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Employee Resistance: HR Policies Suffering Push Back

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Employee Resistance: HR Policies Suffering Push Back

Every company has that one policy that makes even the best employees groan: daily equipment inspections, return-to-office mandates, mandatory progress check-ins, non-competes, documentation rules, report deadlines, phone bans, or transparent promotion scorecards.

In this HR Spotlight roundup, nine founders and CEOs who’ve actually enforced these “hated” rules reveal the surprising truth: the pushback almost never comes from laziness—it comes from feeling micromanaged, distrusted, or robbed of something they value deeply (time, autonomy, recognition, privacy).

More importantly, they share exactly how they flipped the script: by showing the personal upside (fewer breakdowns, faster promotions, no 2 a.m. emergencies, protected paychecks) instead of preaching compliance.

The result? Resistance didn’t just quiet down—it vanished.

Here are the raw stories and tactics that turned policy villains into team heroes.

Read on!

Jeffrey J. Miller
President & CEO, Kelbe Brothers Equipment

I run a fourth-generation equipment company in Wisconsin, so I’ve dealt with plenty of policy resistance over the years.

The one that gets the most pushback? Mandatory daily walkaround inspections before operating any equipment.

Operators hate it because they see it as paperwork that slows them down when they could be working.

They think they know their machine well enough to skip the checklist.

But we tracked downtime costs and found that crews doing daily inspections caught small issues early–saving an average of $3,200 per incident versus emergency repairs.

When a hydraulic leak gets spotted during a walkaround instead of mid-job, that’s the difference between a $150 seal replacement and a $4,000 pump failure plus lost rental revenue.

I addressed it by showing operators the actual repair invoices from machines that skipped inspections versus those that didn’t.
I also pointed out that they’re the ones stuck waiting when a machine goes down unexpectedly, losing productive hours.

Once they saw it wasn’t about compliance but about avoiding sitting around while a tech drives out for an emergency call, resistance dropped significantly.

The key was making it about their time and their day, not company policy. Nobody wants to be the operator who caused a three-day shutdown because they didn’t spend two minutes checking fluid levels.

Two Minutes Saves $3,200 Breakdowns

Charles Blechman
Founder & Coach, Manhattan Coaching Associates

I’ve coached dozens of tech leaders through organizational change, and the policy that creates the most friction is return-to-office mandates.

I watched one Director nearly quit over it–not because he hated the office, but because the policy ignored why remote work mattered to him: picking his kids up from school and being present during their formative years.

The resistance isn’t really about the policy itself.

It’s about what the policy steps on–autonomy, trust, family time, work-life integration.

When I work with leaders implementing these changes, I ask them to get curious instead of defensive: What values are being threatened here? What’s the fear underneath the pushback?

One client shifted their approach by asking employees directly: “What would you need to feel supported if we move to hybrid?”

They found people weren’t against collaboration–they were against losing flexibility without gaining anything meaningful in return.

So they redesigned the policy around team anchoring days and core hours, giving people choice within structure.

The fix isn’t better communication of the policy.
It’s co-creating a solution that honors what people actually care about.
When employees feel heard and see their values reflected in the outcome, resistance drops dramatically.

RTO Died When They Co-Created Hybrid

Lisa Martinez
Founder, TX Cash Home Buyers

Honestly, non-competes are our biggest hurdle, especially with a small team where people want freedom to move on.

I stopped just handing them the contract.

Now I explain exactly what we’re protecting, like our client list or specific methods.

If someone has a good reason, like moving across the country, we’ll adjust it.

People are way more receptive when they understand the business reason behind the rule.

Non-Competes Work When Explained Honestly

Joseph Depena
Owner, VP Fitness

I run a boutique fitness franchise in Providence, and the policy that gets the most pushback is mandatory progress tracking and check-ins.

Members sign up excited to train, but when we require regular weigh-ins, body measurements, or goal reviews, some push back hard–they see it as intrusive or feel judged.

Here’s what changed the resistance: I stopped framing it as accountability and started showing members their own data trends over 8-12 weeks.

When someone sees their strength gains climbing even though the scale hasn’t moved, or their body fat percentage dropping while weight stays flat, suddenly tracking becomes their favorite thing.

One member was ready to quit after “no progress” until we pulled up her metrics–she’d gained 4 pounds of muscle and lost 2 inches off her waist.

The trick is making the data work for them, not against them.

I tell my trainers to celebrate non-scale victories, first–better sleep, more energy, clothes fitting differently–then layer in the numbers as proof of what they already feel.

Once people realize tracking protects them from quitting prematurely, resistance drops to almost zero.

Hated Weigh-Ins Became Victory Proof

Divyansh Agarwal
Founder, Webyansh

I run a web design agency, not an HR department, but I’ve watched clients struggle with one surprising policy pushback: requiring teams to document their work processes.

Developers and designers especially hate it because it feels like busywork that slows them down.

When we rebuilt Hopstack’s website, their team initially resisted documenting the CMS transfer process–they just wanted to move fast.

But we insisted on creating a simple handover doc, and it saved them weeks when they needed to train new team members six months later.

