A ghost job is a posting with weak or no intent to hire soon: evergreen collecting, budget fantasy, “market temperature” fishing, or a role frozen after the ad went live. Candidates cannot see the difference. They spend evenings on cover letters for a seat that was never open.
Employers think the cost is free. It is not. It is paid in brand, referral willingness, and the next time you actually need someone.
What employers feel
Pressure to “always be posting” so the career site looks alive.
Hiring managers who will not close a req they might want later.
Talent teams blamed for slow fills on roles that were never staffable.
Surprise when strong candidates refuse to engage next cycle.
What candidates feel
Weeks of prep for interviews that stall with no decision.
Postings dated months ago with “urgent” language.
No human reply after a multi-stage process.
Cynicism: every job is fake until payroll proves otherwise.
What actually changed
Labor-market uncertainty made optional posting a hedge. Tools made leaving a req open easy. Candidate acquisition channels still reward “active hiring” optics. The result is a market where posted and hirable drifted apart.
Fix it this week
Define ghost. No approved budget, no hiring manager, or no target start in 60 days means unpublish.
Age-out rules. Auto-expire public posts at 45 or 60 days unless renewed with a reason code.
Honest evergreen. If you truly always hire for support roles, say “rolling” and describe the real cadence.
Close the loop. When a role freezes, message every active applicant the same week.