New report finds some interview tasks are hurting recruitment in Australia
Interview tasks are becoming a major channel for unfair recruitment practices in Australia, as a new report indicated that employers are plagiarising the work carried out by job candidates who were likely unpaid for the work task they accomplished.
Interview tasks refer to practical assessments that are usually carried out during the hiring process as a way for employers to measure a candidate's ability.
Two in three employers in Australia ask candidates to complete interview tasks, or assignments, as part of their recruitment process, according to a new report from LinkedIn.
But it also revealed that 45% of companies are reusing the work that has been submitted to them by a job applicant, opening the organisation to concerns about unfair recruitment practices.
Only 36% of job candidates also said they were paid in full for an interview task in the past, while 28% said they received a partial payment.
Job candidates in personal services (53%), retail (50%), as well as health and education (43%) are most likely to not receive compensation for interview tasks.
Those in IT and media and communications, on the other hand, are among those most likely to be fully paid for a work task.
Impact on recruitment
Kate Furey, career insights specialist at Indeed, warned of the consequences of poorly executed interview tasks during recruitment.
"Interview tasks are an important aspect of the recruitment processes but when they are too onerous, unpaid, or plagiarised, it can negatively impact both the job seeker and employer," Furey said.
Indeed's report showed that 66% of job candidates have withdrawn from a job application, or have decided not to apply at all, because of an interview task.
Nearly three in four employers (73%) also noted that they lost candidates after assigning them an interview task.
The withdrawals also come as 37% of job candidates believe that their work for an interview task has been reused by an organisation.
More than half of workers (55%) also believe that unpaid tasks are unfair, with over a quarter saying they are "very unfair." For most job candidates (93%), interview tasks should be paid for if they take more than three hours or more.
"Indeed's findings highlight a growing tension in Australia's employment market. Employers are seeking deeper insight into candidates' skills, while job seekers are increasingly questioning what's being asked of them," Furey said.
"Candidates want compensation for interview assignments, especially for ones that take longer to complete."
According to Furey, employers need to be "reasonable" when assigning interview tasks for their job candidates.
"Indeed's findings highlight that it's important for recruiters to be realistic and reasonable with tasks they set, otherwise they risk losing applicants," she said.
