“Ghost jobs,” or job postings for positions that aren’t really open, have turn into a widespread concern in right now’s job market, significantly for just lately laid-off employees in industries like know-how, based on a scary new report (that simply occurs to fall on Halloween, bwah ha ha). And, no joke, it likens the phenomenon of ghost listings to “psychological warfare.”
‘Ghost jobs’ are on the rise and a few serve nefarious functions
Ghost job listings typically seem on platforms like LinkedIn, that includes suspiciously broad wage ranges and attracting a whole bunch or 1000’s of candidates, regardless of not being posted on corporations’ official web sites, based on SFGate.com (and likewise echoed in a temporary explainer in The Guardian). The follow is very prevalent within the tech trade, which has skilled important layoffs and funds cuts lately. Recruiters and profession coaches warn that these pretend listings posted by official corporations — although Apple isn’t named anyplace — serve a number of functions, some probably dangerous to job seekers and present workers alike.
Widespread follow amongst recruiters
The scope of the issue could shock you. The report famous {that a} 2024 MyPerfectResume survey revealed that 81% of recruiters admitted to posting pretend or already-filled positions. Whereas some use these listings to take care of visibility on job boards and construct expertise swimming pools, extra regarding motivations exist. A few quarter of respondents stated they used ghost jobs to make present workers really feel replaceable, whereas 23% used them to challenge stability throughout hiring freezes.
Much more troubling, a 2024 Resume Builder report discovered that 62% of corporations particularly posted pretend listings to create anxiousness amongst their workforce about job safety. Some corporations even used these postings to deceive overworked workers into believing assist was coming to scale back their workload.
The affect on job seekers is critical. Profession coach Irene Nexica, who skilled a layoff in 2023, famous that candidates already make investments appreciable time customizing purposes and researching corporations. The extra burden of verifying job legitimacy additional strains job seekers.
And deeply entrenched amongst employers
The follow seems deeply entrenched in company tradition, too. Resume Builder’s analysis, which surveyed 1,641 hiring managers, discovered that 40% of employers posted pretend listings in 2024, with three in ten having lively ghost jobs posted. These selections usually originate from HR departments, adopted by senior administration and executives, with LinkedIn and firm web sites being the first platforms for these listings.
John Lovig, a veteran recruiter and profession coach, described an particularly problematic follow in tech trade recruiting: posting senior-level positions solely to community and make enterprise connections. Recruiters would possibly schedule interviews for nonexistent government positions, then try and promote their recruiting providers to the candidates.
Job-search suggestions for tech employees
Profession specialists advocate a number of methods to navigate this difficult panorama:
- Prioritize networking even when not actively job searching.
- Create unique on-line content material to extend visibility.
- Develop private connections at goal corporations to confirm job legitimacy.
- Apply straight via firm web sites when doable.
- Cross-reference job postings throughout a number of platforms.
Regardless of rising consciousness of those misleading practices, ghost jobs seem more likely to persist. As Resume Builder’s chief profession adviser Stacie Haller famous, it’s significantly regarding when HR departments, which must be constructing belief, have interaction in such deceptive practices.
