I was shortlisted for the Communications Manager role in the UK, it took 3 weeks to hear back after submitting my application. I was asked to complete an intensive assignment involving several detailed tasks as part of a communications campaign. While I understand the importance of assessing candidates thoroughly to determine their suitability, the amount of work required for a pre-interview stage was quite extensive, especially without any guarantee of an interview. Unfortunately I did not move forward to the interview stage, but the feedback implied that my application was strong. Given the scope of the assessment and how time-consuming it is, I feel that it would be more appropriate to do this after an initial interview. It’s quite disappointing to see nonprofits requesting significant unpaid work upfront, especially from candidates who have already demonstrated their suitability.