I received a design challenge with a deadline at the end of the week. The task was based on the exact same screen of the product they told me they had been working on, even though they had explicitly said, “We will send you a design challenge, but don’t worry — it will not be about anything we are currently working on.” I heard nothing for 10 days after submitting the challenge, despite trying to contact them several times. Eventually, I managed to reach another HR representative, who told me the position had already been filled on the very day I received the design challenge. I tried to explain that this reflected poorly on them, given that design challenges are essentially free work (and are heavily criticized for that reason), and that leaving me without an update affected my ongoing interviews with other companies. It also created the impression that they only wanted me to submit the work. The HR representative assumed I was frustrated solely because I wasn’t selected. I clarified that I was offering feedback, not a reproach, and I still thanked them for trying to explain. However, during the call, the HR representative acted as if I just couldn’t comprehend anything and ended by saying, “Well, at least I tried.”