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The Geopolitical Hedge: Is Distributed Talent the Answer to Protecting Inclusion Goals?

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The Geopolitical Hedge: Is Distributed Talent the Answer to Protecting Inclusion Goals?

Navigating political upheavals that challenge diversity, equity, and inclusion goals requires innovative workforce strategies. 

This HR Spotlight article compiles insights from business leaders and HR professionals on whether a global remote workforce can safeguard DEI objectives. 

Experts highlight that global remote teams can enhance diversity by accessing talent across borders, buffering against regional instability. 

However, they caution that remote work alone isn’t enough without intentional inclusion policies, equitable resource access, and hybrid models to foster collaboration. 

By combining global hiring with robust cultural frameworks, these strategies ensure DEI goals remain resilient, creating inclusive environments where all employees feel valued despite external political pressures. 

Read on!

Sergiy Fitsak
Managing Director & Fintech Expert, Softjourn

Based on our experience, developing a global remote workforce can be an effective strategy to maintain diversity goals during political disruptions.

We’ve observed that remote work structures enable organizations to build teams across geographical boundaries, creating natural diversity that enhances both creativity and productivity.

However, remote work alone cannot address all the complex challenges posed by political upheavals, and organizations must also develop comprehensive policies that specifically address inclusion and equity issues regardless of work arrangement.

Global Remote Teams Buffer Against Political Diversity Threats

Justin Belmont
Founder & CEO, Prose

A global remote workforce can be part of the answer, but it’s not a silver bullet.
On the plus side, hiring globally means you’re not limited by one country’s politics—you can keep teams diverse even if local laws or social climates shift.

But the catch is, diversity on paper doesn’t equal inclusion in practice.

If you’re not building systems where remote employees actually feel heard, safe, and supported, you’ve just scattered people across time zones without solving the deeper issue.

The real win is combining global hiring with intentional culture work—otherwise you’re just exporting the same problems to new zip codes.

Remote Workforce: Beyond Geography to Genuine Inclusion

Wynter Johnson
CEO, Caily

It’s true that remote workers haven’t been cracked down on in the same way that domestic ones have, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a risk here.

There’s no telling when or if the current administration will target remote outsourcing, putting companies in the spotlight again. Another key issue here is that remote workers, especially in an office that also has in-person workers, don’t integrate into the company culture in the same way.

Just because you make diverse hires doesn’t mean you’re actually including them in a meaningful way.

Remote Work Faces Potential Risks Beyond Cultural Integration

Mike Qu
CEO & Founder, SourcingXpro

Building a global remote workforce can be a strong buffer against political upheavals that disrupt diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.

When teams are spread across multiple countries, no single region’s instability can derail hiring pipelines or limit representation.

At SourcingXpro, we worked with partners in three continents, which allowed us to maintain balance when one market faced sudden restrictions.

However, remote structure alone is not enough. It must be paired with intentional DEI policies, transparent pay standards, and tools that ensure equal voice across time zones. Otherwise, existing inequities can simply shift online.

The real advantage comes when global remote teams are supported by systems that make inclusion sustainable regardless of local politics.

Global Teams Shield Diversity Goals Amid Political Upheaval

Illustrious Espiritu
Marketing Director, Autostar Heavy Duty

For a small business like ours, a “global remote workforce” isn’t a reality.

Our team has to be on the ground. But we do have to deal with unforeseen political upheavals that can affect our supply chain and our relationships with our customers.

So, is a global remote workforce the answer? No. The answer is to build a business that is a direct reflection of our values. The key is to see our business not just as a business, but as a community of people who are united by a shared sense of purpose.

When a political upheaval threatened our business, our response wasn’t to go remote. It was to be proactively transparent with our suppliers and our customers. From an operations standpoint, we called our suppliers and asked them how we could help. From a marketing standpoint, we created a new message that was a direct reflection of our values: “We’re a flexible, adaptable business that is here to help you get through any challenge.”

The impact this had was a massive increase in our business’s resilience. Our suppliers and our customers saw that we were a company that was honest and transparent. The biggest win is that we learned that the best way to handle a political upheaval is to be a company that is a direct reflection of its values.

My advice is simple: stop just hoping for the best. You have to be a person who is proactive and who is willing to build a business that is a direct reflection of your values. The best way to overcome a crisis is to be a leader who is honest and who is transparent.

Values-Based Business Trumps Remote Work During Crisis

Piotr Zabula
CEO, Feedink

While a global remote workforce can be part of a strategy to maintain diversity during political upheavals, our experience suggests it isn’t a complete solution.

When we implemented fully remote work, we encountered significant challenges including missed deadlines and ineffective mentorship for junior employees, particularly those from diverse backgrounds who benefit from direct guidance.

A more sustainable approach combines remote work flexibility with intentional in-person collaboration through hybrid models, ensuring both global talent access and the structured support needed for inclusive team development.

Hybrid Models Outperform Fully Remote for Inclusive Development

Jeremy Golan
HR Manager, Virtual HR Hub

DEI is a winner when it comes to divergent thinking and creativity, but the benefits are limited with a fully remote workforce.

Maybe you want to signal inclusivity when it comes to hiring, but the real magic is when different people come together and collaborate in person.

While virtual work attracts a higher volume of candidates—due to lifestyle benefits and traffic—colleagues rarely develop strong bonds that translate into increased productivity.

To benefit from both formats, consider a hybrid approach—with a minimum number of days in the office—paired with team-building activities.

In-Person Collaboration Maximizes Diversity Benefits Over Remote

Christopher Pappas
Founder, eLearning Industry Inc

At our company we understand that the political landscape can present challenges that impact diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) goals.

