"I’m an incredibly lazy LinkedIn user. Admittedly, I don’t log in that often, I’ve never posted a single thing, and I basically only use it to creep on old co-workers to see where they work now. With that said, imagine my surprise when I do log in and have an unmanageable flood of notifications. I get alerts for jobs recently posted in my field (I don’t remember signing up for those?) and direct messages from random recruiters constantly. If I didn’t know any better, I’d wonder why everyone is having such a hard time finding a job right now.
Spend five minutes on LinkedIn, and you’re bombarded with what appears to be endless opportunities. And it’s not just LinkedIn—job platforms across the board have an obscene number of roles to comb through. And sure, you could argue this as a good thing, but there is actually one huge problem that job searchers are missing: 81 percent of recruiters admit that they post ghost jobs, according to a survey completed by MyPerfectResume.
What does this mean for your job search, and why the heck are recruiters bothering with this anyway? Ahead, everything you need to know about ghost jobs.
What are ghost jobs?
Contrary to popular belief, “Ghost jobs are not scams,” says ex-recruiter, hiring manager, and recruitment marketer Hanna Goefft in a recent TikTok video. She explains that ghost jobs are actually “job postings from real companies that don’t represent real job openings,” as opposed to job scams, which are basically just out to get your personal information and routing number. However, to job searchers, a fake job listing is a fake job listing—no matter the type.
These postings are “the actual worst,” in the words of Goefft, because they muddy U.S. job data. For example, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that there are over 7.5 million job openings on the market right now, but there’s no way to know how many of those aren’t actually open or why they are there to begin with. To put this into perspective, 36 percent of recruiters say that about a quarter of jobs they post are ghost jobs.
Why do recruiters post ghost jobs?
You might be wondering, “Why would recruiters waste their time posting ghost jobs?” It’s a great question that has an annoyingly understandable answer. According to Goefft, “Companies do this for a number of reasons.” First, ghost jobs allow them to gauge the talent market and build a pipeline of candidates, which could help them fill future roles or replace a current employee. They also help give the illusion that they are growing, improving their reputation and online visibility. Last but not least, they help them assess the effectiveness of job descriptions and comply with legal requirements—like when they are technically required to post a job externally before hiring internally or from a referral. It’s a good ol’ work-around in every sense.
“36 percent of recruiters say that about a quarter of jobs they post are ghost jobs.”
As applications come flooding in, recruiters not only gain a better sense of who is out there, but they can also hire the way they want to hire and position themselves as more competitive in today’s market—especially in the wake of hiring freezes. For them, it’s a win-win, and to be honest, it’s justifiable. But that doesn’t make it any less frustrating for job searchers.
How to spot ghost jobs
Whether you’re on the hunt for a job or you’re just keeping your options open, you need to know how to spot ghost jobs. The last thing you want to do is waste your time personalizing a cover letter and resume for a job that doesn’t exist. While there is no way to know for sure which jobs are ghost jobs and which ones are real (and there’s no harm in applying to them if you’re unsure), here are a few ways that Goefft recommends spotting them:
Cross-reference the job on the company website
Job boards have thousands of eyes on them at all times, which makes them a great place for recruiters to post ghost jobs. With this in mind, you should always cross-reference the job opening on their website. If you don’t see it on their careers page, they are likely just using the job board as a way to spread their visibility or collect talent information.
Look for layoff news
Layoffs are still running rampant, so before you start applying, do some research. You can do a quick Google search of “[company name] layoffs” or check Layoffs.fyi, which houses layoff intel across industries. If the company is doing layoffs, they likely have jobs posted to make their company look viable or collect resumes for when they do open new roles in the future.
Be an early applicant
Some job postings are kept up even after they are filled. Bummer, I know. To avoid this, set up alerts for new jobs and filter for jobs that were posted recently. Goefft says you should “avoid any postings that have been up for at least a month.” Not only does applying early to jobs give you a leg up, but it can help ensure that you’re not applying to a job that’s not even open anymore.
Review online forums
Online forums like Glassdoor and Blind are like the gossip columns of the job world. If something is going on at a company (like layoffs, bad hiring practices, or ghost jobs), you can probably find information about it there. Look for comments (er… complaints) from others about the company and see if there is any mention of job searchers suspecting ghost jobs. Using the community around you and online resources like this can help you become a more informed job searcher.
Hailey Bouche, Associate Editor
As an Associate Editor for The Everygirl, Hailey Bouche oversees, writes, and edits content across various categories on the site. From the pitching stage through publishing, she works alongside the team to ensure that the content that our readers see every day is inspiring, relatable, and timely.