I recently applied for the Senior Product Designer position at AltoVita, hoping for a meaningful opportunity. Unfortunately, my experience with their evaluation process left much to be desired. Upon expressing interest in the role, I was asked to complete a design home test, purportedly designed to assess my skills and suitability for the position. While I initially appreciated the chance to demonstrate my abilities, the reality of the situation quickly became apparent. The test, which required significant time investment, seemed more like a project the company could use rather than a mere evaluation tool. This raised serious concerns about the ethics of requesting substantial work from candidates without compensation. Ultimately, I made the difficult decision to withdraw my application, as I refuse to contribute to a system that devalues the time and expertise of professionals. Evaluation processes should be fair, transparent, and respectful of candidates' efforts. To potential applicants considering roles at AltoVita, I advise caution and urge the company to reconsider its approach to candidate evaluation. In summary, my experience with AltoVita's design home test was disappointing and reminded me of the importance of advocating for fair treatment of candidates in the recruitment process.

Shortly after my application, I received an 8-page PDF outlining a design task. This was quite unusual, as it preceded any initial screening or conversation. The task, as detailed in the document, was expected to take around 2-3 hours. However this estimate was overly optimistic. I invested considerable effort to include comprehensive elements such as market research, user personas, user flows, wireframes, and outlines for usability testing and next steps. Despite this, about a week after my submission, I was informed that my application would not be moving forward. The feedback acknowledged my analytical approach but pointed out the absence of a final design and a publicly available link. The entire process lasted two weeks, during which there was no opportunity for direct dialogue to discuss my design thinking or process. This lack of interaction, combined with the initial task setup, has led me to reflect on the importance of clear communication and setting realistic expectations in the recruitment process.