A few years back, after I quit freelancing and decided to try my hands at a 9-to-5 job, I came across a role I thought I was perfectly qualified for. But after clicking the application link, I saw something I had never encountered before.
The company wanted my CV, a test assessing my abilities, and a video submission explaining my answers.
At the time, it felt excessive. Recently, though, I’ve noticed this kind of process has become pretty normal across tech hiring. Somewhere between take-home projects, recorded assessments, unpaid strategy decks, and endless interview rounds, applying for jobs in tech now feels like you're already working for the company.
What fascinates me even more is how quickly many people have accepted this as the cost of employability. There's now an unspoken understanding that if you really want the role, you should be willing to “go the extra mile.” That extra mile, however, can stretch into hours or days of unpaid work before, or if, an offer letter ever appears.
As competition for tech roles intensifies, companies are asking candidates to prove their value upfront. The result is a hiring culture where many workers feel pressured to constantly prove they deserve a seat at the table.
This week, we spoke to candidates and recruiters about the growing fatigue around tech hiring assessments and why many believe the modern application process is beginning to blur the line between evaluation and unpaid labour.
— Kelechi, Interim Managing Editor
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