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What are ghost jobs and why do recruiters leave old job offers open?
According to a recent study by Clarify Capital, 68% of hiring managers leave useless ads on job search platforms — so-called "ghost jobs" that candidates spend time on, but never receive an interview invitation. More than half of recruiters keep their ads active simply because they are "always open to meeting new talent."
This trend is especially noticeable in the field of cybersecurity and IT in general. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 139,000 open offers in the information industry in November 2023, up from 213,000 a year earlier. Only 66,000 specialists were employed, compared to 112,000 in 2022.
The ratio of open vacancies and hiring in the information industry was 2 to 1, i.e. there were more than two offers per actual employment. For the labor market as a whole, this ratio was 1 to 6.
Many recruiters find that posting "ghost jobs" is useful, as it helps motivate current employees and gives the impression that the company is growing. For many, this is a way to maintain an active pool of candidates in case of natural staff turnover.
However, applicants are increasingly frustrated with the time and effort they have wasted, as their applications can take months to process. Experts warn that this practice can damage the reputation of the employer.
According to Andrew Fennell, director of StandOut CV, a company that compiles resumes, in the UK, almost half of vacancies in the field of cybersecurity turned out to be "ghostly". This is the third largest indicator among all specialties.
For comparison, in the UK labor market as a whole, the share of "ghost vacancies" was 34.4%. Fennell claims that such ads are unfair practices that cause job seekers to waste their time and effort.
According to Ben Goodman, CEO of 4a Security, "this phenomenon significantly affects the labor market and the industry, preventing qualified candidates from showing up, as they have to apply for jobs that 'don't really exist'.
Thus, the situation with "ghost vacancies" is a growing concern for both employers and job seekers. Experts recommend carefully checking the freshness of ads and directly checking with recruiters whether the position is really open.
According to a recent study by Clarify Capital, 68% of hiring managers leave useless ads on job search platforms — so-called "ghost jobs" that candidates spend time on, but never receive an interview invitation. More than half of recruiters keep their ads active simply because they are "always open to meeting new talent."
This trend is especially noticeable in the field of cybersecurity and IT in general. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 139,000 open offers in the information industry in November 2023, up from 213,000 a year earlier. Only 66,000 specialists were employed, compared to 112,000 in 2022.
The ratio of open vacancies and hiring in the information industry was 2 to 1, i.e. there were more than two offers per actual employment. For the labor market as a whole, this ratio was 1 to 6.
Many recruiters find that posting "ghost jobs" is useful, as it helps motivate current employees and gives the impression that the company is growing. For many, this is a way to maintain an active pool of candidates in case of natural staff turnover.
However, applicants are increasingly frustrated with the time and effort they have wasted, as their applications can take months to process. Experts warn that this practice can damage the reputation of the employer.
According to Andrew Fennell, director of StandOut CV, a company that compiles resumes, in the UK, almost half of vacancies in the field of cybersecurity turned out to be "ghostly". This is the third largest indicator among all specialties.
For comparison, in the UK labor market as a whole, the share of "ghost vacancies" was 34.4%. Fennell claims that such ads are unfair practices that cause job seekers to waste their time and effort.
According to Ben Goodman, CEO of 4a Security, "this phenomenon significantly affects the labor market and the industry, preventing qualified candidates from showing up, as they have to apply for jobs that 'don't really exist'.
Thus, the situation with "ghost vacancies" is a growing concern for both employers and job seekers. Experts recommend carefully checking the freshness of ads and directly checking with recruiters whether the position is really open.
