By Leigh-Ann Athanasius
Most people are familiar with the warning signs of a fake job ad, which are usually associated with scams (poor grammar/spelling, personal email addresses for official company business, request for money to apply etc.). But what happens when a reputable organisation is posting jobs but no matter who applies, they don’t seem to be hiring? Welcome to the world of ghost job ads. As a job seeker or potential candidate; this can be incredibly frustrating and a waste of time; so why do companies do this?
Why Post a Ghost Job?
There are a few reasons that companies do this, some of which are more understandable than others:
1. Company Policy
Some organisations have a policy that all available roles need to be advertised publicly before the position is filled. The spirit behind this policy is sound; organisations want to ensure they have access to the best possible candidate available to them. However, there are cases where a hiring team within the organisation may already have someone in mind that they all agree will be the best fit for the job. The post would be put up to comply with the policy, however, it begs the question; policies should fulfil organisation objectives, but what is the cost of misleading candidates?
2. To build a talent pool/pipeline
The justification for this is that it will speed up the process once the role actually needs to be filled as they already have a list of qualified candidates. To some extent, this is understandable. However, the issue arises when this is not disclosed. It would be better for the candidate to know that the recruitment is not active and that they are being added to a database for future recruitments.
In addition, within a particular recruitment pipeline, the company may also be conducting an impromptu salary survey for a particular role. On one hand, this may be a more likely way to get accurate responses than if they were to simply send out a questionnaire. On the other hand, is it fair for candidates to think they are applying for real jobs when it is in fact just information gathering exercise? If companies are interested in building a pipeline of talent or testing the waters for future hiring, there are better ways to do so. They can post “talent pool” opportunities that are clearly labelled as such or invite candidates to join a talent network/candidate database with full transparency about the nature and timing of potential roles.
3. To seem active and grow a following
Job posts are an almost guaranteed way to grow a company’s social media following. As candidates apply for the jobs, they will follow the page to stay up to date; and the more jobs that are posted, the more likely people will follow a company’s social media pages in case there are opportunities that align with their skills.
While the numbers and metrics this kind of growth brings may seem great, is this the best way to build your community? Growth like this often lacks substance. Ethically, a company should seek to grow its audience by providing real value. Whether that be through authentic job opportunities, useful content, or meaningful interaction; not by manipulating people’s need for employment.
4. To get free work
You may be familiar with recruitment processes that involve countless interview rounds, each with more tasks needing to be done, all leading to nowhere. Unfortunately, some organisations may adopt this approach to pick the brains of their applicants. This is particularly unethical as they are taking advantage of their candidate’s expertise with no compensation. The argument that this is a harmless way for companies to gather ideas or “test” talent overlooks the exploitative nature of the exchange. Candidates are investing intellectual labour under the pretence of employment, not volunteering for unpaid consulting. If a company truly seeks ideas or insight, they should be transparent and offer compensation, not disguise their intent behind a ghost job ad.
5. Keep employees ‘in check’
We would hope that this is uncommon, but it is a reason some organisations have used to justify ghost job ads. One way these ghost jobs are used is to create a sense of replaceability among the existing employees. The objective is typically to motivate them to work harder. Although some managers and leaders may believe they know more than their staff, the opposite is almost always true. The other reason ghost jobs ads may be posted is to use it as a delaying tactic in where there is an overwhelmed workforce. Creating the illusion that the company is looking for help for makes the existing employees think that there is a plan for new staff to come in to help with the tasks, when in fact there is no intention to hire.
Both reasons are likely to foster feelings of resentment and disloyalty for the company that could result in high turnover rates. Completely missing the point of trying to be motivating factors.
Fear tactics tend to come across as lazy leadership because rather than finding out what would motivate employees, they opt to create an insecure workplace or one that cannot trust its management and/or leadership.
Impact of Ghost Posting
At its core, ghost job advertising is unethical because it involves deception. Job seekers invest time, energy, and emotion into applying for roles. They update CVs, craft cover letters, prepare for interviews, and in some cases, even take time off work, all under the false pretence of a legitimate opportunity.
This manipulation of trust not only wastes the candidate’s time but also erodes the already fragile sense of fairness in the job market. When employers misuse their power, they contribute to a culture of cynicism and scepticism, where candidates begin to question whether any job post is genuine.
The main impact to the company is damage to their reputation. If it is found out that ghost posting is a regular practice, trust in the entire brand can be lost. This negatively affects not only their reputation as an employer, but also the trust in the goods and/or services they provide. A negative public perception can be quite difficult to come back from, especially with today’s prevalence of cancel culture on social media.
On a macro scale, posting ghost jobs misrepresents not only the performance of the job market, but further fuels a society that is already cued to be distrustful due to the lack of protection that people have against the whims of institutions/organizations, and makes it seem like the talent pool is not measuring up the requirements of the employers.
Our Stand
As recruiters and generally as an organisation in the people business, our position is clear; posting ghost jobs is highly unethical; and we are against the practice. The explanations often used to defend ghost posting do not do enough to justify doing it. Instead, they represent a breach of trust in the employer-candidate relationship and contributes to a cynical and inefficient labour market. As custodians of the job market’s integrity, employers must be held to a higher standard. One that values transparency, respect, and fairness. Ending the practice of posting ghost job ads is a necessary step toward restoring trust in the hiring process and building a more equitable job market for all.