Yahoo Finance What are 'ghost jobs' and how can you spot them?
The silence you may experience after applying for a job can be deeply frustrating. Sometimes, however, it’s not because you’ve been rejected for a position – but because you’ve applied for a so-called “ghost job”.
Ghost jobs, or ghost listings, are vacancies that employers list but have no intention of filling. A survey by Clarify Capital found that 68% of managers had job postings active for more than 30 days, while one in 10 have had a job posting open for over 6 months.
Around half of companies keep job postings open because they are always open to new people, the research found. However, 43% aren't actively trying to fill positions because they want to give off the impression that the company is growing.
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So why are companies posting these ghost jobs – and how can you spot one when looking for a new job?
“There could be several reasons behind a company advertising so-called ghost jobs,” says Kate Palmer, employment services director at Peninsula. “Maybe they have internal candidates earmarked for roles but need to advertise them externally, so are simply going through the motions. They could be looking to showcase growth and appear bigger than they are to attract investment.”
Another reason employers may post job vacancies that don’t really exist is to increase awareness of the business.
“Some could be looking to get their company’s name out into the marketplace, knowing that they will receive multiple applications as the number of applicants for jobs has spiked significantly over recent years,” says Palmer.
“Or, they’re looking to build a bank of applicants in case of employee turnover, rather than recruiting for current openings. Whatever a company’s motivation, ghost jobs can be difficult to spot and incredibly frustrating for job seekers.”
Impact of ghost jobs
Ghost jobs take advantage of people at a vulnerable time in their lives. “Candidates invest a lot of time and energy into researching companies, filling out applications, preparing for interviews, and nobody wants to feel like they are wasting their time,” explains Palmer.
“A job search can also be fraught with financial difficulties, stress, and the emotional burden that comes from being out of work – whether you’re a young person looking to enter the workplace for the first time, have been made redundant or are searching for the next step in your career.”
Often, we invest our time, energy and emotions in the jobs we apply for. So not hearing back from an employer can knock your confidence.
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“Finding an opportunity you think sounds perfect only to later discover it doesn’t even exist would be incredibly hard for many applicants,” says Palmer. “They can also have an impact on a company, damaging reputation and limiting your ability to recruit or attract talent when you do have positions to fill.”
Although there’s no law against posting ghost jobs, employers may run into trouble from a data protection perspective. “They may well be processing personal data of job applicants included in CVs in a way that breaches GDPR guidelines, for example, keeping hold of personal data without having told the data subject that this is the case,” says Palmer.
“It begs the question of what they are actually doing with the personal data they are receiving if they are not using it as part of a genuine recruitment exercise.”
How to spot a ghost job
First, when applying for a job, take note of when the job was listed. If the role isn’t filled, it may be that you were unlucky in your application – or they haven’t found the right candidate yet. However, if the job advert is live for months, it may be a ghost listing.
Sometimes, it’s possible to spot a ghost job via the wording of a listing. For example, if the language used is vague, it may be a red flag.
Another way to check whether a role you find on a job board is legit is to cross-reference the position on the company’s website. Many businesses advertise their job openings on their websites. If the job is no longer open on the company website, the employer either forgot to remove their post from the job board, or is leaving the job listing up outside their website to create the illusion of the business growing.
Finally, you might want to contact the employer directly to find out if they are still actively recruiting.
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