While a global remote workforce offers flexibility it is important to note that it is not a standalone solution. Remote work can be a tool for inclusion, but it should not be the sole strategy.

Businesses need to look beyond just enabling remote work to truly support a diverse and inclusive workforce.

Achieving DEI requires a holistic approach that goes beyond offering remote opportunities. We must implement strategies that ensure equal access to resources for all employees including those in politically unstable regions.

We must foster a culture of inclusivity where all workers feel supported and valued. By focusing on equitable practices and creating opportunities for everyone to thrive we can ensure that our DEI efforts are comprehensive and impactful.

Remote Work: Tool Not Solution for DEI Goals

George Fironov
Co-Founder & CEO, Talmatic

Remote work has fundamentally transformed how we approach workforce diversity, creating opportunities to build truly global teams regardless of political circumstances.

We’ve observed that hiring has evolved into a global talent competition, with candidates now evaluating potential employers based on flexibility, culture, and remote work arrangements.

While a distributed workforce can help insulate organizations from some regional political impacts, it’s important to recognize that remote work alone isn’t a complete solution to complex DEI challenges.

Companies must still develop intentional strategies to foster inclusion across distributed teams.

Global Teams Expand Diversity Despite Political Constraints

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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Unpaid Internships Done Right: Industry Leaders’ Perspectives

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Unpaid Internships Done Right: Industry Leaders’ Perspectives

Navigating the ethics of unpaid internships requires balancing organizational needs with meaningful opportunities for growth. 

This HR Spotlight article compiles insights from business leaders and HR professionals on specific situations where unpaid internships can be considered fair or appropriate. 

Experts highlight scenarios where internships prioritize education, mentorship, and skill-building, such as structured programs for students or career-changers gaining hands-on experience in fields like law, finance, or HR. 

They emphasize clear learning outcomes, short-term commitments, and access to industry networks as key justifications. By focusing on development over labor, these practices ensure interns gain valuable insights, making unpaid roles a fair stepping stone to future paid opportunities.

Read on!

James Parkinson
Head of Marketing Content, Personnel Checks

An unpaid internship is fair if the person feels they are getting value out of the arrangement. When it comes to content, copywriting and digital marketing interns, it goes without saying that an unfair situation would occur if the person were delivering a high volume of work without proper and adequate mentoring or training.

For our business specifically, we already have a successful mentoring programme in place due to an established apprenticeship scheme.

For unpaid interns, we treat them similarly from an educational and development perspective, also encouraging them to take advantage of our learning resources with the aim of nurturing them into potential paid employees.

If the business appreciates and sees the value in the intern, and returns this with a commitment to their personal development, the unpaid element is considered ‘fair’.

Value-Driven Internships Ensure Fairness

Bradford R. Glaser
President & CEO, HRDQ

By way of being a learning experience in adult soft-skill development, it is reasonable to offer an unpaid internship, especially where we create tools enhancing communication, leadership, and teamworking, as in the case of HRDQ.

An intern who gets involved in assessing construction, participating in team-development workshops, or assisting with webinars related to HR gains exposure to the strategic initiative that goes into performance improvement.

The key is to ensure the intern receives guidance, an opportunity to contribute, and reflection on learning.

When the focus is on building HR-relevant capabilities rather than just filling supporting tasks, the arrangement honors both organizational integrity and the intern’s development.

Educational HR Internships Justify Unpaid

Julia Simkus
Resume Writer, Wanderlust Careers

I recently completed my Master’s Degree in Applied Psychology at NYU. As part of our program, we were required to complete a set number of clinical hours. Before joining Wanderlust in a paid role, I interned there to fulfill these clinical hours and receive supervision from a licensed counselor.

In this case, the internship was unpaid, but I found it entirely fair because it provided me with essential training, mentorship, and real-world experience that were imperative for my professional development.

I believe unpaid internships can be appropriate in situations like this where the primary benefit to the intern is educational, such as gaining required training hours, hands-on experience, or mentorship.

Mentorship Makes Unpaid Internships Fair

Jackie Domanus
Founder, Idea Citizen

There’s a time and place for unpaid internships, but only under specific, transparent conditions.

First, the experience must be clearly structured, ideally using a framework like STAR to define learning outcomes.

Second, it should be designed for individuals with no prior working experience in the field.

Third, it must be time-bound; I’d advocate for contracts that include a scaled pay structure after a set period, such as three months.

And finally, it should be geared toward students actively enrolled in school. Internships, paid or unpaid, can open doors to networks and skill-building, but compensation shapes expectations.

Unpaid internships should focus solely on guided learning. Paid internships, by contrast, imply a level of autonomy and responsibility to contribute value beyond assigned tasks. Anything outside of that risks misalignment.

Structured Learning for Student Interns

Brenda Manea
Managing Director, BAM

I applied for my first internship in 2013, back when I was in college still figuring out what I wanted to do. I found a PR agency that looked cool and landed an unpaid internship. I was over the moon; it didn’t even cross my mind to ask about pay. Three months later, they started paying me minimum wage, and I stuck around part-time until graduation.

Fast forward 11 years, and I’m still at that same agency, having worked my way through 10 different roles.

That unpaid internship opened the door, and it completely changed the course of my career. For me, it’s proof that when structured well and tied to real opportunity, unpaid internships can be fair; sometimes just getting your foot in the door makes all the difference.

Opportunity-Driven Internships Change Careers

Griff Harris
President, Griffith Harris Insurance Services

The key is that these internships must provide genuine learning about complex risk assessment that can’t be taught in classrooms.

