Ghost Jobs: Why Even Legit Companies Are Posting Them Now
Have you ever gone through the whole job application process— passed the written exam, the initial and final interviews where the job description and expectations were already discussed— and you’re just waiting for the official job letter and date for onboarding only for the employer to stop responding, despite multiple follow-up emails?
I have.
I consoled myself by thinking they found a better applicant, they promoted an internal employee, there had been changes in the hiring priorities, anything to explain why I’d been ghosted. I only found out the same job posting is visible again after I thought the position had been filled, but this time, it’s a hybrid position rather than a work-from-home setup. I thought, “Okay, that must be why I didn’t get hired.”
Several weeks after that, the job was posted again—this time as an onsite position. Weeks after, it’s listed as an intern role. By this point, I felt like I dodged a bullet because it seemed the company couldn’t hold on to its employees or was not offering enough to keep the applicants interested. Still, I needed to understand what was going on. It’s not because the employees are leaving, or the new hires are not passing the probationary period, but because the turnover is just high.
Then, I found out the reason. This time, it wasn’t me—it was them.
What are Ghost Jobs?
Ghost jobs are different from “scam jobs,” which target applicants intending to get their personal identification to use for fraudulent activities. Ghost jobs are legitimate postings by companies. However, they have no intention of filling these positions, no matter how many qualified applicants have applied. For applicants, they might not be scammed off their personal information but of their time, efforts, and hope for a new source of income, especially for those who have been unemployed for quite some time.
This is apparently a common practice. According to a survey from Resume Builder as posted in CNBC, “Four in 10 companies posted fake job listings in 2024, and three in 10 are currently advertising for a role that is not real.”
Why Are Employers Posting Ghost Jobs?
Posting ghost jobs isn’t illegal. However, they provide a false sense of hope to job applicants logging in daily to LinkedIn and Indeed to look for jobs. These job boards will provide the applicants with a staggering number of job vacancies they can apply for, only to find out that some, if not most, are ghost jobs.
In an article posted by BBC, hiring managers post ghost jobs:
- To build a pool of applicants: This is understandable. However, some companies and manpower agencies include, “This job posting is for man pooling purposes only.” Providing applicants with this crucial information made it clear they should not expect an invitation for an interview anytime soon. This also gives the applicant a choice on whether they will spend their precious time applying or opt to apply to another company that is actually hiring. If this is why a company posts ghost jobs, including this disclaimer, would help job applicants manage their expectations.
- To influence the company’s internal and external image: Hiring managers admitted they post ghost jobs to boost the company’s image as a “growing and expanding” business. They said that the fake job postings are also to placate current employees who are overworked and give them a sense of hope that reinforcements are coming soon. Enhancing the company’s image is a good business sense, but if the methods used end up deceiving investors, employees, and applicants, it’s a risk no company should take.
How To Differentiate Ghost Jobs from Legit Jobs?
Fortunately, there are ways to help you determine if a job posting is worth your time. According to Forbes, a job posting is a ghost job if:
- It’s been posted for a long time. Research states that companies usually take 44 days to find a suitable candidate for an open position. If the job posting is open for two months or more, it’s likely to be a fake posting.
- The job description is vague or none at all.
- The job posting is not on the company’s website, only on job boards.
These days, finding a legit job posting can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. It can be frustrating to apply for jobs only to find out that these companies don’t have any intention to hire at all. Unfortunately, this is the reality of today’s job market. Nevertheless, sooner or later, the right opportunity will come our way, and we’ll realize that our hard work has paid off. We might come across ghost jobs, but you’ll soon find a legit company out there that’ll offer you more than what these bogus jobs are offering. I should know, because I’ve already found mine.
