Ghost jobs
A ghost job is a posting for a role the employer isn't actively trying to fill. They look exactly like real ones.
Greenhouse platform data on postings, plus a survey of 2,500 workers in the US, UK and Germany. Published December 2024. Source: Greenhouse, 2024 State of Job Hunting report
Why companies post them
649 US hiring managers, surveyed online in May 2024. Source: ResumeBuilder.com survey of hiring managers
In a May 2024 survey, 40% of hiring managers said their company had posted a job listing in the past year that it didn't intend to fill, and 3 in 10 said one was up at the time. Among companies that posted one, the reasons they gave were:
| Reason given | Share |
|---|---|
| To look open to outside talent | 67% |
| To make the company look like it's growing | 66% |
| To make employees think their workload would ease | 63% |
| To make employees feel replaceable | 62% |
| To collect resumes to keep on file | 59% |
How to spot one
- It isn't on the employer's own careers page. Go to the company's website yourself and search for the title.
- It's been open a long time. Ask the recruiter whether it's still active before you put in the work.
- It keeps coming back. The same title reposted under new IDs every few weeks.
- It talks about a “talent community” or “future openings”. That's a resume collection, not a vacancy.
- There's no pay range on a remote US role. Several states require one, so serious remote postings usually include it.
The job check looks for all of these.
Check a posting before you apply
Paste a job link and we'll tell you whether it's live on the employer's own careers system, how long it's been open, and whether it shows scam signs. It's free.