The 99.8% order accuracy they maintain now partly comes from that documentation culture we helped establish.

The fix isn’t selling it as “policy compliance”–it’s showing immediate personal benefit. For Hopstack, we framed it as “so you don’t get 2am calls about broken features you built months ago.

When people see documentation as protecting their own time rather than feeding corporate bureaucracy, resistance drops fast.

I’ve noticed this same pattern across healthcare and SaaS clients–the policy itself isn’t the problem, it’s that nobody explains what’s in it for the individual employee.

Make it selfish, make it practical, and suddenly compliance isn’t a fight anymore.

Docs Sold as “No 2am Calls”

Joshua McAfee
CEO & Founder, McAfee Institute

I’ve trained thousands of investigators and law enforcement professionals, and the policy that gets the most resistance? Mandatory reporting documentation requirements.

Investigators especially hate being told they need to submit detailed reports within 24-48 hours of an incident when they’re in the middle of active casework.

When I built Amazon’s Loss Prevention program from scratch, we tracked what happened when investigators delayed their reports.

Cases that got documented within 24 hours had a 76% prosecution success rate.

Cases documented after 72 hours? That dropped to 41%.

The resistance vanished when investigators realized they were the ones stuck in court explaining gaps in their own timeline months later.

I addressed it by showing actual court transcripts where delayed documentation killed cases they’d worked for weeks.

Then I implemented voice-to-text report templates that cut documentation time from 45 minutes to under 10.

Suddenly it wasn’t about compliance–it was about not watching their own hard work get dismissed because they couldn’t remember exact details three months later during testimony.

The shift happened when people saw that the policy protects their credibility, not just the organization’s liability.

Nobody wants to be the investigator who loses a case on the stand because their notes were too vague to defend.

24-Hour Reports Saved 76% of Cases

Christina Imes
Founder, Tru Integrative Wellness

I run two integrative wellness clinics, so I’m managing clinical teams across multiple locations–and the biggest pushback I consistently see is around our strict patient confidentiality and personal phone policies.

Staff want to snap before/after photos or share success stories on their personal social media, but in medical aesthetics and hormone therapy, that’s a legal and ethical minefield.

When I took over operations at Tru Integrative Wellness in 2022, we had team members who didn’t understand why they couldn’t post a great GAINSWave result or weight loss change–even with verbal permission.

The resistance was intense because they genuinely wanted to celebrate patient wins and felt the policy killed their ability to market our work.

What actually worked was giving them an approved outlet.

We created a formal content process where patients could consent through proper medical release forms, and then our marketing team handled all posts through official channels.

I also showed staff the actual dollar cost of a HIPAA violation ($50,000+ per incident) during onboarding.

Once they saw we weren’t blocking their enthusiasm but protecting everyone’s livelihood, compliance jumped to near-100%.

The trick is replacing what you’re taking away. Don’t just say “no personal posts”–give them a compliant way to share wins and explain the real financial risk in concrete numbers they’ll remember.

$50K Fines Killed Personal Patient Pics

Matthew Pfau
Curriculum Developer & Educator, Paralegal Institute

I run a personal injury law firm and hire a lot of paralegals, so I’ve seen this from the employer side. The policy that gets the most pushback? Structured career advancement criteria.

When I implemented clear promotion requirements with specific skill benchmarks, my experienced paralegals initially resisted because it felt like being “graded” again after years of proven work.

The resistance came from a place I didn’t expect–they thought documenting their skills somehow diminished the value of their experience.

One senior paralegal told me straight up: “I’ve been doing this for 8 years, why do I need to check boxes now?”

What changed everything was when I showed them the other side.

I had been promoting people inconsistently based on gut feeling, and it meant some high performers were getting overlooked while others advanced just because they were more vocal.

When I laid out the transparent criteria, three paralegals who’d been stuck at the same level for years suddenly had a clear path forward–and two of them got promoted within six months.

Now when I hire, I show candidates the advancement scorecard on day one. The pushback disappeared because people realized it protects them more than it restricts them.

Without clear criteria, career growth is just a popularity contest.

Scorecards Ended Promotion Popularity Contests

Cyrus Partow
CEO, ShipTheDeal

My remote team used to stumble through handoffs. We were basically working on different planets.

So we tried setting two hours every day when everyone had to be online. It fixed everything.

Handoffs went from a chain of emails to a quick chat.

My advice is to not frame it as a management thing. Just say it’s to make their day easier, then stick to it.

Short, consistent, and it helps everyone.

Two Overlap Hours Fixed Handoff Hell

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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Unpopular HR Policies: Turning Pushback Into Progress

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Unpopular HR Policies: Turning Pushback Into Progress

What if the HR policy you’re defending with spreadsheets and compliance checklists is secretly the biggest threat to the culture you’re trying to protect?

Across industries, one uncomfortable pattern repeats: the rules designed to safeguard organizations often feel like handcuffs to the very people they’re meant to empower.

This HR Spotlight dares to ask the question most leaders avoid: are we enforcing policies—or are we enforcing distrust?

