Applying for a job can be a truly humbling experience, but there’s nothing worse than spending time submitting all your information, only to discover the position’s already been filled.
Perhaps you make it through to the interview stage, only to be told (after getting your hopes up) that you did great, but they had an internal candidate lined up for the position all along.
Or you might apply for your dream job and get no response whatsoever — no feedback, no rejection, just complete and utter radio silence.
These kinds of roles are what have become known as ‘ghost jobs’ and there are several reasons why a company might create a fake listing like this.
Why do companies post ghost jobs?
So as we’ve ascertained, a ghost job is a position that is advertised but doesn’t actually need to be filled.
One of the main reasons for posting a listing like this is that the company has a person in mind for a job already, but they aren’t able to just hand the role to them without jumping through some hoops.
Many organisations will have strict recruitment regulations that need to be adhered to, including advertising any job openings online — even if it is just a formality.
Alternatively, the job advert might have been completely fake all along.
There may never have even been a role that needed to be filled, and the advert was simply shared by a recruitment team as a ruse to gather a pool of potential candidates for any future openings that come up.
The final reason these types of listings go up is pretty grim, according to Peter Duris, the CEO and co-founder of Kickresume
‘In what is probably the worst-case scenario, job posts are used to make overworked employees believe help is coming or to pressure them into working harder out of fear of being replaced,’ he tells Metro.
How to spot a ghost job
Falling for a ghost job listing is disheartening. You might feel like you’ve wasted your time, or lost out on a ‘dream’ opportunity, even if it didn’t really exist.
Thankfully, there are a few warning signs you can look out for when browsing job boards and recruitment sites such as LinkedIn, according to Peter.
He says: ‘Job boards are an easy way to see who’s hiring right now — but sometimes companies post ‘ghost’ listings they don’t plan to fill — or that don’t even exist. Companies should be mindful of this practice, as posting fake jobs can make job seekers lose trust in them.’
He claims the easiest way to spot a ghost job is to take a look at when the listing was posted. If there’s no clear timestamp on it, or if it was posted months ago, it’s worth being cautious. Even a job ad posted more than 30 days ago could be a red flag.
‘Most roles get filled much faster than that,’ Peter explains. ‘Usually, the hiring manager might’ve just forgotten to remove it. However, sometimes it’s left up intentionally. You might also see the job on Indeed or another search site, but not on the company’s own website.
‘If you’re unsure about a listing, it’s always a good idea to reach out to the company directly by email or phone to ask if the role is still open. Talking to someone at the company can help you find out how serious they are about hiring right now.’
Other signs to look out for include vague job descriptions that are missing important details or information like the salary, or the location. A broad salary range could also be a clue.
Peter adds: ‘If the listing is older than a month, it is a good sign that the role has already been filled. Most job boards allow you to filter for recent postings to avoid these. Also, if you see the same job reposted often, there might be an issue with the company or the role.
‘You can always check reviews on sites like Indeed or Glassdoor. You might find former employees’ feedback on ghost jobs or hiring promises that never materialise.’
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