Menu

HRStrategy

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

by

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.

Recent Posts

Discover the latest HR Tips and trends with our weekly newsletters!

80% Employees Report A Positive Experience With AI At Work. How Can HR Build On That?

by

80% Employees Report A Positive Experience With AI At Work. How Can HR Build On That?

By Mary Rizzuti, Partner at EisnerAmper

As the use cases for artificial intelligence in the workplace have multiplied, so have questions about how organizations can use this technology most effectively. A recent survey by EisnerAmper of 1,000 employees across a range of industries, who have used AI at work in the past year, found that 80% reported a “positive” experience. Furthermore, 64% of the employees said they are using the time saved through AI to do more work – confirming the potential of the technology to automate and accelerate repetitive tasks, while freeing users to focus on higher-value activities.

And yet, it is not clear that the majority of employers are building on these positive outcomes to maximize the benefits of AI platforms. Let’s look at some key reasons why this is the case – and what HR professionals can do about it.

One challenge is that a sizeable number of employees, 27%, claim they don’t know who is leading the AI efforts at their company. This “leadership vacuum” implies that employers could be doing more to actively encourage the use of AI, and to focus on its most relevant and productive applications.

Another obstacle to the wider adoption of AI is its underutilization in onboarding. Fewer than 20% of the survey respondents said their organizations use AI for onboarding. Yet, nearly 92% of employees who did experience AI during onboarding described the process as “very positive” or “somewhat positive”. This disconnect suggests that employees might be more comfortable using AI – and using it in ways most beneficial to their employers – if they experienced the technology from the “get go” at onboarding time.

Employees Outpace Employers in AI Adoption

There are a number of other complications related to the use of AI in a corporate environment. One of the most significant issues is whether the company plans to employ internally developed AI systems, or adopt off-the-shelf products. Employees need clear direction on what the corporate policy is in this case, and whether the use of externally sourced AI programs is permissible.

Last, but certainly not least, employees need to have greater clarity about the implications of AI for their jobs, in order to alleviate concerns and foster more “buy-in”. More than half of the employees surveyed (almost 52%) were “strongly” or “somewhat” concerned about potential job changes or displacement due to AI. And 74% said that “people should be compensated” for their AI experience and skill.

Clear Direction Needed from Company Leaders

Given the findings noted above, organizations should consider the following actions:
We strongly advise companies to establish a Steering Committee to take the lead in AI adoption. Ideally, the Steering Committee would consist of members from across the organization, representing a range of responsibilities and functional capacities. It is important to include employees at different levels of seniority, not just senior executives, as newer team members are more likely to be active users of AI.


– The Steering Committee should assess all the ways that AI may be (or is already) applied to the company’s operations and develop an appropriate deployment strategy, including clear priorities. For example, is AI being used for internal functions, such as an HR chatbot, or in external-facing roles, such as customer service, among other uses? Understanding how employees “on the ground” are utilizing these systems will be essential to adopting an effective AI strategy.


– Apply AI more broadly to the onboarding process so employees “get the message” early on that it is intrinsic to the organization. One caveat, however, is that the AI-driven onboarding process should not take place in a vacuum. Use of AI during onboarding will be most beneficial if the company is truly committed to and delivers on the use of artificial intelligence on an ongoing basis.


– Once the Steering Committee has established the AI strategy and top priorities, leadership needs to frankly assess the impact on employees. While some functions will likely be replaced by AI systems, there may be opportunities for upskilling some employees or shifting some team members to other areas. Over the long term, it will be important to implement clear processes for transitioning employees who AI displaces.


– As for whether or how to compensate employees who acquire advanced AI skills, an increase in base pay is probably not the best option, as it may lead to long-term structural salary inflation. A better solution might be a spot bonus or stipend, which would incentivize AI mastery without up-ending pay scales.


– As with all change, clear, consistent communication is key to managing concerns, encouraging engagement and acceptance, and soliciting input for continued improvement.

The above observations show that, in many cases, employees are actually ahead of their employers in unlocking the value of artificial intelligence. To realize AI’s vast potential, organizations would be well-advised to take a more strategic and intentional approach to deploying the technology in the workplace.