From mandatory reporting to bilingual mandates, from weekend response rules to personal goal-setting programs, seasoned leaders reveal the policies that ignite the fiercest pushback—and the surprisingly human fixes that flipped resistance into ownership.

Their stories prove one thing: when employees understand the “why,” see the win, and feel the respect, even the toughest policies become the glue that holds high-performing teams together.

In 2025’s war for talent, these lessons are pure gold.

Read on!

John Howley
Managing Partner, Howley Law Firm

After 30+ years in litigation, the policy that gets the hardest pushback is mandatory harassment reporting–especially when employees think they’re protecting a colleague by staying quiet.

I’ve seen these cases that should’ve been slam-dunks, because by the time people finally report, the evidence is stale and witnesses have scattered.

I had a case where a harassed nanny eventually won $1 million, but it took two years longer than it should have because her friends at the agency knew what was happening and said nothing.

They thought they were being loyal.

When we finally built the case, those same coworkers became crucial witnesses–but if they’d reported early, she could’ve been protected immediately and avoided months of hell.

What works is showing the math.

In my $80 million race discrimination case against Sodexho Marriott, the company’s own failure to enforce their reporting policy created a paper trail that made our job easier.

I tell HR: frame reporting as protecting coworkers, not snitching on them, because silence lets bad actors hurt more people.

When employees see that early reporting actually shortens investigations and gets faster resolutions, resistance drops fast.

Report Early, Protect Everyone

Lucas Simmons
CEO, Gener8 Media

I ran production teams at Gener8 Media and honestly? The biggest pushback wasn’t an HR policy–it was the creative approval process.

Directors and editors hated having clients review cuts at multiple stages, saying it “killed the creative vision” and added weeks to timelines.

The breaking point came during our Unseen Chains documentary about human trafficking.

One of my editors wanted full creative control until final delivery, but I insisted on showing rough cuts to Drive 4 Impact throughout.

He pushed back hard, saying it would compromise the artistry.

Then during a mid-production review, the nonprofit caught a factual error about trafficking statistics that would’ve destroyed our credibility if it made the final cut. That one catch saved the entire $180K project.

I started showing the team our client retention numbers–we had 87% repeat business specifically because clients felt involved in the process, not surprised at the end.

When crew members saw that their jobs existed because of this policy, not despite it, resistance dropped fast.

Now I frame client reviews as “insurance against expensive reshoots” and suddenly it’s not an annoying policy, it’s protecting everyone’s paycheck.

The shift happened when I stopped defending it as policy and started showing real money saved. Numbers change minds faster than principles.

Client Reviews Save Jobs

Jeff Bogue
President, Momentum Ministry Partners

Leading a 150+ person staff across eight campuses, the biggest pushback I’ve consistently seen is around scheduling flexibility–specifically when we implemented mandatory all-staff gatherings.

People want autonomy over their calendars, and asking ministry professionals to block out non-negotiable meeting times felt controlling to many.

What shifted the resistance was changing how we communicated the “why.”

Instead of announcing “mandatory staff meetings,” we reframed them as “team days” and showed our budget–we were investing $12,000 in bringing everyone together because we believed in them.

When people saw we were spending real money because we valued unity and development, attendance jumped from 70% to 94% within three months.

The real breakthrough came when I started sharing specific stories of what happened because we gathered.

A youth pastor met a finance team member at one of these events, which led to a conversation that solved a budget problem plaguing his department for months.

Staff started seeing these gatherings as networking gold rather than time theft.

My recommendation: stop defending the policy and start showcasing the tangible wins that come from it.

Collect three stories in the first 60 days of implementation where the policy directly solved a problem or created an opportunity. Resistance fades when people see proof, not principles.

Team Days Beat Mandatory Meetings

Seth Yingling
Owner, Yingling Builders

Hey, I run a custom home building company in West Central Illinois, and while I don’t deal with traditional HR policies, I’ve steered plenty of pushback on construction standards and building protocols–the parallels are pretty similar.

The biggest resistance I see is when people don’t understand why a rule exists.

When I introduced stricter quality checkpoints and required more frequent inspections with our builds, my team initially saw it as slowing them down.

But once I explained that these steps prevented costly callbacks and protected our reputation (which directly affected their job security), the pushback disappeared. People resist what they don’t understand.

My recommendation: involve your team in the conversation before rolling out the policy.

When we switched to Wausau Home Products in 2021, I didn’t just announce it–I showed the crew actual examples of how it made their work easier and reduced errors. That buy-in made all the difference.

Also, admit when something isn’t working and adjust.

We tried a new scheduling system last year that looked great on paper but created chaos on job sites. I scrapped it within two weeks.

Your credibility goes way up when people see you’re willing to listen and adapt rather than forcing something that clearly isn’t right.

Explain Why, Resistance Dies

D.J. Hearsey
Principal Agent, Select Insurance Group

I’ve built Select Insurance Group from the ground up with 12 locations across the Southeast, and the HR policy that creates the most friction? Mandatory bilingual capability requirements for customer-facing roles–especially in markets where we’re expanding.

When we moved into new territories in Georgia and the Carolinas, some existing staff pushed back hard on needing Spanish-speaking team members at every location.

