"There's no such thing as a free lunch"…or an unpaid interview assignment.

The above quote by the great Milton Friedman and its truth resonates far beyond economics.

We've all heard the adage, "There's no free lunch," and it was a favorite of a corporate finance professor of mine (shoutout to Loyola University Chicago). There's always an opportunity cost or tradeoff in any dealings, and nothing in this world is free.

So why are candidates providing free labor in the name of "interview assignments", "working interviews", or "project interviews", and why are employers demanding it? It's time to examine this unethical business practice and end it now.

There is no free lunch and this piece isn’t about economics; it's about ethics. Specifically, business ethics. It's also about empathy and respect for people. And unfortunately today, we have a lot of room for improvement in that department.

Referring to this very sound quote as a North Star guide and credo for the current job environment might be helpful for a lot of people as we navigate a concerning trend in the hiring landscape: the expectation of free labor in the form of interview assignments.?

Congratulations! You’ve been selected to move on to the next step in the hiring process.

Exciting!?

Under normal circumstances, reaching the last step in the interview process—especially for a job you're excited about—is a huge relief and an exciting time. You’re pumped about the job, the company, and the team, and you are likely looking forward to getting started, eagerly anticipating a formal offer. But temper expectations because here comes a fun surprise that wasn't mentioned during the initial interviews: you’ve been tasked with a homework assignment in the form of a bakeoff with what you just discovered are "several other" candidates.

Sound familiar? You're not alone.

Picture this: You’ve built a portfolio over the last decade and showcased your work. You have just spent well over 6 cumulative hours— just in calls—with numerous people and panels demonstrating your hard and soft skills for a job that you’re more than qualified for. You passed several personality and aptitude tests. You might even be considering taking a pay cut, because, you know, the economy and such. (After all, you’re a team player!) You’re feeling good and have received glowing feedback throughout this lengthy months-long journey that you’re the best candidate for the job. Things are looking up!

You’re then asked at finish line, after what you were told was the final interview step, to produce the following:?

(1) A strategic go-to-market plan for a new business vertical,

(2) A 12-month marketing plan to support, and?

(3) Recommendations to management on how they can improve their competitive positioning.?

Oh, and one more quick thing…

(4) Develop pricing recommendations for their solutions and show data as to how they can garner more traction relative to their peers.

Huge congrats and surprise! You’ve been selected to deliver a free project as a not-so-cleverly disguised “interview assignment”. All requirements as part of this exercise are directly applicable to the business at this very moment and you’re now on the clock for producing free work for further consideration.

Today’s interview process is the gift that keeps on taking.

Are you feeling valued yet? Aside from the obvious not getting paid part, there are hidden costs in delivering free work that contribute to deeper, systemic issues.

Regardless of what sneaky manner or verbiage the company is using to obtain free work, asking you for a “quick” case study, a “simple” prompt, “just a couple” recommendations (er, ideas), or other nonsensical terms for work without pay is just rebranded free work. It is unethical and is a nuanced form of exploitation of labor (via wage theft). Workplace inequity, anyone?

All of this isn't what you signed up for. Every logical sign points to walking away. But you can't, can you? You've invested a lot of time and you need this job. If you're a people-pleaser, saying no feels impossible. You're backed into a corner and facing a decision that feels deeply wrong. It’s psychologically taxing. The worst part is knowing your work and ideas will probably be used in some capacity without compensation or attribution. That nagging sense of self-betrayal is ever-present.

Now here’s the rub.

Acting as a willing participant in this unethical charade devalues your potential new role into a glorified order-taker who delivers tasks on demand.

You're also disadvantaged as a candidate. How are you expected to deliver strategic insights without a deep understanding of the company? You can't provide this level of meaningful work without deep company knowledge— it's an unrealistic expectation. Plain and simple: you're being exploited.

Lastly, you’ve now set a precedent for your future work at the company without realizing it. They know you're not overly strategic because you just produced a great sum of work without question. Your future role could be reduced to fulfilling outlandish requests at a moment’s notice without the context or strategic insight needed for meaningful contribution, setting yourself up for scrutiny from day 1.

Hey, that’s my idea.

