Tech companies mining ideas from job seekers

tookotook

Hi all,

I'm currently looking for a job after some time off. I've come across a number of tech companies that expect me to submit product ideas/improvements as part of the application process. I spend a good 40 minutes researching one companies product and went into detail about how I thought I could improve their service and didn't get as much as an acknowledgment back from them.
I'm wondering how best to answer these questions as they are required when submitting the form. I think it's very unfair for the job seeker to do a companies product research/design/innovation for them.

These are a couple of questions I've been faced with:

Irish company:

Please outline at least 2 recommendations/improvements/ideas for our products.*

Give us an example of two technical things on Pitchup.com you don't like and how you'd change them.*

beauf

Used to get this a lot when I worked in graphics.
Once I had to leave a sketch book, when I got it back it was torn off the ring binding (photo copied)
Few months later discovered one of my designs on some print work.

40 minutes isn't that much time on researching for a job/interview.
But once I see this I assume its not a real job, just some cheap trick to get ideas or data.
Do you really want to work for a place with that mindset. They'll do worse to you as an employee.

If someone puts so low value on a bit of work that they want it done for free its probably a sign you'll always struggle to get paid for that line of work. If someone is offering you money to do something, its probably a good sign, you'll always be able to make money doing it.

Victor

beauf wrote: »

Used to get this a lot when I worked in graphics.
Once I had to leave a sketch book, when I got it back it was torn off the ring binding (photo copied)
Few months later discovered one of my designs on some print work.

Bill them. As you aren't an employee, the intellectual property rights rest with you.

OMM 0000

I know a company who does this. When they have a new technical challenge they're facing, they get freelancers to submit their suggested solutions.

AFAIK they do hire freelancers based on this, but the main goal is information gathering.

I'm not sure what the solution is. Perhaps just don't apply to these companies.

beauf

Victor wrote: »

Bill them. As you aren't an employee, the intellectual property rights rest with you.

Long time in the past.

If someone wants a lot of detail from you, and they are very vague on the details of the job, then walk away.

Turtwig

Seen this a few times. Watermark the sht out of everything. Unless it's code or an algorithm. Make sure you put it on github or the like and provide them a link.

Sometimes it's not as nefarious as it might appear. Friend of mine was tasked with designing an augmented version of a Captcha. He got the job. Then spent the next 5 years working on a somewhat analogous but far more intricate project. Loved every bit of it. Still I'd say that's the exception. Be wary, if they ask for a lot be sure you're confident what they're asking it for.

Eoin

tookotook wrote: »

Hi all,

I'm currently looking for a job after some time off. I've come across a number of tech companies that expect me to submit product ideas/improvements as part of the application process. I spend a good 40 minutes researching one companies product and went into detail about how I thought I could improve their service and didn't get as much as an acknowledgment back from them.
I'm wondering how best to answer these questions as they are required when submitting the form. I think it's very unfair for the job seeker to do a companies product research/design/innovation for them.

They most likely already have a massive backlog of suggestions from customers, and have a pretty good idea of what needs to be improved. Maybe a candidate might come up with something new, but this is a very inefficient way just to get product improvement ideas.

I'd prefer to have an interview confirmed before having to do an exercise like this, but would absolutely expect I'd be asked to do something along these lines, and wouldn't find it unreasonable at all.

beauf

It might be a HR exercise only.

GarIT

I wouldn't do it. I've done plenty of coding tests but if it was something they could actually use I wouldn't do it.

Another thing I'm sick of is companies that use a custom site where they make you type your CV into loads of different boxes rather than just sending them your CV.

I've also had recruiters contact me and offer me an interview, then ask me for a cover letter. If you have to contact people about your job I'm already wary of it and you need to convince me to be interested and then you want a letter telling you why I'm interested? **** off.

Eoin

beauf wrote: »

It might be a HR exercise only.

Yep, and IMO a pretty valid / reasonable one for many jobs in tech.

GarIT wrote: »

Another thing I'm sick of is companies that use a custom site where they make you type your CV into loads of different boxes rather than just sending them your CV.

That drives me mental! Tends to be the big corporates from what I remember.