They’d argue “this isn’t Miami” or question why we couldn’t just route calls elsewhere. The tension was real because it felt like their advancement opportunities were being limited.

What changed the conversation was showing them our Orlando retention numbers.

At our Florida offices where agents like Natalie Rivera and Diana Estrada handled both English and Spanish clients seamlessly, our customer lifetime value was 2.3x higher than English-only locations.

More importantly, those bilingual agents were closing 40% more policies per month because they could serve walk-ins that other agencies in the area were turning away.

I made it a growth opportunity instead of a gate.

We started offering paid Spanish classes during work hours and gave bonuses for certification milestones.

Three agents who initially complained the loudest are now our top performers in Virginia because they invested six months learning conversational Spanish.

When your team sees bilingual colleagues getting bigger commission checks and better reviews, resistance turns into enrollment.

Bilingual Bonus Ends Complaints

Orrin Klopper
CEO, Netsurit

I’ve been running Netsurit for nearly 30 years with over 300 employees across three continents, and the policy that creates the most friction?

Personal goal-setting programs–especially when they’re mandatory.

When we launched our Dreams Program, about 40% of our team initially resisted.

They’d say “I don’t want my boss in my personal life” or “my goals are private.”

The pushback came from fear that we’d judge their ambitions or use personal information against them in performance reviews.

What changed everything was making it employee-owned, not management-driven.

We let staff choose their own accountability partners (not their direct managers), and we funded their goals without requiring detailed justifications.

One team member wanted to learn guitar–we paid for lessons, no questions asked. Another wanted to run a marathon–we covered the training program and race fees.

The key was proving through action that this wasn’t a corporate manipulation tactic.

When people saw coworkers actually achieving personal dreams with company support, and zero strings attached, resistance dropped to almost nothing.

Now it’s one of our most valued benefits, but only because we gave up control and made it genuinely about them, not us.

Fund Dreams, Resistance Vanishes

Pleasant Lewis
Owner, Fitness CF

I’ve been running fitness centers in Florida for over 40 years, so I’ve seen my share of policy pushback.

The one that gets the most resistance? Mandatory customer feedback collection after every member interaction.

My front desk staff and trainers initially hated it because they felt like they were being constantly watched and judged.

They’d say “I already know my members are happy, why do we need another survey?”

But when we implemented our Medallia feedback system across Fitness CF locations, we found members were reporting issues staff assumed were fine–like equipment wait times during peak hours or confusing class schedules.

I sat down with the team and showed them real member comments where someone said “I almost cancelled, but then Sarah helped me find morning classes that fit my schedule.”

Suddenly they realized feedback wasn’t about catching mistakes–it was about celebrating wins and spotting problems before members walk out the door.

Our retention jumped because we could fix things in real-time instead of wondering why people didn’t renew.

The key was reframing it from “Big Brother watching” to “here’s proof your work matters.”

When a trainer sees a member specifically mention them in positive feedback, that changes everything.

Now my staff asks members to fill out surveys because they want that recognition.

Feedback Becomes Paycheck Proof

Brooks Humphreys
Founder, 614 HomeBuyers

People complain the most about attendance policies that mess with their flexible schedules.

At least around here. From our time in real estate, we learned that if you give people autonomy with clear expectations, you get fewer problems and they seem more into it.

My advice? Explain why the policy exists, then ask for their input. It almost always leads to a solution everyone can live with.

Flexible Schedules Beat Rigid Attendance Rules

Matthew Runyon
Partner, EMC Remodeling

I run a family roofing and remodeling company in Temple, TX, and honestly, the policy that gets the most pushback isn’t what you’d expect–it’s our mandatory 24-hour response acknowledgment for emergency calls, even on weekends. My guys hated it at first because they felt like they could never fully disconnect.

The real issue was they thought “acknowledgment” meant immediate dispatch.

I fixed the resistance by being crystal clear: acknowledge within an hour, but actual emergency work gets assigned by rotation and severity.

We track it simply–a quick text saying “Got it, evaluating now” counts. Since making that change, our complaint rate dropped to almost zero because the crew realized it’s 30 seconds of their time, not their whole weekend.

What made it stick was showing them our Google reviews. Before the policy, we had angry customers posting about “no one picking up during storms.” After? Our reviews jumped from 4.2 to 4.8 stars in six months, and I tied a quarterly bonus directly to maintaining that rating.

Suddenly everyone was fast on responses because it literally showed up in their paychecks.

The pattern I’ve seen: people resist policies when the “why” feels like it only benefits the company.

Link it to something they personally win from–reputation, tips, bonuses, fewer angry customer interactions–and resistance turns into buy-in fast.

Quick Texts Save Weekend Peace

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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After the Party Ends

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After the Party Ends: Guidance for handling unwanted sexual behaviours at the Christmas party

By Dr Enya Doyle (The Harassment Doctor™)

The company end of year “Christmas” party is supposed to be a time for celebration and connection; a chance for colleagues to unwind and enjoy each other’s company outside the pressures of daily work. Sounds idyllic. Nowadays, though, the work Christmas party has become synonymous with drunken disorder and unwanted sexual conduct in many organisations. And for HR leaders, that means the festive season often brings a spike in reports of unwanted sexual behaviours.

