Gary Martin: Beware these signs of ghosts in the job-seeking machine

If you recently applied for a new position and your application was met with an eerie silence, you might have fallen victim to a ghost job.

These phantom job listings linger on job boards like restless spirits, trapping unsuspecting job seekers in a nightmare of frustration and false hope.

In simple terms, a ghost job refers to a job listing posted online despite the employer having no intention of filling the position.

Alarmingly, about 20 per cent of all jobs posted online are estimated to be of this nature, with some indications that this figure may rise even further for a variety of reasons.

In a labour market haunted by a shortage of skilled staff, some employers are increasingly using ghost listings to build a reservoir of resumes, ensuring they have access to top talent for future hiring needs that may or may not materialize.

Other companies use phantom job advertisements to gather market intelligence, collecting valuable data on salary expectations, the availability of skilled candidates, and trends in qualifications and experience.

There are also organisations who post fake jobs as a marketing strategy to project an image of growth and dynamism.

In some situations, internal miscommunications or bureaucratic delays can result in outdated postings remaining online long after any real hiring intention has evaporated.

The impact of phantom listings on job seekers is remarkably damaging and often underestimated by those who engage in the practice.

Ghost jobs lead to a significant waste of time and effort, with applicants spending countless hours crafting resumes, writing cover letters, and preparing for interviews for non-existent positions.

Time spent on ghost jobs could be better used on real positions, potentially causing job seekers to miss viable opportunities.

For employers, frequent posting of ghost jobs can damage their reputation, making them appear disorganised or untrustworthy.

Ghost jobs create market distortion, presenting an illusion of high demand that skews salary expectations and career decisions.

Career platforms hosting numerous ghost jobs risk losing credibility and trust among users, resulting in decreased engagement.

Job seekers should look out for warning signs of ghost listings.

Red flags include vague job descriptions with few specifics about the role, repetitive postings that remain online for an unusually long time, a lack of contact information, and positions absent from an organisation’s official employment page.

While not all job advertisements with these characteristics are necessarily ghost listings, being vigilant can help job seekers avoid these traps.

Researching companies, reaching out directly to recruitment personnel for clarification, and using personal networks can help distinguish real opportunities from ghost jobs.

Taking these steps can help job seekers steer clear of ghostly traps and focus on real opportunities, ensuring their job search journey doesn’t turn into a graveyard of dashed hopes.

For many job hunters, the presence of ghost jobs adds an unnecessarily eerie layer to an already challenging process.

It’s time for organizations that post ghost jobs — for any reason — to rethink the ethics of this practice.

Professor Gary Martin is CEO of AIM WA and a workplace and social trends specialist