When a student witnesses how we structure a $5M umbrella policy or analyze medical malpractice coverage for physicians, they’re gaining specialized knowledge worth more than minimum wage.

After 75 years serving this community and my experience at major firms like Marsh & McLennan, I’ve seen that insurance expertise only develops through real client scenarios. Students who complete these programs typically land $60K+ starting positions because they understand risk management principles that take years to master otherwise.

The internship becomes unfair if students are just filing papers or answering phones. But when they’re learning our industry’s most valuable skill—protecting family legacies through proper coverage—that education is invaluable.

Specialized Skills Justify Unpaid Roles

Alex Langan
Chief Investment Officer, Langan Financial

In finance, an unpaid internship can be fair in very specific situations, mainly when it’s structured as a true learning experience rather than free labor.

For example, if you’re a student or career-changer curious about wealth management or investment analysis, an unpaid internship can give you exposure to compliance work, financial planning tools, and client service without the pressure of revenue targets.

It should be short-term, clearly educational, and paired with mentorship so you’re building skills that will translate into paid opportunities.

In my view, it’s only appropriate when the intern gains more than the firm does, and when the program is designed to help them decide if this is the right path.

Educational Finance Internships Are Fair

Brian Joslyn
Owner, Joslyn Law Firm

In the legal field, I believe unpaid internships can be considered fair when they are structured around genuine education and skill-building rather than free labor.

For example, a law student shadowing attorneys in a criminal defense practice can gain invaluable experience observing hearings, reviewing case strategy, and understanding how client relationships are built – insights that can’t be learned in a classroom.

When the internship is short-term, clearly educational, and not displacing paid staff, it can give students the clarity they need to decide if criminal defense, or even law as a whole, is the right career path for them. In that sense, an unpaid internship becomes less about cost-saving for the firm and more about creating a bridge between academic theory and the realities of legal practice.

Legal Shadowing Benefits Unpaid Interns

Steven Rothberg
Founder & Chief Visionary Officer, College Recruiter Job Search Site

There are different customs and laws in different countries regarding whether internships should or even must be paid.

In the United States, the law is pretty clear, although many would prefer to think otherwise. In a nutshell, if you’re a non-profit or government agency then legally you may employ interns without paying them.

Under the Fair Labor Practices Act (FLPA), for-profit organizations must pay them, as there will always be some benefit accruing to the employer.

But, even if it is legally permissible to not pay an intern for the work they deliver to your organization, that doesn’t mean that you should accept their labor without paying them for that labor.

I believe that all interns should be paid at least the prevailing minimum wage and that the additional training and management of these inexperienced workers should factor into the wages they’re paid, but not eliminate the wages they’re paid.

Pay Interns, Prioritize Fairness

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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From Invisible to Invincible: A Culture Where Employees Feel Valued

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From Invisible to Invincible: A Culture Where Employees Feel Valued

Creating a workplace where employees feel valued and noticed is vital for boosting engagement and fostering loyalty. 

This HR Spotlight article compiles insights from business leaders and HR professionals on specific recognition practices, feedback rituals, and day-to-day gestures to help employees feel seen. 

Experts emphasize timely, personal acknowledgment through real-time shoutouts, handwritten notes, and public celebrations of small wins. 

They advocate consistent rituals, like weekly highlights of collaboration or mentorship, to reinforce a culture of appreciation. 

By blending specific, immediate recognition with thoughtful, personal gestures, these strategies enhance morale, build trust, and ensure employees feel truly valued in both remote and in-office environments.

Read on!

Andrew Dunn
Vice President of Marketing, Zentro Internet

In my experience, specific acknowledgment in the moment makes the biggest difference.

I’ve watched real-time shoutouts during team meetings wipe out the feeling that small wins go unnoticed.

For example:-  we once highlighted the quick pivot of a junior marketer who saved a campaign, and it motivated the whole group. I’d suggest keeping recognition simple but consistent quick notes or mentions carry farther than you’d expect.

Real-Time Shoutouts Boost Morale

Tom Terronez
CEO, Medix Dental IT

Happy to walk you through what works for my team, especially how small, consistent gestures create the biggest impact.

One thing we do at Medix Dental IT is highlight a “win of the week,” where each department shares a moment of progress that others may not have seen in real time. It’s surprising how much employees light up when their quiet, behind-the-scenes contributions get noticed in front of their peers. I’ve also found handwritten notes go further than digital messages. There’s something about that extra effort that feels more personal.

My advice is to mix both public recognition and private gestures so your team feels seen from every angle.

Weekly Wins, Handwritten Notes Shine

Karl Threadgold
Managing Director, Threadgold Consulting

With remote teams, I’ve found small consistent rituals matter more than big quarterly recognitions. For instance, we start our weekly sync by naming one person who demonstrated collaboration or problem-solving that week, which sets a positive tone.

Drawing on my background in leading global teams, I’ve leaned on this practice countless times to help people feel their efforts are visible across time zones.

Generally speaking, you’re in good shape with recognition if it’s both specific and immediate, rather than waiting for formal reviews.

Consistent Rituals Foster Remote Recognition

Edward Piazza
President, Titan Funding

Day-to-day, fixing that feeling of being unseen almost always means giving recognition that’s both specific and personal. For example, I’ve taken time to attach a handwritten note to a performance bonus, calling out the exact deal or borrower relationship that made a difference, and I noticed how much it motivated the team.

I’d suggest prioritizing those small gestures alongside the financial rewards, because people remember the words just as much as the numbers.

Personal Notes Enhance Bonus Impact

Sean Grabow
Owner, Central City Solutions

In my experience, small acts go a long way, like simply calling out someone’s hard work during a morning meeting instead of waiting for a big company milestone.

