Stop Applying To ?? #GhostJobs!!
Adrian Choo The Career Strategist
I Help Leaders Achieve Successful Careers ?LinkedIn Top Career Counselling Voice ?Author ? C-Suite Career Mentor ?Radio Host
There was a recent post about ?? #GhostJobs and I was asked to share my thoughts about it.
1?? What are ?? GhostJobs?
They are Jobs that are posted on Job Boards that don't actually exist. An article by MyPerfectResume claims that 81% of Recruiters confess to making such posts.
From my experience in Headhunting, I've also heard of high numbers of recruiters doing that as part of their modus-operandi.
2?? Why are ?? Ghostjobs being posted? (some possible reasons below)
?? Sometimes, it's because the Hiring Manager forgot to take it down after the role has been filled, or
?? The company wants to give the illusion to their competitors that they are expanding (when they aren't), or hiring for businesses they aren't going into to throw their rivals off the scent.
?? The company wants to conduct a "Talent Mapping Exercise" to see who's out there, or whether any employee from a competitor would come to nibble.
?? Recruiters trying to 'body-shop' - collect interested CVs so they can approach their clients with a 'ready list of potential candidates' (without your express permission or knowledge!)
3?? Why is this bad?
It can be quite unethical to deliberately post ?? Ghostjobs, especially if the company is just collecting data.
For the Jobseeker, it can be very discouraging to be putting in all the effort to customise the CV and do all the homework, only to be rejected - for roles that never existed in the first place!
It also leads to the illusion that the job market is bustling when it is not.
4?? How do you spot a ?? GhostJob?
? They are often dated more than 1-2 mths ago.
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? You recognise the same role from the same company being advertised every other month.
? There is no response from the company after you've submitted your CV
? The role description seems very generic - and all-emcompassing in terms of levels (Finance Role, from Executives to Senior Managers)
? The offered remuneration seems much higher than market rates to lure in more leads.
5?? Is it illegal?
? There isn't a law in Singapore that directly prohibits the posting of ?? Ghostjobs, and I'd imagine it would be really hard to prove and prosecute companies that do.
However, it does hurt the Employer Branding when such stunts are pulled.
6?? What can you do about ?? Ghostjobs?
?? Do not be a Job Spammer - exercise discretion and be selective of the jobs that you apply for.
?? Know the signs - After a while, you will see a pattern developing from certain companies - "Why are they still looking for a Marketing Manager after 5 months?"
?? In addition to applying for jobs online, network your way into the company to find out if there are any openings and whether your contacts there can make a referral. You might even ask your contact whether that role is real!
?? Don't let the presence of ?? Ghostjobs turn you off the hiring process. Keep pressing on and craft a sharper Job-search Strategy - You'll land a nice role soon! ??
Listen to us every Thursday morning 8am on SPH Radio, KISS92FM - Happy At Work with Adrian & Yen!
Consultor | Assessor | Líder | Expert | Sustentabilidade Ambiental e Créditos de Carbono | Desenvolvimento de Novos Produtos e Novos Mercados | Fundador da Antonio Machado Consultoria e da Machado Inova??o.
1 个月Uma outra op??o no item #2 (why) é que o empregador tem inten??o de fazer uma promo??o interna (inclusive com o candidato já definido),mas (1) quer aparecer na mídia (associado our n?o com outra op??o listada no artigo); ou (2) precisa fazer um processo fake em fun??o das suas normas internas.
Data Strategy | Strategic Engagement | Planning and Execution | Business Development | Public Sector | Managing Private Company
1 个月Experienced the 'body-shop' incident with a NGO once. Not a pleasant feeling to say the least. On the bright side, it is still an experience- become wiser I hope.