If it's not already obvious, the potential risk in complying with an interview assignment request is blatant idea theft or intellectual property (IP) theft. This is deeply concerning because this practice is not only unethical but may also be illegal. In today's knowledge-driven economy, IP theft can be widespread and subtle, making it crucial to protect your ideas if you choose to provide any free work during the interview process.?

Remember you're a professional, not an unpaid intern on summer break. There is nothing to prove here in doing free work or entertaining faulty rationale such as:

• "We want to see how you think."
• "We have found candidates think it's fun and rewarding."
• "It will help us assess you and the other candidates."

Don't be fooled, these are all moot given you just came off hours of interviews where any such concerns could have been discussed in detail. Your skills and experience are valuable and this is nothing more than taking advantage of candidates.

The fact of the matter is most companies would never give away their products for free and neither should you. If you're being asked/told to give away your work and ideas for free, consider it a major red flag regarding the company's values and a preview of how you’ll be treated as an employee.

There's probably a 50/50 shot (if I'm being nice) that your deliverables will be used in internal conversations and repurposed in some semblance at the company for their gain. Some candidates are even special enough (sarcasm) to see their work appropriated out in the world without attribution. Lucky them!

So, how do you protect your work if agreeing to participate in an interview assignment?

Fortunately, you have numerous options to protect your intellectual property from unauthorized use or distribution. Hattie the PMM offers excellent recommendations in her post on this topic, and many other resources provide recommendations and legal language you can incorporate into your work (please refer to the bottom of this article). By integrating some simple tactics to help safeguard your IP, you might be more comfortable knowing your work is as secure as it can be, should you decide to deliver free work.

There's no free lunch; pay me, please.

Under the “there’s no free lunch” logic, there is always going to be a tradeoff or opportunity cost. A compromise.

The big, glaring, silver lining in all of this is that you can protect your worth and contribute to a fairer workplace at the same time by communicating some boundaries or just saying no to such asks. If you feel strongly about the role and choose to proceed, you might consider your compromise to look something like this:

“I’m thrilled to move on in the process and would be happy to provide that project at an hourly consulting rate of $x. Please let me know if this is agreeable and how you’d like to proceed.”?

This is a great opportunity for them to show you their values in action. If the company truly values its people and #DEI is a focus area for the company, paying you for your services shouldn't be an issue. Allow them to demonstrate accountability and align their actions with their stated principles, which are likely listed on their website at this very moment. Tip: Feel free to screenshot those with your compromise above.

Why this strategy is a win-win:

• You are demonstrating the art of compromise. It is professional and respectful to all parties involved.
• You show you have integrity and values. It shows you have boundaries and operate on a set of values; this is leadership.
• You're helping them be better. It puts the ball in their court, and may even bring about some self-awareness in their ask and help them refine their process.
• You are showing flexibility and openness. It shows you have positive intent, are collaborative, can negotiate, and are willing to continue in the process to reach an outcome for all parties involved.

By placing a monetary value on your time and talents, you’re not only respecting yourself, but you’re helping break this unnecessary and exploitative cycle and bring awareness to the issue of pay equity from an ethical standpoint.

What is right for you will find you.

The choice to partake in any system, and how to respond, is 100% yours.?By creating boundaries, taking back your power, and moving forward with confidence while demonstrating excellence, you will find what is meant for you and it will probably be the best job you’ve ever had.

This give-me-free-work-to-be-considered-for-a-job-here dilemma is a real-life exercise in values, and living by our values is a great way to move through life.

And if nothing else was a key takeaway from this article, it’s quite simple: being a good human means not taking advantage of others. Be better.

Please note that I’m not an attorney, nor should this content constitute, or be construed as, legal advice in any capacity.?

Additional reading:

1. What is Intellectual Property Theft? - Code42
2. Beware of Interview "Homework Assignments" - Protecting Your Intellectual Property
3. Are Unpaid Take-Home Interview Assignments Ethical? We Asked 2 Experts.
4. Never ask job candidates to do unpaid assignments as part of your hiring process
5. Don’t do free work in your next interview
6. Navigating Job Interviews: What to do when employers ask candidates to perform FREE WORK as part of the interview process. Know your rights.
7. Big Nope: Interview Assignments
8. Employers are asking applicants to do ‘test work’ for free—workers can push back