When one of my crew members managed a tough renovation under budget, I printed a framed photo of the finished property and gave it to him. That little gesture sat on his desk for years, and he told me it reminded him that his efforts weren’t invisible. I’ve learned that recognition doesn’t need to be complex; it just needs to be thoughtful and specific to the effort someone put in.

Thoughtful Gestures Make Efforts Visible

Pavel Sher
CEO, FuseBase

One practice that’s been effective for my team at FuseBase is publicly recognizing those who take time to mentor new hires.

We do this by making space in our weekly syncs to highlight who helped onboard or shared knowledge that saved time.

The big takeaway from running a SaaS business is that you can’t skip these moments; it reinforces collaboration as part of the company culture.

Acknowledge Mentorship in Weekly Syncs

Carl Fanaro
President, NOLA Buys Houses

In my 23 years leading real estate teams, I’ve found that recognition doesn’t always have to be big to make an impact.

For example, when a senior agent took the time to mentor a new hire through a tricky property evaluation, I made sure to acknowledge their efforts during our weekly meeting. When the chips were down during a rough month, that small public appreciation really lifted the whole team’s spirits.

I also like having a simple monthly spotlight for someone who solved a tough foreclosure problem or closed a complex deal with creativity.

My advice: keep recognition personal, specific, and timely so employees truly feel seen rather than lost in general praise.

Specific, Timely Praise Lifts Spirits

Jimmy Welch
President, The Jimmy Welch Team

Recognition works best when it feels real and personal. I’ve seen firsthand how a quick text at the end of the day saying “great job handling that client call” can mean more than a formal award. People remember what you noticed in the moment.

I like to tie recognition to something specific. If a teammate works late to solve an issue, I’ll thank them for that sacrifice, not just for “working hard.” It shows you were paying attention.

Sharing those wins with the whole group, whether in a team huddle or through a quick email, gives everyone a boost and builds momentum.

The day to day gestures matter too. I keep track of birthdays, kids’ events, even favorite restaurants, and I bring those up naturally. Those small details make people feel seen.

Over time, those touches create loyalty and trust, which is what every strong team is built on.

Personal Texts Build Team Loyalty

Lara Woodham
Director, Rowlen Boiler Services

In my experience at Rowlen Boiler Services, small gestures tend to carry the most weight.

For example, when one of our engineers passed their Vaillant Mastertech certification, I surprised them with a hand-written note and a framed badge for our office wall.

Our clients don’t care about the fancy details; they just want a reliable team, and our crew feels more valued when their skills are proudly displayed. I’ve noticed that celebrating these milestones in visible ways builds confidence and fosters a tighter bond across the team.

Celebrate Milestones with Visible Gestures

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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The Hidden Why: Spilling the Beans on Ghost Jobs

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The Hidden Why: Spilling the Beans on Ghost Jobs

Surveys reveal 40% of hiring managers post “ghost jobs,” roles not actively being filled, frustrating job seekers and eroding trust. 

This HR Spotlight article gathers insights from business leaders and HR professionals on uncommon reasons behind this practice. 

From contingency hiring and market calibration to signaling growth for investors or preserving headcount, these experts uncover strategic, often overlooked motives. 

They also address the ethical concerns and trust costs, offering practical solutions like transparent labeling and clear timelines to mitigate candidate frustration, providing a roadmap for organizations to balance internal needs with external perceptions while maintaining a strong employer brand.

Read on!

Arsen Misakyan
CEO & Founder, Angel City Limo

As a founder who’s run hiring through contract cycles, I’ve seen “ghost jobs” happen for less-obvious reasons.

The most common at Angel City Limo: contingency hiring tied to uncertain revenue—e.g., an airport RFP or studio shuttle contract. You build a bench in case the deal lands, but you can’t issue offers until procurement signs. The role looks active from the outside, yet it’s paused by one signature you don’t control.

Other under-the-radar drivers: preserving approved headcount (finance will cut dormant reqs unless they’re “live”), maintaining job-board pricing tiers that require a minimum number of postings, and meeting optics in partner audits (some enterprise clients expect to see “active recruiting” in quarterly reviews).

I’ve also seen teams post to calibrate market comp or test ATS workflows before a broader hiring wave—useful internally, confusing externally.

We’ve changed our approach: if a role is pipeline-only, we label it that way and state the trigger (“pending contract award; ETA late October”). We add an auto-expire date and a one-line SLA on next steps to avoid inbox limbo.

For candidates, a simple sanity check helps: ask for timeline, budget owner, and success metrics for the first 90 days. If those answers are fuzzy, you’re likely looking at a contingency req.

Contingency Hiring Creates Unavoidable Ghost Job Scenarios

John Mac
Founder, Openbatt

One of the less talked-about reasons hiring managers post “ghost jobs” is internal benchmarking.

It’s not about collecting resumes for the sake of ego or creating a false sense of growth—it’s about market calibration.

I’ve seen cases where teams post open roles not to hire immediately, but to gather current data on candidate expectations: salary benchmarks, skill gaps, evolving tech stacks.

It becomes an informal research tool, especially in fast-moving sectors where comp and capabilities shift every few months.

Another reason—one that rarely gets called out—is internal optics.

Sometimes a job post is less about the external market and more about internal signalling. A department lead might list a role to protect future headcount, even if budget approval hasn’t landed yet. Or they want to show higher-ups that they’re “planning for growth,” even if hiring isn’t on the immediate roadmap.

It’s a form of strategic theatre that isn’t inherently malicious, but it creates noise for candidates who assume every listing equals urgency.

