A distributed company asked me to complete a weeklong project with daily updates across several time zones before discussing compensation or team placement. Is this a normal remote hiring step, and how can I tell whether it is a genuine assessment or unpaid work?
3 Answers
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Ask whether the project solves a real current business problem and whether anyone will use the result. Example: a mock customer dataset is safer than redesigning their live onboarding flow. A trial is still an interview only if scope, hours, pay, and ownership are agreed in writing; vague answers are the material caveat.
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A weeklong project can be legitimate, but daily production work before compensation is a warning sign. Ask for a written brief, expected hours, evaluation criteria, ownership of deliverables, and whether the work will be used; suggest a paid, time-boxed exercise and decline if they won’t clarify those points.
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Daily updates across several time zones add coordination work, not just assessment. Ask who reviews them, what response time is expected, and whether your availability is being tested. Example: a daily check-in during your normal hours is reasonable; overnight replies are not. The main exception is a clearly paid trial.
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