As AI resumes and global reach are overwhelming recruiters, some resort to less than fair practices.

"Thank you for your interest in the position. Before you can apply, we just want you to research our company and write a detailed marketing strategy for our weakest brands and list several concepts for future business development strategies for us. Only after completing this (it should only take a few hours) can you send in your resume and letter. Would you mind?"

Well, yes, I do mind. This is a  worrying trend: tough and time-consuming deep interview questions are being moved to the top of the funnel instead of waiting for their turn during a second interview. Many employers even turn those questions into compulsory application fields. Don't want to spend three hours describing business cases? You will not be allowed to submit your resume.

Look: I get it. Employers are overwhelmed by the sheer number of applicants that are the result of low-effort frictionless AI-driven applications tools and easy, one-click submissions on LinkedIn. But is increasing friction the answer? Is putting up hurdles yielding better candidates?

I am against this practice and have never used it. It is not fair. Also: it does not work.

It is unfair because some employers are abusing a candidate's willingness to perform what is basically unpaid work by treating it as a proxy for motivation.

I am also highly doubtful it works. Putting friction back into the application process is like using a condom made out of sandpaper: sure, more friction, but mixed results at best. Frontloading tends to favor the wrong candidates and you are left with:

People who use AI to generate the responses. This can get hilarious when employers use an AI-powered ATS (Applicant Tracking System): you get two AIs in a room duking it out; one writing the prose and the other parsing it. A great example of the tragedy of AI automation. Nothing genuine remains.

Professional application writers who excel at only one thing: selling themselves. Not all great writers make great managers.

People who have time enough to fill in forms all day. Do you really want to hire the candidate who had nothing better to do?

Desperate people who are willing to jump through any hoop, including writing you a free marketing strategy assessment.

What a motley crew.

If you are starting a hiring process, you should only ask what is necessary to decide whether a person deserves the next conversation. Detailed evidence, case studies and strategic exercises should come only after an initial mutual commitment has been made.

I know. It is slow, cumbersome and far from perfect. But that is how we humans do it. Start with treating everyone with respect and you will surely end up with the right candidate