The unpaid ‘work trial’ is the new job-market tax on candidates who can least afford it

Prepare your “working hard or hardly working?” quippy response: Companies want you to role-play as an employee before they finalize your offer letter.

Work trials aren’t brand new, especially in more technical fields, but companies are increasingly leaning on them to find qualified candidates in a job market flooded with AI-optimized résumés and cover letters:

• It could be an unpaid mock task you complete off-site that mirrors what you’d do on the job.
• On the other end of the spectrum, the work trial might be a week in the office with the team you could potentially join. If the work you complete on trial benefits the company, the candidate generally has to be paid for it.
• About two-thirds of companies use some form of skill-based hiring for entry-level roles, according to a 2025 survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

In theory, a trial is great for checking a candidate’s skills and collaboration style while weeding out folks who are just really good at interviewing. But they can be a barrier to employed workers who can’t afford to take a full week off work for a long test that might not end in a job offer. And they can quickly turn exploitative when they’re unpaid.

Applying for a job feels like screaming into the void. Companies have spent the last few years downsizing after pandemic-era overhiring. With AI supercharging the hiring process from both sides, an in-person element could make finding a job more human…if a candidate can make it past the bots to get to that round.—MM

This report was originally published by Morning Brew.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com