Applied Online? No Response? You May Have Just Applied for a Ghost Job!

Odds are you probably already know the routine. You search all the online postings for your dream job. You complete the online application and upload your resume, as well as any other required documents. Since you are highly qualified with excellent educational credentials, a solid work history, and impressive references, you feel confident about your chances of being invited to interview for this position. And then… nothing. Weeks pass and still nothing. What happened? You may have just applied for a “ghost job.”

Why would an employer do that?

Seems like a waste, right? After all, it takes time and likely costs them money to list these fictitious openings on the various popular job search sites. Although you and I may feel that posting non-existent positions that encourage job seekers to apply is cruel and even unethical, it appears (at least for now) not to be illegal. A company may feel posting these phony jobs is justified for the following reasons:

• Human resources (or staffing agencies) is building up its applicant pool now, thereby saving time in the future should the need arise to fill actual new openings.
• The company wants to test the job market to see what kinds of applicants they attract and what salaries are expected. This information may be useful for evaluating current or newly created positions that are still under development.
• External postings for promotions or backfills may be required to comply with internal HR policies, even when it is already known that an internal candidate will receive the job.

Other reasons for these postings to appear may include:

• An unexpected imposition of a corporate-wide hiring freeze after the posting for a real position had already been up for weeks.
• Internal restructuring of departments or duties after the posting was listed may have since eliminated the need to fill the position.
• The posting was on multiple job search sites, and HR simply forgot to remove some of them after the position was filled.

Although nefarious or deceptive, the company may be attempting to:

• Make current employees feel less secure and reduce complaints by sending a signal that they could be easily replaced.
• Deliberately deceive currently overworked staff into believing that the company is trying to hire additional help, when in fact, it is not.
• Convey an impression to shareholders, potential investors, employees, or customers that the company is healthy and doing well, even if it is not entirely truthful.

How prevalent are ghost jobs? Should they be illegal?

A 2024 survey by Resume Builder of 1,641 hiring managers found that 3 in 10 companies currently have fake job postings listed. Some of the key findings of that survey include:

• 40% of companies posted a fake job listing this year.
• 3 in 10 companies currently have active fake listings.
• Alleviating employee workload concerns and suggesting company growth are the top reasons behind the fake job posting strategy.
• Hiring managers say fake job postings led to boosted revenue, morale, and productivity.
• 7 in 10 hiring managers believe posting fake jobs is morally acceptable.                         

To help curb this haunting trend, efforts are underway to regulate or end ghost jobs by law. According to an August 2025 issue brief from the Division of Legislative Services of the State of Delaware, “There are currently no federal or state laws that explicitly prohibit companies from posting notices for positions without an existing vacancy, regardless of a company’s intent. California, Kentucky, and New Jersey have introduced legislation that would mandate employers to disclose whether a job posting is for an existing vacancy in the hopes of eliminating the practice of posting 'ghost” jobs'.”

As of this writing, the bill currently in committee in the California legislature (California Assembly Bill 1251) would require employers to disclose whether a posting is for an existing vacancy or not, imposing penalties up to $10,000 for violations. Additionally, an article by Forbes describes how the Truth in Job Ads advocacy group is pushing for congressional legislators to support proposed language drafted in 2025 for a possible bill entitled the 'Truth in Job Advertising and Accountability Act' (TJAAA).”

Don't let the ghosts get you!

Nobody wants to waste their time completing online applications for listings that are likely ghost jobs. Separating the real from the unreal may sometimes be challenging. While there is no perfect crystal ball for identifying fakes, there are some possible red flags suggesting that a post may be ghostly in nature. According to Jade Williams in a post on LinkedIn:

“Here is how you can spot a ghost job before wasting your time:

• The posting has been up for months with no activity.
• The job gets reposted every few weeks with no updates.
• The description is super vague (buzzwords galore, no real duties).
• The role doesn’t exist on the company’s own careers page.
• You notice multiple 'identical' postings across different platforms.”

Agree? Disagree? Feel free to leave a comment and share your experience or thoughts!

Featured image courtesy of Petr Kratochvil.