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The term “ghosting” has become all too familiar in the world of recruitment, but it isn’t just about candidates disappearing from the hiring process. There’s another haunting trend you need to pay attention to: ghost jobs.
A ghost job refers to an active job posting for a position the company has no immediate intention of filling. It may be a position that’s already been filled, put on hold, or exists purely for pipelining candidates without a clear hiring timeline. These may also be referred to as phantom jobs.
Whether intentional or not, ghost jobs can wreak havoc on your recruitment process, hurt your company’s reputation, and lead to a host of inefficiencies.
How common are ghost jobs?
A Resume Builder survey found that 39% of companies posted a fake job listing this year, and 3 in 10 companies currently have active fake listings.
However, a MyPerfectResume survey found that 81% of recruiters say they post ghost jobs:
Why do companies have ghost jobs?
There are many reasons why ghost jobs linger on company careers sites and job boards. Some companies post them for strategic purposes, while others may not even realize they have them.
For example, recruiters surveyed by MyPerfectResume report posting ghost jobs to:
Hiring managers surveyed by Resume Builder shared some additional reasons for posting ghost jobs, including:
Of course, some companies may unknowingly have ghost job postings. For example, a job post may remain active after a position is filled or a hiring freeze is implemented.
How ghost jobs can hurt your company
While ghost jobs may seem harmless—or even strategic—they can harm your company in several ways.
1
Wasted time and resources
Most companies that post ghost jobs contact candidates: 39% say they always contact applicants and 45% sometimes contact applicants. And of the companies that contact applicants, 85% report that they also interview candidates.
This practice wastes time and resources on both sides.
It’s unfair to make candidates waste their time applying and interviewing for a job for which you have no intention of hiring them. Worse, candidates often spend money and may forgo wages to be able to interview with your company. It’s surprising that 70% of hiring managers believe ghost jobs are morally acceptable.
Then there’s the cost to your own team. Recruiters, hiring managers, and other team members may waste time screening and interviewing candidates, updating their job status in your ATS, and handling candidate communications. This takes them away from other important work.
2
Loss of trust
Two-thirds of hiring managers (66%) say that stakeholders—including employees, investors, and applicants—found out about their practice of listing ghost jobs.
This can lead to a loss of trust. Employees who thought you were hiring to alleviate their workload may feel betrayed when they find out that help isn’t coming. Investors may wonder what you’re trying to hide to make it look like you’re growing your team, when you’re actually not. And applicants may feel that you’ve misled them, leaving them frustrated with your company.
Further, the 62% of companies that post ghost jobs to have employees feel replaceable are at risk of harming employee engagement, productivity, and retention.
3
Damage to employer brand
Candidates today are savvy, and they do their research. If they repeatedly see positions posted by your company that aren’t being filled, they might start to question the legitimacy of your business or your hiring practices.
Worse yet, they could share their negative experience online through employer review platforms like Glassdoor or social media, hurting your reputation as an employer—and as a company. This may deter talent from applying to your company in the future, shrinking your potential candidate pool.
4
Loss of top talent
The best candidates aren’t often on the market for long. Ghost jobs can lead to a poor candidate experience, leading top talent to become frustrated with your recruitment process and move on to other opportunities. And you may not have the opportunity to recruit these candidates in the future: 13% feel so much resentment toward a potential employer that they’re less likely to apply again.
Moving on from ghost jobs
The good news is that you can achieve many of the so-called benefits of ghost jobs with some more modern workplace best practices.
1
Review your job postings regularly
Make it a habit to review all active job postings periodically. This ensures you’re only advertising roles that are actually open. It also helps you remove any ghost jobs that may have slipped through the cracks. Using an applicant tracking system (ATS) like JobScore can make this process seamless by keeping track of where you’ve posted your jobs.
Clear communication between recruiters, hiring managers, and the broader team is crucial. Ensure that everyone is on the same page about which positions are open, which are paused, and which have been filled. Set up a structured system for closing job listings as soon as hiring decisions are made, or when roles are put on hold.
2
Embrace transparency
Transparent business practices—including talent acquisition practices—are essential for building trust and loyalty, both internally with employees and externally with candidates. When companies prioritize openness in their operations, it signals to everyone involved that they value honesty, communication, and integrity.
This is especially important for attracting and retaining talent, as modern workers are increasingly seeking employers who are upfront and clear about expectations, opportunities, and challenges.
3
Build a talent network
Rather than keeping ghost jobs posted to build your talent pipeline, enable candidates to express interest in your company by joining your talent network. You can engage with these candidates through outreach and networking, keeping them warm for future opportunities without misleading them with phantom job postings.
4
Leverage technology
Implementing the right HR tech stack can enable a more strategic talent acquisition function, help you build your talent pipeline, and ensure you have the skilled talent your business needs. For example, LinkedIn Talent Insights can provide you with market insights and competitive intelligence to help with your recruitment strategy.
Final thoughts: Eliminating ghost jobs is essential for your hiring process
Ghost jobs might seem like a harmless way to keep your options open, but the reality is that they do more harm than good. From damaging your employer’s brand to wasting time and resources, ghost jobs create inefficiencies that can derail your hiring efforts.
By regularly auditing your job postings, embracing transparency, building a talent network, and leveraging technology, you can avoid the ghost job trap altogether. Not only will this create a more efficient hiring process, it will also improve your company’s reputation and help you attract the best talent.
Remember, hiring is about building relationships—not tricking candidates into applying for roles that don’t exist. By prioritizing transparency and efficiency, your company can stand out as a trustworthy and desirable place to work.
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