There’s also the issue of succession hedging.

I’ve worked with orgs where a job goes live not because someone is leaving—but because leadership wants to be ready if they do. They’ve spotted burnout, misalignment, or upcoming life changes, and they quietly begin building a shortlist just in case. From their lens, it’s being proactive. But to candidates on the outside, it looks like a black hole.

The real challenge is that ghost postings erode trust. In a market where transparency is currency, using job boards as a test bed or placeholder weakens the employer brand—even if the intent isn’t harmful.

My advice to hiring managers: if you’re going to post, make it purposeful. If you’re not ready to hire, run research or forecasting internally without wasting a candidate’s time. Long-term, your hiring reputation matters more than the data you scraped from a few CVs.

Ghost Jobs Serve Hidden Internal Corporate Agendas

Aziz Bekishov
CEO, DC Mobile Notary

Not being a woman myself, I may not be able to speak directly from such an experiential standpoint, yet I have strongly, and deeply, felt the severe repercussions of high stress reactivity through my own entry into entrepreneurship and the constant pressure placed on me.

If this can serve as a parallel or complement to your piece, I would be truly honored to share it.

Living life on edge is not living at all:

There was a period about the time two years back when the days would start in full-body tension, before breakfast, for that matter, rehearsing with terrible plans.

Nowadays, I would find something minor, for example: a contractor would be late or did not send me any reply to an email, and that would put me on an emotional roller coaster.

From calm, I would be in confrontation mode within seconds, and being able to concentrate became an afterthought.

This slowly developed during the months of running DC Mobile Notary and simultaneously scaling DuoNotary until the point when I felt that I was no longer enjoying my own success.

What pulled me into the ripple was low-stakes activities which I could control.

So, every morning, I walk without headphones, just for my thoughts to slow down.
I write a lot of check-ins, usually noting down what felt out of sync that day and what I could do about it next, not later.

Most importantly, I gave myself intermission from never being on.

The shift didn’t save the day, but it was enough to halt the spiral so I could finally breathe again.

I would be glad to expand on that should you have further questions or if that fits your angle.

Low-Stakes Rituals Halt High-Stress Reactivity

Jeremy Yamaguchi
CEO, Cabana

One of the main reasons why businesses post “ghost jobs” is to create the illusion of growth.

When a business has job openings, that means they are growing and needing to add more members to their team, right? Well, not always. Sometimes these “ghost jobs” are literally just there to create the illusion of growth.

When people think a business is growing, they assume it’s really excelling and thus might be more interested in getting involved with it in some way. Though there may not be any legal issues here, I definitely think this practice is ethically questionable at best.

So, it’s not something we do. I don’t think it’s fair to job hunters and their time.

Ghost Jobs Create the Illusion of Growth

Karen Southall Watts
Author, The Solo Workday

If you take just a few moments to survey discussions on LinkedIn, you’ll find the prevailing sentiment is “ghost jobs should be illegal.”

When I tell job seekers that almost half the listings they find online are probably bogus, they are understandably angry.

There are some business case reasons for ghost postings, like trying to indicate company health or growth, doing informal surveys of available talent, or hoping to boost the morale of overworked staff. However, I think there is one very human reason these posts linger, and it speaks to neither stellar work ethic nor healthy company culture. Never-got-around-to-it.

Job boards screening listings for accuracy: never-got-around-to-it

HR departments pulling job ads when jobs are filled or funding fails: never-got-around-to-it

Managers closing positions that have been phased out: never-got-around-to-it

From the outside, job seekers can’t tell if this behavior is the result of short staffing or callous attitudes.

Either way, ghost jobs are frustrating, unethical, and should be stamped out. If someone could just find the time to get around to it.

Not Strategic, Just Inaction

Edward Hones
Employment Lawyer & Founder, Hones Law PLLC

Legal Cushioning and Passive Compliance
From my perspective as an employment lawyer, one uncommon but very real reason companies post ghost jobs is to maintain the appearance of compliance with internal policies or legal obligations.

For example, some organizations, particularly federal contractors or those subject to affirmative action requirements, may post jobs to demonstrate they’re actively recruiting, even when they have no immediate intention to hire. It creates a paper trail that, in the event of an audit or lawsuit, can be used to show “good faith” hiring efforts, even if the positions were never truly open. While this isn’t necessarily illegal, it rides a thin ethical line and can mislead job seekers.

Strategic Talent Mapping (with Questionable Transparency)
Another lesser-known motive is strategic pipeline building for future contracts or business expansion.

Companies might anticipate new work, but until it’s confirmed, they hedge by posting roles to see who’s out there. If the deal doesn’t land, the job vanishes. In this context, it’s less about deception and more about risk management, but it creates real trust issues with candidates.

I advise clients to be transparent in these cases: label the job “pipeline” or “future opportunity” so applicants aren’t misled.

Honest branding of speculative roles goes a long way in protecting both the employer’s reputation and legal standing.

Offers Legal and Strategic Hedges

Peter Murphy
CEO, Track Spikes

I’ve hired across retail, delivery, and digital—and yes, ghost jobs are real, but not always for the obvious reasons.

Some post openings to test market interest before greenlighting a new job. Others use it to gather future candidates during off-season cycles, especially in businesses with seasonal surges.

I’ve seen leaders use ads to calm internal teams, like saying, “We’re growing,” even if they’re not ready to hire yet. It’s not ideal, but it often occurs when hiring decisions are influenced by mood or funding considerations.

Ghost Jobs: A Strategic Market Test

Jonathan Hill
Chairman & CEO, The Energists

“Ghost job” postings are an unfortunately common practice though I wish they weren’t.

