Are you guilty of posting ‘ghost jobs‘? Here’s why it’s not a good idea…

It may be tempting to use fake job adverts to reach candidates – but it isn’t wise.

In a recent survey by US-based Clarify Capital, it was revealed that up to 50% of hiring managers either post a fake job or keep a job role open even if they’re not hiring. The prevalence of these ‘fake’ job adverts has become so widespread, they now have a name – ghost jobs.

Ghost jobs are exactly that, a job that is not a job at all, but still has its own advert, job description and, sadly, maybe even a telephone interview or interview.

They’re actually easy to spot too. They’re usually the roles that have been open for a long time (longer than 30 days), have lots of applications, or are short, generic and don’t include any details about the reason for hiring, projects or specific requirements or duties.

So why do hiring managers insist on living a lie, even if there isn’t actually a job available?

An attempt to reach candidates they may need in the future

Hiring Managers with any sense are always looking to the future, and that could include replacing someone they think will leave, or hiring someone new when more work comes in or a new opportunity arises. They see having a pool of candidates who have applied for their fake job in the past as an instant go-to if they suddently need to hire.

To make it look like the company is growing

Business owners are guilty of this one; lots of live roles are posted to make it look like the company has funding, staffing budget or more work than they do in reality.

To keep other employees ‘motivated’

Eurgh. Now we’re getting into bad business practice territory. Managers may advertise a fake role, knowing their existing teams will see it, and start worrying if they see their own job title. The theory here is they’ll work harder if they feel like they’re being replaced.

Or, if you want to be optimistic, the teams see the live role being advertised and are hopeful that their team will grow, and they’ll have peers to share the workload – which is probably even worse than the pessimistic viewpoint.

Why ghost jobs aren’t a good idea

On face, some of the reasons to keep job ads live, or post fake jobs ads, may be built on false hopes that a visible hiring plan will help the company to look better on paper. Others are a little more evil in nature. But in reality, none of them will bring any real long-term gains. And here’s why:

It’s annoying

Imagine you’re spending your days looking for a new job, and a new position comes up that’s perfect for you. You spend your time on an application, tailor a great cover letter, and maybe even go along for the interview. Recruiters will know this one: The mysterious fail to hire, even though it’s a great match. Usually, it’s down to a hiring manager who just wants to sit on a CV and maybe reconnect with that candidate in the future. But what a colossal waste of time for the person who is actively job seeking.

You’re way less likely to hire that person when you need them

And guess what? If they were messed around the first time, you’re less likely to return for another interview when the role is advertised again. If you waste someone’s time once, you burn an imaginary black mark in the candidate’s mind for the rest of eternity (ok, maybe that’s a little extreme, but you get the idea).

It’s unethical

You’re straight up lying when you advertise a live job and there isn’t one at the end of the tunnel. Last time we checked, people hate liars, and it only gets worse if you get found out.

It’s a waste of money

Guess what? Recruitment advertising has never been more expensive. Just writing the job advert and posting to your own ATS costs a small fortune, and then if it gets pushed to the job boards, you’re talking thousands in fees. All for a job advert that isn’t actually going to bring you a tangible return on investment. In fact, your fake job ad will continue costing you, as your unfilled roles remain unfilled when all the decent candidates realise your roles are fake!

What to do instead

If you’re tempted to use fake job adverts to reach the candidates you might need in the future or paint a different picture of your organisation, please don’t. Try these tips and strategies instead.

Create a better brand story

A great way to ensure candidates have you on their radar, and want to apply even if you don’t have a live job, is to do a great job of telling your organisation’s story. A great brand story and employee value proposition will help you to both stand out from the crowd and make the best people in the industries you hire in take notice. In fact, 72% of all organisations agree a great employer brand makes for more successful hires.

This could include talking about the roles you regularly hire for, when you hire for them, and most importantly what someone can expect when they join. Think of it as a fake job ad on steroids, and one that has bucketloads of truth behind it. This could be something as simple as a page on your website, a prospectus you can share at events, or even a strategy on social media.

Be honest and keep it generic

Not hiring right now? Say that very clearly if you do insist on using job ads and job boards to gain exposure for your organisation. Instead of targeting a job title, create a company page and promote that instead, and make it crystal clear that although you definitely want to hear from the best candidates right now, there’s no promise of a hire at the end of it all. You’ll find that candidates are much more accepting and willing to apply to a company they want to work with, rather than a live position, if you’ve shown transparency from the beginning.

Look at different ways of capturing candidate data

Getting CVs or even just an email address or phone number from a fake job advert is probably the most expensive way of doing it. LinkedIn, which ever recruiter should be using to its full potential, allows hiring managers to search directly for and even message candidate they may need in the future, without the need for the candidate to be actively searching.

A simple message saying ‘Hey, I’m not hiring right now, but I might be and I want you on my radar’ is incredibly powerful compared to a fake job ad that candidate might not even see, never mind apply to only to be disappointed.

Alternatively, building your brand’s visibility online is another way to get candidates applying to you directly, without any live job ads needed. Regular social media activity, sponsoring industry events or hangouts (think Reddit forums) or good old fashioned brand advertising are also great ways to reach active jobseekers without false information.

Take a better approach when it is time to hire

Instead of worrying about not having candidates when your best employee hands in their notice, work harder on either retaining the person leaving, or have a robust advertising strategy in place when it happens.

Rather than trying to dial through to all the people you’ve already annoyed by wasting their time months ago, develop a strong job advert, correct job board and social media targeting, and a great recruitment process that allows you to reach the right people when you need them, not relying on a fake ad to warm them up – it doesn’t work.

Concerned your job adverts aren’t performing? Or want to get more applications from your real roles? Reach out to the team at Artfully! As well as ensuring your job ads are doing what they need to, we can help you to tell your brand story and create a more consistent story for potential hires to engage with. Just hit us up using the form here!