What Is A Ghost Job Listing & How PhDs Can Identify Them
Ghost job listings refers to job postings that real companies make but have no immediate intention of filling.
The Wall Street Journal recently published a report that ghost job listings are surging in today’s job market where companies want to collect as much information as possible on potential candidates for data mining and big data initiatives, even though they have no intention of using this data to hire anytime soon.
Again, these listings are not fake or fraudulent; rather, they are part of a strategic hiring approach employed by organizations. Companies post these positions to build a pipeline of potential candidates for future openings or to maintain a strong presence in the job market.
The characteristics of a ghost job listing include, first and foremost: the job is real. Ghost job listings are real job ads posted by legitimate companies, often on their official websites or reputable job boards.
However, these ghost jobs are posted with no immediate intent to hire, or no intent to hire at all. Companies often use ghost job listings to attract qualified candidates and create a pool of potential hires for future openings.
Ghost job listings can also be used for brand visibility; to help companies maintain a presence in the job market and showcase their organization as a desirable place to work.