Their potential harm goes beyond annoying job seekers. They can erode candidates’ trust in the hiring process and cause lasting damage to a company’s employer brand, which ultimately makes them counterproductive for the purpose many companies use them for.

There are two reasons for ghost postings that I’ve witnessed most often:

They forgot to take the post down after the job was filled or the search was cancelled.

They’re using the fake job to collect resumes and build a pipeline.

There are also some less common reasons I’ve seen for these postings:

Internal budget constraints – The company intends to fill the job when they post it but are faced with a pause in hiring after doing so, or may still be waiting for the budget approval before moving forward.

Contractual or client requirements – In sectors like EPC or consulting, firms may need to demonstrate staffing capacity as part of a bid, but don’t plan to fill the role unless they win the deal.

PR and market signaling – Hiring often reads as growth, which can mean a company with open jobs can look more attractive to investors or stakeholders.

Internal promotion – They plan to fill the job internally but are required to conduct a public search to satisfy compliance or policies, and so post the job with no intention of hiring an outside candidate.


Performance pressure – if someone in the company (often an executive or other critical role) is under-performing, they may post a role to both motivate that individual and to test the market if they do need to be replaced.

As an overarching comment, I’d say if a ghost posting isn’t for pipeline building or the result of carelessness, it’s most often going to be motivated by internal factors that may or may not have anything to do with the company’s talent strategy.

Motivated By Internal Factors

Magda Klimkiewicz
Senior HR Business Partner, Live Career

In a competitive industry, appearing active and fast-growing can be just as valuable as actual expansion. By posting job openings, even without the intent to hire, companies create the illusion of scaling up. This can make them seem more attractive to venture capitalists and potential backers.

For example, a startup in Series A funding might advertise multiple engineering roles, not because they are ready to onboard, but to signal momentum. These job posts are often left open indefinitely, fitting into the narrative that the business is gearing up for a big leap.

This tactic is not deceptive in the eyes of some hiring managers. They view it as a proactive branding strategy rather than a dishonest practice.

Sometimes, job postings are less about hiring and more about crafting a narrative for shareholders, competitors, or even employees.

Interestingly, these strategic, though arguably misleading practices show that ghost jobs are not always about laziness or disorganization. They are, in most cases, about perception, influence, and control.

A Strategic Branding Tool

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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The Race for Skills: Paying the Cost for Ignoring Creativity

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The Race for Skills: Paying the Cost for Ignoring Creativity

As businesses prioritize technical skills, sidelining creativity and emotional intelligence (EI) risks stifling innovation and workplace cohesion. 

This HR Spotlight article gathers insights from business leaders and HR professionals on the costs of this imbalance. 

From diminished human connection to stunted innovation and poor team dynamics, these experts highlight how neglecting creativity and EI undermines long-term success. 

They share strategies like fostering empathy in hiring and integrating creative training to restore balance, offering actionable solutions to build collaborative, innovative teams that resonate with customers and employees alike in a tech-driven world.

Read on!

Jen Stamulis
Director of Business Development & Brand Management, Go Elastic

The biggest cost I’ve seen is brands losing their ability to connect with real humans.

At Spectrum, we worked with ESPN and NFL on campaigns that had all the technical bells and whistles, but the ones that drove actual revenue growth were those that tapped into genuine fan emotions and stories.

During my time at Elasticity, I’ve watched companies obsess over attribution models and programmatic optimization while completely missing why their customers actually care about their products. We had a client who could tell you the exact cost-per-click across 47 different touchpoints but couldn’t explain why anyone would choose their brand over a competitor.

The American Mustache Institute project taught me that building authentic communities around seemingly ridiculous ideas can fundamentally change careers and businesses. That happened because we focused on creating something people genuinely connected with, not because we had the most sophisticated analytics dashboard.

Technical skills get you in the room, but creativity and emotional intelligence are what make people want to buy from you, work with you, and remember you exist.

Creativity and Empathy Drive Business Growth

Marin Cristian Ovidiu
CEO, OnlineGames

The biggest cost of sidelining creativity and emotional intelligence in favor of pure technical expertise is short-sighted problem solving.

You end up with solutions that work but don’t resonate. In game development, we’ve seen that a technically flawless product can still fail if it lacks emotional appeal, user empathy, or narrative cohesion.

Emotional intelligence drives collaboration, leadership, and adaptability, skills that become more valuable as teams scale and problems grow in complexity.

Creativity, meanwhile, fuels innovation and user-centric design. Without these, you build tools no one wants to use, or worse, create environments where talent burns out.

The future belongs to teams who can code and connect, who can optimize performance without losing the human touch. Pure technical output is just the start. Real impact comes from understanding people.

Technical Skills Without Empathy Fall Short

Mark Niemann
CEO & Co-Founder, Mein Office

The increasing emphasis on technical expertise, while essential in a digital-first age, often comes at the expense of creativity and emotional intelligence (EI)—two attributes essential for sustainable business growth:

Prioritizing technical skill alone can stifle innovation. Creative thinking brings unique solutions and adaptability—critical factors for maintaining competitive advantage.

Sidelining EI negatively impacts team dynamics. Empathy, communication, and self-awareness are fundamental to building strong, resilient workplace cultures.

Leadership suffers in environments lacking EI. A technically sound leader who cannot inspire or relate to their team will struggle to retain talent.

From my experience in marketing and sales across industries, true business breakthroughs happen when technical skills are enhanced—not replaced—by creativity and empathy.

