so, and I will happily walk away, but they now just didn't respond to my polite feedback request.

  • Donaldhump on 01/09/2021 - 09:19
    +1

    apply again under another name and put this in their code.

    x=1/0 # eat a ????

    • cameldownunder on 01/09/2021 - 10:00

      There are 10 people who understand binary
      Those who do, and those who don't.

      • Donaldhump on 01/09/2021 - 10:51

        that's not binary though

  • SF3 on 01/09/2021 - 09:22
    +1

    I've spent ~4 hours
    fixing a list of bugs in a project
    I could not stop thinking they did it for just having a FREE freelancer

    If you truly believe, their motive is true. Then, not having the prospect to work for them, is probably the best outcome in this situation.

    Why? Any company worth their salt, thinks any freelance randoms can be sourced to fix bugs in software projects, they are just not worth it to work for.

    Software projects are not like Uber drivers or Amazon Flex jobs, although some businesses may like to think that way, but they are deluded if they think that.

    • cameldownunder on 01/09/2021 - 09:57
      +3

      The employer gave me a technical test for fixing a list of bugs in a project

      While I agree with you about best outcome, it might be a code sample or mini project that is spiked with bugs and maybe formatting not following code conventions.
      I had a pre-interview with Atlassian, where they sent 4 questions that were also open to interpretation, and it wasn't just about solving the problem, but how the problem was solved, how much was documented with API documentation, patterns followed, and code cleanness.

      I did not go past this test, and when I looked at my answers/code I did see why.

      with a well-documented dev note outlining the solutions and giving suggestions on the project.

      That might have costed the OP's test. I dont think he/she were asked to give suggestions on the project. OP has "overstepped his competencies"

      I've spent ~4 hours finishing them anyway

      Doesn't say much, and that's not meant to be against OP. With tests like this you can spend 4 hours or you can spend 24 hours.
      Maybe you did not include Unit Test, or Mokito Tests. Maybe Methods were too long, variale names not explicit enough or too long, code formatting different than what they use …. it can be very frustrating

      I sent the solutions back to them on Sunday night and they rejected me on early Monday morning without a reason.

      They will never tell you the truth, if you fail.

      I'm sure I finished all tasks pretty well

      I thought that too at the time, and later on I realized I could have spent another 24 Hours.
      Am I sad that I was not selected? Probably yes, but later on probably not.

  • jpl on 01/09/2021 - 12:07
    +2

    Hey RF,

    So sorry to hear about your bad experience looking for a job. I am not saying the company is bad, but in reality there are lots of low scumbag companies waiting to suck you even when you are already dried.

    This is part of life and you have to learn to let it go or the negative chi will be following you as long as you keep feeling bad about it.

    If you are still with "LGs", maybe just stay a while more and build your experience going into a more lucrative industry like pokie machines.

    In the meantime, take this downtime to plan and refresh "B42", in my opinion it is a really good platform and just need to wait for the kids to go back to school.

    If you are still looking for a job, with your experience, should look for a more senior role than a programmer. Once again, let the negative chi go, move on and be happy.

    Good Luck.

    • furic7 on 01/09/2021 - 14:54
      +1

      lol you did a good search on me… anyway thanks for the suggestions.

  • tonyjzx on 01/09/2021 - 12:52

    that 4hrs is on you

    there used to be a lot of nonsense where companies would ask you do to a 5 min video of why we should hire you and slap it on youtube

    once even i did a full on selection criteria nonsense for govt jobs

    to me this is a lottery ticket situation, how much time do you expend in the expectation of a job

  • bobbified on 01/09/2021 - 14:43
    +2

    There are companies that run psychological tests that take 3-4 hours to complete, companies that do three or four rounds of interviews where (before covid) you could spend hours travelling back and forth for, have to do group work, etc. The interview process can vary considerably with each company.

    You'll find that you don't always get feedback for your time. And even sometimes when you do get feedback, you can tell that it's so generic that it's pointless.

    Fact right now is, you weren't successful in obtaining the role. They might not have a reason for it other than the simple fact that someone did better (in the employers' eyes) and they were offered the job.

    The only advice that I can give is to not unsuccessful attempts demotivate you in your search.

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