Assess, Prioritize and Communicate

Mary Rizzuti is a Partner at EisnerAmper and Practice Leader of HR Advisory and Outsourcing and Compensation Resources. With over 25 years of experience in compensation and human resources consulting, Mary has gained significant expertise in evaluating, designing, and developing creative compensation and human resources programs across all industries and business sectors.

Mary coordinates and executes business development initiatives while building strong working relationships with clients and strategic partners. With extensive experience within the not-for-profit and private company sectors, Mary provides clients with comprehensive consulting in executive compensation, salary administration, sales compensation, and performance management. Also included in her scope of expertise is interpreting market data and providing guidance to senior leadership and boards of directors on applying best practices and aligning market data to each company’s unique environment.

About Mary Rizzuti

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.

Recent Posts

Discover the latest HR Tips and trends with our weekly newsletters!

Ghost Jobs Decoded: Unexpected Drivers in Today’s Hiring Game

by

Ghost Jobs Decoded: Unexpected Drivers in Today’s Hiring Game

Job searching is already challenging, but “ghost jobs”—listings posted without real hiring intent—add a layer of deceit. 

Far beyond building talent pipelines, these postings serve complex, sometimes questionable purposes, like salary benchmarking or internal employee pressure tactics. 

Drawing from frank perspectives of HR experts and business leaders, this HR Spotlight article reveals the hidden motives behind ghost jobs and explores the serious risks they pose to a company’s reputation and the trust of job seekers.

Read on!

Friddy Hoegener
Co-Founder & Head of Recruiting, SCOPE Recruiting

Hidden Motives Behind Corporate Ghost Job Practices

As an HR business lead, beyond the commonly discussed reasons like maintaining candidate pipelines or satisfying internal posting requirements, I’ve observed some less obvious motivations behind ghost job practices in the recruiting industry.

Companies frequently post positions to gauge salary expectations in competitive markets.

When organizations are considering expanding into new geographic areas or skill sets, fake job postings help them understand what compensation levels they’d need to offer without committing to actual hires.

Another uncommon driver involves competitive intelligence gathering. Some companies post attractive roles to see which competitors’ employees respond, providing insights into rival organizations’ retention challenges and workforce stability. This information becomes valuable for strategic planning and market positioning.

I’ve also noticed ghost jobs being used to test internal promotion readiness. Organizations post external roles to see if current employees apply, revealing who might be considering departure and helping identify internal candidates for future advancement opportunities.

Some companies use ghost postings to justify budget requests for hiring. When executives see hundreds of applications for non-existent roles, it supports arguments for increased headcount or higher salary ranges in subsequent budget discussions.

The practice reflects deeper organizational planning processes rather than deliberate candidate deception. However, it wastes candidates’ time and damages employer brand reputation when people discover the truth.

Transparent communication about hiring timelines and actual needs serves everyone better than these indirect intelligence-gathering methods.

Arvind Rongala
CEO, Edstellar

Reveals Internal Skill Benchmarking Strategy

While it’s often assumed ghost jobs are posted to build a talent pipeline, an uncommon but increasingly relevant reason is internal benchmarking.

Some companies post roles publicly to gauge the market value of skills they already have in-house, helping HR teams justify salary adjustments or training investments.

For example, if job postings attract candidates with higher-level skills or certifications, it can prompt leadership to upskill existing teams rather than hire externally.

In this context, corporate training becomes a strategic alternative to recruitment, aligning workforce capabilities with evolving business needs.

Blake Beesley
Operations & Technology Manager, Pacific Plumbing Systems

Serves Multiple Strategic Business Purposes

One uncommon reason we’ve seen is pipeline protection companies post ghost jobs to have backup candidates ready in case someone quits or underperforms, especially in hard to fill roles.

Another is internal leverage: some managers use fake openings to pressure current staff to take promotions or work harder, creating a false sense of competition.

In a few cases, jobs are posted to gather market salary data or gauge interest in a potential expansion that hasn’t been approved yet. While not always malicious, it wastes candidates’ time and erodes trust.
If a role isn’t real, don’t post it transparency matters.

Guillermo Triana
Founder & CEO, PEO-Marketplace.com

Pressures Employees, Stall Hiring

Here is something people do not talk about: some companies post fake openings to pressure current employees.