Technical Skills Need Creativity and Empathy

Eugene Leow Zhao Wei
Director, Marketing Agency

Prioritising technical skill over creativity and emotional intelligence comes at a cost that’s easy to overlook: teams that deliver, but don’t resonate.

I’ve worked with brilliant developers and marketers who could solve any problem, but struggled to understand client fear, hesitation, or shifting expectations. Without empathy and creative framing, even the best solution feels cold or confusing.

Creativity isn’t just for aesthetics. It’s how you reframe a pitch, build buy-in, and solve non-linear problems.

Emotional intelligence is how you prevent misalignment before it snowballs. Strip those out and you get efficient outputs that fall flat with humans. In business, that disconnect is expensive.

The best work we’ve shipped didn’t just tick technical boxes. It moved people and that only happens when EQ and creativity sit at the table too.

Technical Skills Without Empathy Fall Flat

David Ciccarelli
Founder & CEO, Lake

There’s no doubt technical skills matter—but when companies sideline creativity and emotional intelligence (EI), they trade long-term resilience for short-term precision.

I’ve seen this firsthand as a 3X founder: technical chops help build the product, but the product or even a feature begins with the founder or product manager identifying something the market needs. Creativity commences the process.

Creativity drives innovation—new features, new niche markets, new ways of thinking.

Emotional intelligence, meanwhile, fuels collaboration, empathy, and trust—traits that galvanize teams and clearly, tech alone can’t replicate.

When we undervalue those, we risk building brilliant systems that people don’t feel connected to. And in a world of increasing automation, empathy and human-centered thinking is more valuable—not less.

Creativity and EQ Drive Long-Term Resilience

Dr. Kirk Adams
Disability Inclusion Strategist & Speaker, Innovative Impact LLC

In the rush to prioritize technical skills, sidelining creativity and emotional intelligence comes at a steep cost. Especially when it leads to overlooking the value of disability inclusion.

People with disabilities, like me, develop profound emotional intelligence and creative problem-solving abilities out of necessity.

Navigating a world not built with us in mind requires resilience, adaptability, and a deep capacity for empathy. We bring honed listening, communication, and planning skills, strengthened by the lived experience of overcoming barriers, often with the aid of assistive technology and accessibility tools.

When organizations cut corners on accommodations or accessibility, they miss out on this rich, untapped talent.

The short-term gain in productivity is far outweighed by the long-term loss of innovation, team cohesion, and insight.

A truly inclusive culture that values the whole person, technical skills and human strengths, fuels sustainable success.

Creativity and emotional intelligence aren’t optional extras; they’re competitive advantages.

Disability Inclusion Fuels Innovation

Wynter Johnson
Founder & CEO, Caily

This isn’t the only dimension you need to worry about here, but I like to think about these tradeoffs in terms of efficiency versus flexibility.

People with the right set of technical skills will quickly, efficiently get work done within their domain, often with minimal outside input.

The flipside of this is that they often struggle to communicate, collaborate, and adapt well, especially when it comes to working with other departments.

People who are creative and emotionally intelligent will be great at working with others and rolling with changes, but they may struggle when asked to lock in on a specific technical task.

Ultimately, a good team needs both skill sets to succeed.

Balance Efficiency and Flexibility for Success

Ross Hackerson
Relationship Coach & Retreat Leader, An Affair of the Heart

In 40 years of helping couples reconnect, I’ve seen the devastating cost of prioritizing technical problem-solving over emotional intelligence. Relationships collapse when partners treat each other like engineering problems to be fixed rather than humans to be understood.

At my retreat center “An Affair of the Heart,” I work with highly successful professionals—doctors, lawyers, engineers—whose marriages are crumbling despite their technical brilliance. They’ve mastered complex systems but can’t decode their partner’s emotional needs. One surgeon could perform intricate procedures but couldn’t recognize when his wife needed comfort instead of solutions.

The pattern is clear: technical skills get you hired, but emotional intelligence keeps relationships alive.

In my intensive retreats, we see 70% of couples reconnect when they learn to read emotional cues and respond with empathy rather than logic.

The cost of sidelining emotional intelligence isn’t just workplace dysfunction—it’s broken families, failed partnerships, and human isolation.

Emotional Intelligence is the Key to Relationships

Erinn Everhart
Licensed Marriage Family Therapist, Every Heart Dreams Counseling

The biggest cost is emotional loneliness, people becoming disconnected from authentic human connection.

In my practice, I see tech-skilled professionals who excel at their jobs but struggle with meaningful relationships because they’ve never learned to be vulnerable or emotionally present.

I had a client who was a brilliant software engineer but couldn’t maintain friendships or romantic relationships. He’d been so focused on technical skills that he’d never developed the ability to share his true self or read emotional cues. When conflicts arose, he’d “ghost” people rather than have difficult conversations – treating relationships like debugging code.

The irony is that emotional intelligence drives technical success too.

Teams with emotionally intelligent leaders show better collaboration and innovation. When we only reward technical expertise, we create workplaces full of people who can’t communicate authentically or handle the vulnerability required for creative problem-solving.

I’ve seen companies lose their best talent not because of technical issues, but because managers couldn’t create psychologically safe environments where people felt heard and valued.

Technical Success Can Mask Emotional Loneliness

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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5 EVP Mistakes That Are Sabotaging Your Remote Hiring (And How to Fix Them)

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5 EVP Mistakes That Are Sabotaging Your Remote Hiring (And How to Fix Them)

By Jim Coughlin, founder of Remotivated

Remote hiring has fundamentally changed the talent acquisition game. With candidates now able to work for companies anywhere in the world, the competition for top talent has never been fiercer. Yet many organizations are unknowingly sabotaging their own efforts through critical Employee Value Proposition (EVP) mistakes that drive away the candidates they’re trying to attract.

