In the digital age, where transparency is paramount, a disturbing trend has emerged: the proliferation of ghost jobs. These illusory positions, advertised but never intended to be filled, are becoming a growing menace in the job market.
A recent survey revealed that a staggering 81 per cent of recruiters admit their companies post such jobs. In India, an online survey by Business Standard found that 73 per cent of over 1,000 respondents had encountered this troubling phenomenon, a practice that’s increasingly common across industries such as IT services, biotech, marketing, and media.
Why do companies engage in this deceptive practice? The reasons vary, but the most common include maintaining visibility on job boards, testing job descriptions, building a talent pool, and gauging the difficulty of replacing certain employees. Additionally, nearly a quarter of respondents admitted that ghost jobs help companies project an image of robust hiring activity, even during a hiring freeze. This is especially true for startups that often announce ambitious hiring plans to bolster their image, regardless of whether they actually intend to hire that many people.
Shockingly, 70 per cent of hiring managers who posted ghost jobs this year believe that doing so is morally acceptable. While the legality of ghost jobs depends on jurisdiction, the ethics are questionable at best. Posting jobs with no intention of filling them—especially to mislead or manipulate employees—is widely seen as a harmful practice.
The rise of AI has only exacerbated the issue, allowing companies to create and distribute ghost jobs rapidly. Programmatic job postings, fuelled by algorithms, can lead to a flood of impersonal and misleading job ads, further blurring the line between real opportunities and empty promises.
The impact on job seekers is profound. Ghost jobs highlight the uncertainty and lack of transparency plaguing the economy. Candidates waste time and energy applying for these positions, only to be met with silence from hiring managers who never intended to hire. The process is not just frustrating—it’s demoralising.
For recruiters, posting ghost jobs might seem like a way to keep a talent pool ready for future needs. But from a candidate’s perspective, being kept in limbo is far from reassuring. Earlier surveys found that 85 per cent of companies posting ghost jobs actually conduct interviews for these roles. However, interviewing for a potential future role, rather than a concrete position, often leaves candidates feeling misled—especially when they’ve invested time in multiple rounds of interviews. Moreover, asking employees to interview candidates for roles that don’t exist is a waste of everyone’s time.
Ghost jobs might offer short-term benefits, such as bolstering a company’s image or building a resume database. However, the long-term consequences can be damaging. Disappointed candidates may avoid applying to the company in the future, sharing their negative experiences online and tarnishing the company’s employer brand. In an age where platforms such as Glassdoor allow for public reviews, a reputation for ghost jobs can quickly turn away top talent.
There’s also an unintended risk: companies posting ghost jobs to make current employees feel replaceable might end up driving away their best talent. If employees sense instability or dishonesty in their company’s hiring practices, they may start looking elsewhere, leading to a loss of valuable personnel.
So how can you spot a ghost job? Start by scrutinising the job posting. If it reads like a generic template, it likely is. Legitimate job listings, especially for senior roles, tend to be specific about responsibilities and qualifications. Vague job titles and descriptions are another red flag, often indicating that the company is simply building a candidate reserve for future needs. Be wary of postings that lack details about the company or feature sketchy email addresses that don’t match the company’s official domain.
The best way to avoid falling for a ghost job? Lean on your network. Apply for opportunities that come through referrals rather than those that seem too good—or too vague—to be true. In a crowded job market, this approach not only reduces the risk of ghosting but also increases your chances of landing a role that’s a true fit.