It is like a soft threat, e.g., “your role could be filled.” It sounds shady, but it happens, especially during budget cuts or performance dips. Nobody says it outright, but when three people on a team spot their job posted publicly, morale tanks. It is a passive-aggressive tactic used to spark urgency without having the guts to confront issues head-on.

Then you have the internal chaos side. Some roles are posted without real intent to hire because teams are waiting on budget approval, but recruiting gets told to move anyway. It is a stall tactic. Post first, decide later.

Sometimes it is just a placeholder to keep a role “active” in the system. Basically, no plan, just bureaucracy in motion. Meanwhile, candidates waste time applying to something that does not exist.

Lacey Kaelani
CEO, Metaintro

Ghost Jobs: Hidden Motives Beyond Hiring

Beyond the obvious “keeping options open for good talent,” we’re tracking more subtle motivations.

Because a lot of the major job boards don’t source check, we see companies every day taking advantage of free traffic.

For instance, a few weeks ago, we saw a company post over 600K jobs on a major job board that drew traffic to their site – and who knows if those jobs were real.

In addition to this, we can assume employers post ghost jobs for AI training data collection., competitive intelligence gathering and even, perhaps, employee retention psychology.

Leah Miller
Marketing Strategist, Versys Media

Signals Growth, Benchmark Talent

One less obvious reason some companies post ghost jobs is purely strategic. I’ve seen organizations use them as a way to signal projected growth to investors or stakeholders.

Posting open roles they don’t intend to fill quickly can give the impression of scaling up, even when resources aren’t quite there yet.

Another reason is internal benchmarking; a company may want to see what kind of talent or salary expectations are out there without having to commit to hiring.

We once worked with a tech platform that listed roles just to test how its employer brand was landing compared to competitors. It wasn’t done maliciously, but from the candidate’s perspective, it still erodes trust.

Wendy Sellers
HR, The HR Lady

Ghost Jobs Hurt Brand, Morale, Productivity

That 40% figure is troubling. Beyond the usual “pipeline building,” some managers post phantom roles to signal growth to investors or customers, to satisfy headcount optics before budgets are set, to test pay ranges or locations without committing, to hedge for pending contracts, or to appease leaders who equate open reqs with influence. It’s a bad practice.

Candidates notice and your brand takes the hit; current employees see the listings and assume they’re being replaced, which drags morale, productivity and retention.

It’s also a waste of money and time—recruiting and ads are expensive, and every hour spent screening for a non-job is an hour stolen from real workforce planning.

Do better: be transparent about hiring status, build talent communities, and only post when funding and approvals are real.

Gregory Shein
CEO, Nomadic Soft

A Bet On Uncertainty

Posting “ghost jobs” may seem deceptive, but some less-discussed motivations come from operational uncertainty rather than ill intent.

In fast-moving sectors like tech and FinTech, companies sometimes post roles preemptively anticipating funding rounds, contract wins, or internal restructures that haven’t been finalized.

It’s a way to gauge market talent and keep a candidate pipeline warm.

Another overlooked reason is employer branding. Active listings can falsely signal growth or stability to investors, clients, or even competitors. While I understand the strategic logic, it’s a practice that erodes trust in the long term.

Transparency should always take precedence over short-term optics.

Calin Oancea
Founder, Nature and Sustainability

Ghost Jobs Benchmark Salaries and Talent

Having hired over 30 people and freelancers in my company and projects and having consulted with multiple HR teams during hiring booms, I’ve seen how these so-called “ghost jobs” serve hidden strategic purposes.

I regularly collaborate with companies that are refining their growth projections. One less-discussed driver is the desire to measure labor market trends or competitors’ salary expectations; some managers post roles purely to benchmark talent pools and adjust internal plans.

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.

Recent Posts

Why Post Fake Jobs? Ghost Job Motives That Will Surprise You

by

Why Post Fake Jobs? Ghost Job Motives That Will Surprise You

Job hunting has always had its frustrations, but a new, more deceptive trend is making the process even harder: the “ghost job.”

These are listings that look perfectly real but are posted without any genuine intent to hire.

While many assume companies are just building a talent pipeline, the real story is far more complex and, at times, ethically questionable.

The motivations for posting ghost jobs run deep, from strategic maneuvers like benchmarking salaries to internal tactics aimed at pressuring employees.

