Lauren B.
Don’t touch these guys with a barge…
Don’t touch these guys with a barge poll. For background, I have a degree from the University of Cambridge, and a Master’s and PhD from the University of Oxford. I applied for a freelance working role with these clowns without checking on here. I did the English test - which was riddled with grammatical errors - and then proceeded to the test task. I researched a wrote a 400 word ‘essay’ following a prompt and submitted. As a seasoned researcher, I added references and everything was written well. I received a report saying ‘After checking your test task, we have noticed that your academic skills need improvement and therefore we are not ready to offer you the position’. I asked for further information and they claimed ‘suspicious activity’ had been spotted by their system. So a machine had read my work, not a person. I presume they are referring to plagiarism which is quite a serious allegation. Livingston claim to have ‘high quality standards’. They should start by applying those standards to themselves.
Response from Livingston ResearchJan 9, 2025
We’re sorry to hear about your experience and appreciate your feedback. We understand how disappointing it can be to have your application declined. At Livingston Research, we are dedicated to upholding high standards and continually work to refine our application tests to ensure they effectively evaluate the skills needed for the role. However, we recognize that no system is flawless, and occasional typos or ambiguities may arise. On our platform, we evaluate applications according to the quality standards in order to assure the best quality of work provided to our Clients. However, the decision regarding the application can be made based on certain system triggers as well. Please be assured all tasks are checked by the recruiting team, it is not a machine checking. We truly appreciate the effort you put into your application and value your extensive experience. Thank you for considering Livingston Research, and we wish you all the best in your future professional endeavors.