In many ways, investigating reports of sexual harm doesn’t change because it’s Christmas. But it’s fair to say that the context often makes it far more complicated. During holiday gatherings, when employees are in a more relaxed and celebratory state after what has been for many companies a challenging year, the potential for harm and organisational pressure seems to rise. These incidents have become so normalised at festive events that there can be added pressure, scrutiny, and emotion surrounding any subsequent investigation.

It’s likely too late for you to consider radical reframes of your company’s event this year which might make it safer going forward (alcohol-free, daytime, on site etc.). So, instead I’m sharing with you a couple of parts of the conversation I have most often with leaders in January. Because how you respond in those first hours and days matters. Not just for the individuals involved, but for the trust, safety, and culture of your entire organisation. Employees, especially vulnerable ones, are watching closely: Will you take concerns seriously? Do you act with care and consistency? Do you uphold your values even when it feels uncomfortable? When everyone’s tired? …or do you just shrug it off as an inevitable risk of having work parties?

A transparent, people-centred, timely and fair approach isn’t simply ‘best practice’, then – it’s a signal of what your organisation stands for all year round. Bearing that in mind, here are some reminders or reframes for you to bookmark:

How sure are you that your processes are trauma-informed in practice not just on paper?

It’s important that you respect the autonomy and agency of the person who has reported harm throughout. Don’t tell anyone in the organisation who doesn’t absolutely need to know, without their consent (e.g. their line manager, or someone who is managing a project they’re currently on).

When considering putting proportionate interim measures in place, we’re focusing on the impact on the vulnerable person(s), rather than any intent at this stage. You should of course communicate that any measures are not necessarily permanent or going to be used as evidence of ‘guilt’ in the investigation process, for everyone’s sake. Keep communication grounded (but not vague), calm and consistent. Everyone involved (including any witnesses, where relevant) should get signposting towards help including but not limited to your EAP, MHFAs, and importantly to relevant local/national helplines.

Being trauma-informed is a practice not a theory


At the end of the investigation, will people say that it felt like a maze to navigate?

Providing clear information about the investigation process, expected timelines, and who will be involved is the easiest win. Opacity breeds mistrust and speculation. You can work backwards with the people involved – reporting and reported person(s), witness(es) – in terms of potential outcomes of the investigation, how many meetings they’re likely to have and what the purposes of those meetings will be. Providing clarity and welcoming anyone involved to bring a supportive person with them to these conversations is important.

I really recommend that you take time to outline early that an outcome of not founded doesn’t mean malicious. In sexual misconduct cases, this is paramount given how prevalent the myth around false reports is. Even if the outcome isn’t a positive one for the reporting person(s), they shouldn’t feel like the investigation process retraumatised them or made it worse.

It’s always worth reminding people that they can withdraw their report at any time, and they don’t have to go through with the investigation – but be careful that it doesn’t sound like you’re coercing them to rescind the report because you’re busy or because it’s Christmas.

Be transparent from the outset

Does your policy allow for flexibility at high intensity times of the year?

Start the investigation promptly if you’re able to: secure evidence (which in 2025/2026 includes photos, screenshots and any online evidence like apologies sent via text or Slack), schedule interviews, and set realistic timelines for your organisation and the time of year. If you’ve got zero time before everyone is on mandatory break, then say that. Show awareness that it’s a high stress period of the year for them too and recognise the impact of this being unresolved over the break (if that’s the case). Timeliness shows seriousness and reduces stress for all parties. Nobody wants to be part of an investigation that should have been completed weeks or months ago. At the same time, no-one wants to be part of a botch investigation because it happened at the wrong time of the year.

Act quickly, without rushing


Even if they don’t like the outcome, will they say the investigation was done fairly?


Ensure the internal investigator is a good person to do it – they should be trained in investigations, preferably in ones that involve sexual harm, and they shouldn’t be a witness or a line manager of anyone involved. When we’re under the quash at high intensity periods, best practice can fly out the window. It’s important that each party is treated with the same care. The investigator should feel able to apply policies consistently (so they should understand them!) and avoid hierarchy or social dynamics to dictate the outcome.

If you’ve got checklists and processes for investigating, this is where they come into their own. If you don’t, put that on the to do list for January 2026.

Maintain fairness as your foundation

If everyone seems to know about it, what signal does it send when leadership say nothing about it?

So many investigations of sexual harm in the workplace do not involve witnesses. Your Christmas party is likely to be one of the only times where there might be witnesses, or where a colleague is told almost immediately after it happens. If this was witnessed or discussed publicly at the Christmas party, you’ve got a secondary issue to manage here. And this becomes an important opportunity to show awareness that it is likely that other members of your team will have experienced unwanted sexual behaviours – that this is not an abstract issue.

Employees notice how leaders respond to harm. This is where your awareness of whether you’ve got a gossip culture comes into its own. How you handle a situation that everyone knows about is objectively more difficult than handling one that is kept confidential. Share only what is necessary (which is usually very little if there are no witnesses or if you don’t have a “everyone knows everything about everyone” culture) but do so in a way that reinforces values like safety, accountability, and respect.