The team at Remotivated has identified five critical EVP mistakes that derail remote hiring efforts. More importantly, we’ve seen how fixing these issues can transform companies from struggling to attract talent into magnets for top remote talent.

The Problem: Many companies still frame remote work as a generous benefit they’re offering, rather than recognizing it as a fundamental shift in how work gets done. This mindset seeps into job descriptions with phrases like “we’re generous enough to allow remote work” or “remote work available as needed.”

Why It Backfires: Top remote talent doesn’t want to feel like they’re asking for a favor. They want to work for companies that have fully embraced distributed work and built their culture around it. When remote work feels like an afterthought, it signals that the company hasn’t invested in the systems, culture, and leadership needed to make remote work truly successful.

The Fix: Reframe remote work from a policy to a philosophy. Instead of listing “remote work allowed,” highlight how your distributed culture enables better work-life integration, access to global talent, and outcomes-focused performance. Share specific examples of how remote work has made your team more productive, creative, or collaborative.

Mistake #1: Treating Remote Work as a “Perk” Instead of a Core Value

The Problem: Scroll through job boards and you’ll see the same tired phrases everywhere: “We’re like a family,” “Work hard, play hard,” “Competitive salary and benefits,” “Fast-paced environment.” These generic statements tell candidates nothing about what makes your company unique.

Why It Backfires: Remote workers have endless options. Suppose your EVP sounds identical to that of every other company. In that case, you’re forcing candidates to choose based solely on salary—a race to the bottom that you can’t win against competitors with deeper pockets.

The Fix: Get specific about what makes your culture unique. Instead of stating”flexible schedule,” explain exactly how flexibility works at your company. Instead of “growth opportunities,” detail your mentorship programs, learning budgets, or internal mobility statistics. The most compelling EVPs take their company’s core mission and translate it into tangible employee benefits.

Mistake #2: Generic EVP Messaging That Could Apply to Any Company

The Problem: Companies craft compelling EVP statements about their culture but fail to live up to them in reality. New hires discover that the “collaborative environment” they were promised actually means constant interruptions, or that “work-life balance” disappears during busy periods.

Why It Backfires: This is especially damaging in remote work, where culture must be more intentionally created and maintained. When the reality doesn’t match the promise, new hires feel deceived and often become your harshest critics on employee review sites like Glassdoor.

The Fix: Audit your current employee experience against your EVP promises. Survey existing employees anonymously to gauge whether the company is delivering on its cultural commitments. If there are gaps, fix them before promoting those aspects of your culture. Authenticity always beats perfection in EVP messaging.

Mistake #3: Overpromising and Underdelivering on Culture

The Problem: Many EVPs read like a benefits brochure, listing health insurance, PTO policies, and office perks without connecting these to the bigger picture of why employees should care about the work itself.

Why It Backfires: While benefits matter, top remote talent, particularly Gen Z, is often more motivated by purpose, autonomy, and the opportunity to do meaningful work. An EVP that focuses solely on transactional benefits attracts employees who are primarily motivated by transactional benefits.

The Fix: Lead with impact and mission, then support it with benefits. Explain how employees’ work contributes to the company’s goals and broader societal impact. Frame benefits as tools that enable employees to do their best work, rather than just perks to attract bodies.

Mistake #4: Focusing Only on Benefits Instead of Impact

The Problem: Most companies create EVPs focused solely on attraction—what will get people to apply and accept offers. They forget that a strong EVP must also address retention, development, and even alumni relationships.

Why It Backfires: Remote employees who feel their growth has stagnated can easily find new opportunities without relocating. If your EVP doesn’t address career development, skill building, and long-term value creation, you’ll become a stepping stone employer rather than an employer people retire from.

The Fix: Map out the employee journey from attraction through onboarding, professional development, and beyond. Your EVP should address what employees gain at each stage. This might include structured mentorship programs, learning stipends, internal mobility opportunities, or alumni networks.

Mistake #5: Ignoring the Employee Lifecycle in EVP Development

The companies that excel at remote hiring don’t just avoid these mistakes—they flip the script entirely. They recognize that their EVP isn’t just a recruiting tool; it’s a business strategy. When done right, a strong EVP becomes a competitive advantage that attracts better talent, reduces turnover costs, and creates a workforce of high-performing advocates who refer other top performers.

The most successful remote companies we work with share three common characteristics:

1.Specificity: They can articulate exactly what makes their culture unique
2.Authenticity: They deliver on their promises consistently
3.Evolution: They continuously refine their EVP based on employee feedback

If you’re struggling to attract top remote talent despite offering competitive compensation, the problem likely isn’t your salary ranges—it’s your story. The companies winning the remote talent war aren’t necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets, but the ones with the most compelling and authentic Employee Value Propositions.

While avoiding these common mistakes is crucial, building a truly compelling EVP requires a structured, methodical approach. For organizations ready to dive deeper into the strategic elements of EVP development—from identifying your unique differentiators to measuring success—Remotivated has created a comprehensive Employee Value Proposition guide that walks through each component in detail.

Remotivated helps remote-first companies build stronger employer brands through remote culture certification. Our programs provide the social proof the most forward-thinking remote-first employers make a core component of their EVP.

The Remote EVP Success Formula

About the Author

Jim Coughlin is the founder of Remotivated, where he helps identify and celebrate authentic remote-first cultures. After leading a fully distributed fintech implementation team through a successful $500 million exit, he now focuses on helping job seekers and organizations understand what separates genuine remote culture from remote-work theater.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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