I had to complete a hiring task first, prior to speaking to anyone from the company. The task involved analyzing data on a Google Sheet, then creating a short slide deck and draft email as a response. I invested the recommended amount of time to complete it (3 hours). One week later, I received a rejection email with no other information/feedback. This, to me, is bad practice, as I invested time and energy but didn't gain anything from this experience. At least with a lousy interview, you are able to reflect on ways you could grow and view it as a "practice" experience. With this task and follow-up, it was like sending an arrow skyward, hoping against the odds that it would land exactly where it needed to. I'm not better off for it; it didn’t give me any clearer understanding of their needs or what they were looking for.