Under these circumstances especially, a well-handled investigation becomes a culture signal, and ultimately a prevention method.

Communicate thoughtfully with the wider organisation or team


About the Author

Dr Enya Doyle (The Harassment Doctor™) is a leading consultant on harassment prevention and workplace culture. Since completing her PhD in 2020, she has partnered with world-renowned brands to dismantle systemic barriers and build workplaces where people are safe, supported, and able to thrive.

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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Correcting the Course: Measures to Improve Employee Conduct

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Correcting the Course: Measures to Improve Employee Conduct

What if the real reason workplace discipline is crumbling isn’t lazy employees—but a leadership vacuum no one wants to name? 

In an era of endless flexibility and fear of confrontation, a quiet epidemic has emerged: rules exist on paper, yet no one believes they’ll be enforced. 

This HR Spotlight asks the question most companies dodge: when accountability feels optional, how do you rebuild it without turning into the villain? 

From daily walkaround inspections to data-tracked operator costs, from frontline CEO hammer-swinging to peer committees reviewing every case, veteran leaders expose the surprisingly simple levers that restored order—often without a single written warning. 

Their answers reveal a provocative truth: discipline doesn’t return through stricter policies; it returns when people see undeniable proof that standards actually matter—and that someone still cares enough to fight for them.

Read on!

Justin Smith
CEO, Contractor+

“Discipline improves when expectations are clear, leadership is consistent, and people feel genuinely supported.”

Employee discipline isn’t just about enforcing rules, it’s about reinforcing a culture where people feel accountable, valued, and aligned with our mission.

HR can take the lead by setting clearer expectations, re-establishing consistent policies, and ensuring managers are trained to address issues early and fairly.

At the same time, we must strengthen employee engagement by recognizing good performance, creating open communication channels, and offering support where discipline issues stem from burnout or unclear guidance.

When people understand what’s expected and feel supported, discipline naturally improves.

The goal isn’t punishment, it’s building a workplace where responsibility, trust, and performance thrive together.

Build Accountability Through Clarity and Support

Justin Carpenter
Founder, Jacksonville Maids

When I managed cleaning crews, things got messy fast if people weren’t sure what their job was or if feedback took forever.

We switched to online checklists and automated performance reviews.

Suddenly, the expectations were clear for everyone to see, and we could spot issues right away.

When HR adds some actual coaching to the mix, people start taking responsibility for their work almost immediately.

Clear Expectations and Automation Boost Responsibility

Aja Chavez
Executive Director, Mission Prep Healthcare

From running healthcare teams, I learned to start by pulling people from different departments into a committee to review discipline cases.

It made sure the rules were applied fairly to everyone, even though it took some time to get right.

I also noticed most discipline problems stemmed from burnout, so we began simple things like regular check-ins and stress workshops to deal with the actual source of the issues.

Fair Review Committees Address Burnout Sources

Joshua McAfee
CEO & Founder, McAfee Institute

I’ve investigated workplace misconduct cases across Fortune 100 companies and trained thousands of law enforcement and military personnel, and here’s what most organizations get wrong: they wait until discipline has already collapsed before addressing the system that allowed it to happen.

When I built Amazon’s Loss Prevention program from scratch, we didn’t start with punishment–we started with documentation standards.

Every single incident required a written report following a specific format: what happened, what evidence exists, what policy was violated, and what the next step is.

This wasn’t busywork. It forced managers to confront whether they actually had a case or just a feeling.

Within six months, we saw frivolous complaints drop by 60% because managers knew they’d have to justify their actions in writing.

The bigger issue is accountability gaps.

I’ve reviewed investigation reports where the same employee had twelve documented violations over two years with zero consequences because each incident was handled by different managers who never communicated.

HR needs a centralized tracking system where patterns become visible.

When we implemented quarterly audits of the top 10% of repeat offenders in one organization, discipline issues dropped dramatically because employees realized someone was actually watching the data.

Here’s the part nobody wants to hear: if discipline has “significantly declined,” your investigation and documentation process is probably broken.

Train your managers on how to write proper incident reports using the active voice and factual language–no emotion, just evidence.

“Employee arrived 47 minutes late” beats “Employee has a bad attitude about punctuality.”

When managers can’t hide behind vague accusations, real accountability starts.

Documentation Standards and Centralized Tracking Restore Accountability

Steve Mlynek
CEO & Founder, HomeBuild Windows Doors & Sliding

I’ve been running HomeBuild in Chicago since 2005, and here’s what turned around our crew discipline when things got sloppy around year three: I started showing up unannounced at job sites.

Not to catch people, but to work alongside them for an hour or two on actual installations.

When I’m out there sealing windows with the crew or helping load materials, two things happen immediately.

First, I see exactly where our training gaps are–like when I noticed three different installers measuring window frames three different ways.

Second, the team remembers that I’ve done every job I’m asking them to do, often in worse conditions than they’re facing.

We implemented what I call “the 2-hour rule” after that.

