WSJ: why job recruiters keep employment posts active that they do not intend to fill:
- To suggest company growth to their employees, competitors, and investors.
- To pacify overworked employees that help is on the way.
- In case a significantly above-average candidate applies.
- If an employee resigns, they will have a deep pool of applicants ready.
- Bureaucratic neglect means closed job posts can linger indefinitely.
How to not waste time applying for ghost jobs:
- Jobs online for over six weeks are more likely to be filled or the final candidates selected.
- Indeed and other job boards scrape millions of careers webpages and list jobs as “active” long after the company removed the job from their company-specific webpage. It’s better to check the hiring company’s website to see if the job is still listed. Then apply on the company website rather than the job board or apply on the job board but understand that a percentage of those jobs have already been filled.
- If you suspect an employment listing may be for a ghost job, try to find the job recruiter or human resource manager on LinkedIn and message them asking if the position is still open before applying.
Klaxos understands how exasperating a job search can be. Reasons beyond resume writer and LinkedIn profile quality decide who gets requested for an interview. A job search requires fortitude. Hang in there!