It really seems like there needs to be a widely adopted social protocol for engineers to basically say "Hey, if you're expecting this much from me, I expect a reciprocal amount from you at stages 1,2,3,4 etc.."

I interviewed last year at a company that had me do some homework first, then a first long interview where they went through that work—refreshing because almost no companies do—which went well, then a 2nd and 3rd interview. Felt pretty locked in, didn't get it. Ton of time wasted no doubt, but at least it felt balanced.