Every supervisor, including me, spends a minimum of two hours per week doing frontline installation work.

Our callback rate for installation issues dropped from 8% to under 2% within six months because supervisors caught problems in real-time instead of hearing about them in complaint calls.

The money part matters too–we tied quarterly bonuses directly to crew performance metrics like on-time completion and zero-defect installs.

When a crew completes 20 consecutive jobs without callbacks, everyone on that crew gets $500.

Suddenly peer accountability handled most discipline issues before I ever heard about them.

Frontline Presence and Performance Bonuses Drive Results

Sandro Kratz
Founder, Tutorbase

At Tutorbase, we used to just react when discipline problems blew up.

Then we started tracking behavior data, and all of a sudden we could intervene before things got bad.

It felt fairer too, since it wasn’t just someone’s opinion.

My advice is to start tracking, use that data to coach your team, and let everyone see the progress. It actually works.

Track Behavior Data to Intervene Early

Jeffrey J. Miller
President & CEO, Kelbe Brothers Equipment

I run a fourth-generation equipment company in Wisconsin, and I’ve learned that discipline problems in construction operations usually trace back to accountability systems, not people.

When we took over leadership during industry transition, we found that clear documentation and measurement fixed most issues faster than any HR policy.

We implemented daily walkaround inspection protocols where operators had to physically check and document equipment conditions before use.

The game-changer wasn’t the inspections themselves–it was that everyone knew their work was being tracked and measured.

When operators see their inspection records compared against equipment downtime costs, behavior changes fast because the consequences become real and visible.

The most effective thing we did was tie individual performance to measurable outcomes.

We started tracking undercarriage wear patterns and maintenance costs by operator, then rotating equipment to identify who was actually following best practices versus who was cutting corners.

When one operator’s machines consistently needed repairs at 30% higher rates, the data made the conversation straightforward–no HR drama needed, just facts about cost per hour.

What surprised me was how much discipline improved when we gave people ownership of specific metrics.

Operators who previously ignored maintenance suddenly cared when they could see their fuel consumption numbers or repair costs compared to the team average.

Make the impact of poor discipline visible in dollars and equipment lifespan, and most people fix themselves.

Measurable Outcomes and Ownership Fix Discipline

Flavia Estrada
Business Owner, Co-Wear LLC

In a workplace where employee discipline has collapsed, the standard HR reaction is usually just to write more rules and hand out more warnings.

That completely misses the point. Discipline problems are usually symptoms of a failing system, not failing people.

The first measure HR must implement is a Culture of Relentless Clarity.

The action needed is a complete overhaul of expectations.

This means stopping the vague performance conversations and replacing them with clearly documented, specific behavioral metrics tied to core business goals.

If the problem is consistently late shipments, the metric isn’t “be on time”; it’s “ensure zero shipment errors before the 3:00 PM cutoff.”

Clarity stops people from being able to rationalize poor performance.

This shift works because it makes accountability objective, not personal.

When discipline issues arise, the conversation stops being a painful argument about effort and starts being a factual audit of process failure.

HR’s job becomes the enforcement of the documented system, not the judgment of the person.

This focuses everyone on shared competence, not punishment, which is the only way to genuinely restore order.

Replace Vague Rules With Specific Behavioral Metrics

Yoan Amselem
Managing Director, German Cultural Association of Hong Kong

Managing teams in schools taught me something simple.

We ditched the long policy documents and started holding ten-minute check-ins every Friday.

Anyone could bring up what was bugging them, big or small.

Suddenly, people knew exactly where they stood and started taking ownership of their work without me having to push.

Weekly Check-Ins Create Ownership and Clarity

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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Policy Pushback: Why Employees Resist and How Leaders Should Respond

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Policy Pushback: Why Employees Resist and How Leaders Should Respond

HR policies often spark resistance, from mandatory meetings to time tracking, eroding morale despite good intent. 

This HR Spotlight article compiles insights from business leaders and HR professionals on the most contested policy and how to counter pushback. 

Experts highlight documentation demands, on-call duties, and rigid leave rules as top friction points, recommending transparency, data-driven proof, and employee involvement to align policies with realities. 

By linking rules to personal gains like higher pay or trust, and modeling compliance, leaders turn resistance into buy-in. 

In 2025’s hybrid era, these strategies foster ownership, boosting engagement 18-30% and retention without sacrificing standards.

Read on!

Amy Mosset
CEO, Interactive Counselling

Running a team of therapists, I found mandatory meetings were a constant battle. Everyone’s client schedule is different.

Once I let go of fixed times and moved to async updates, the groaning stopped. The best move was letting the team vote on core meeting hours themselves.

Listening to their real complaints and actually changing the policy made all the difference in whether they showed up ready to work.

Async Updates End Meeting Gripes

Mike Townsend
Chief Visionary Officer, Veteran Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric

The biggest pushback I’ve gotten is around structured post-job documentation.

My techs would finish a furnace repair or plumbing job and want to move straight to the next call, but I required them to spend 10 minutes photographing their work and logging details in our system.
Guys with 15+ years in the field saw it as bureaucratic nonsense that cut into their productivity.

I flipped the script by showing them our warranty data. In Q3 2023, we had seven callbacks where customers claimed we didn’t complete work we’d actually done.

Without photo evidence, we ate the cost of return trips–around $340 per callback in lost labor.

The moment I showed them we were losing $2,380 in a single quarter because we couldn’t prove our work, they got it.

Now our team uses it as a selling tool. When a homeowner questions a repair recommendation, our techs pull up photos from similar jobs showing exactly what failure looks like.

One of our electricians used documented photos from a panel upgrade to help a Parker homeowner understand why their insurance required the work–closed a $4,800 job on the spot because trust was already built through transparency.

The resistance disappeared when documentation became their shield, not my requirement.

Data Proof Wins Documentation Buy-In

Lawrence Irby
President, Bay Area House Buyer

My team always hated having to wear safety gear for inspections. I saw this pushback at two different companies.

But when I brought the gear in for them to try on and told stories about accidents I’d seen, that’s when it clicked.

People will wear equipment that’s comfortable and doesn’t get in the way. Long memos never worked.

Comfort Gear Reduces Safety Pushback

Peter Kim
Owner, Odigo Real Estate Club

Real estate agents at ODIGO Realty always complain about lead distribution. They think it’s rigged for senior agents.

Here’s what worked for us: we made the whole process visible.

We either use a simple rotation algorithm or let agents claim neighborhoods they know best.

When agents can see exactly how leads get assigned and why, they stop complaining and focus on selling.

Transparent Leads Calm Agent Complaints

Mike Wislinsky
Owner & President, Denver Floor Coatings

I’ve managed teams of 100+ at 3M and run multiple businesses since 2004, so I’ve seen plenty of HR policies that create friction.

The one that consistently gets the most pushback? Requiring detailed time tracking and project documentation from skilled tradespeople and technicians.

At my previous business, our installers absolutely hated filling out detailed job reports after every project.

They’re craftsmen who want to focus on the work, not paperwork.

We were losing 30-45 minutes per job just on documentation resistance–guys would sit in their trucks delaying it, or rush through and give us garbage data we couldn’t use for estimating future jobs.

I fixed it by showing them their own money. I pulled our profitability data and showed the crew that detailed job reports let us quote more accurately, which meant we won more bids at better margins.

Better margins meant I could pay them more–our average installer compensation went up 18% once we had solid data to price jobs correctly.

Suddenly the same guys who fought me on paperwork were texting me photos and notes from job sites without being asked.

The key was connecting the annoying policy directly to their bank account, not just company goals.

Nobody cares about “operational efficiency” but everyone cares about take-home pay. I made the math visible and let them see how their 15 minutes of documentation was earning them real money.

Pay Links Ease Paperwork Resistance

JP Moses
President & Director of Content, Awesomely

My teams were always skeptical of unlimited PTO, worried it would look bad to use it.

Things changed when we started tracking days off and managers began taking vacations first.

People finally started taking breaks. Just giving the policy doesn’t work.

Leaders have to actually use it and make it normal.

Leaders Model Unlimited PTO Usage

Yoan Amselem
Managing Director, German Cultural Association of Hong Kong

Teachers especially hate rigid leave policies. We had a strict sick day rule that everyone fought until we let educators cover for each other’s classes.

If you want people to follow a policy, get them involved in writing it.

They’ll come up with practical solutions that actually work on the ground, and they’ll be more likely to stick to them.

Co-Created Leave Rules Gain Traction

Mack Blair
Owner, Blair & Norris

I’ve grown Blair & Norris from a one-truck operation to a multi-million-dollar well drilling and septic company over 30 years, so I’ve dealt with plenty of policy resistance–especially in a 24/7 emergency service business where guys want flexibility.

The biggest pushback I get is on mandatory after-hours phone availability.

Nobody wants to be on call when they’re off the clock, especially our senior techs who’ve earned their stripes.

But when you run wells and septic systems, a failure at 2 AM can flood someone’s basement or leave them without water–I can’t just tell customers to wait until Monday.

I fixed it by rotating the on-call schedule fairly and paying a flat daily stipend whether they get called or not–not just hourly when the phone rings.

Guys stopped complaining when they realized they were getting paid $75 just to carry the phone on a quiet Tuesday, and our response times stayed under 90 minutes.

The real breakthrough was when I started taking rotation shifts myself–when the owner’s phone rings at 3 AM too, suddenly it doesn’t feel like you’re dumping on your crew.

The key was making it both fair and financially worth their time.

People will accept tough policies if they see you’re in it with them and compensating them properly, not just demanding sacrifice while you sleep.

Stipends, Fair Rotation Soften On-Call

Joe Davies
CEO, Fatjoe

Leading a remote SEO team, I’ve found that tracking hours is the fastest way to kill morale.

We stopped counting hours and started looking at the work getting done instead. Team engagement went up and the constant friction with management just disappeared. Set clear expectations for what needs to be delivered, then trust people to do it.

If you’re facing resistance, start with an honest conversation about results, not hours.

Outcome Focus Replaces Hour Tracking

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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