This HR Spotlight article gathers candid insights from a panel of business leaders and HR professionals.

It pulls back the curtain on the unspoken reasons organizations use this practice and examines the significant risks these tactics pose to a company’s brand reputation and the crucial trust of potential candidates.

Read on!

Philip Ruffini
Co-Founder, Hire Overseas

A Strategic Market Research Tool

Beyond the usual reasons like building a talent pipeline or keeping up appearances, there are some less-discussed drivers behind “ghost jobs.”

In some cases, companies post roles to benchmark salaries and skills in the market, using applicant data to inform future hiring decisions without the immediate intent to hire.

Others do it to appease internal stakeholders—for example, showing a department they’re “addressing” workload concerns, even if there’s no budget approval yet.

Another uncommon reason is testing employer brand visibility—using postings to see how attractive their job descriptions are, how many applications they draw, and which channels perform best.

While these reasons can be strategic, they risk damaging trust with candidates if transparency isn’t maintained, making it a short-term tactic with long-term reputation costs.

Ahmad Faiz
Owner, Achilles Roofing & Exteriors

Testing the Current Talent Pool

In my experience running Achilles Roofing and Exterior, one uncommon but real reason some hiring managers post “ghost jobs” is to test the current talent pool without actually being ready to hire.

I’ve seen it especially in construction and trades. Sometimes you’re on the fence—you’ve got a couple of big jobs possibly closing, and you’re not sure if you’re going to need more guys on the crew next month. So, what do you do? You put out a job post just to see what kind of skills are floating around out there.

Another reason—and it might ruffle some feathers—is to send a message internally.

Sometimes the team’s performance is slipping, morale is low, or one guy thinks he’s untouchable. Management drops a job post not because they want to replace anyone yet, but to let folks know, “Hey, you’re not irreplaceable.” It’s a pressure tactic. Not the cleanest move, but I’ve seen it done in construction circles.

And let’s be honest—some posts are to make it look like the business is booming. It keeps up the appearance of growth. For some, especially those trying to get funding or close a big client deal, the image of “we’re expanding” matters more than the actual hire.

At Achilles Roofing, I don’t play that game. If I post a job, it’s because I’ve got real work lined up and I need real people to get it done. Wasting someone’s time when they’re out there trying to feed their family? That’s not how we do business.

Oliver Morrisey
Founder, Empower Wills & Estate Lawyers

Strategic, Legal Purposes

I have often seen postings that are utilized to create a defense in future employment disputes. The Australian unfair dismissal law applied that a business purporting to provide genuine redundancy would have to show genuine efforts to redeploy. The story can then be supported with a 90-day stream of ads, which can save more than 15 thousand dollars in settlement and legal costs on a single claim.

Moreover, I also see advertisements that are put out to meet the labor market testing requirements on visas even though an internal hire is known. Some groups will release during due diligence as a growth signal to shift valuation by 5 to 10 percent. Others will use them to map competitors’ talent pipelines and find two or three target salaries of approximately $120,000 without blowing the game.

Mircea Dima
CEO, CTO, Founder & Software Engineer, AlgoCademy

Stress Testing and Systems Checks

One thing I have witnessed is that ghost jobs are to stress test internal pipelines, particularly in tech.
Others will utilize them to monitor the volume flow through their ATS or how their hiring groups can screen in stressful circumstances.

It is not only to discover talent, but a systems check in the guise of opportunity.

Our learners will frequently apply to positions that do not lead to anything and only realize that the position was on hold or not available anymore even though it is still live on the site.

Such testing may assist the firms to optimize their processes, but it silently undermines the trust of candidates who are in fact trying to enter the industry.

Misty Knight
Human Resource Consultant, Red Clover HR

They Harm Trust, Miss Talent

In my experience, companies will post a job without an actual position for the purpose of creating a pipeline of candidates for future roles.

There may also be circumstances where a job will be posted publicly for compliance purposes, but the plan was always to fill the role with an internal candidate.

Personally I disagree with this approach, it is inconsiderate to the candidate pool which could impact the employer brand. Additionally this strategy could lead a company to overlook an ideal candidate.

Jeffrey A. Hensel
Broker Associate, North Coast Financial

Risking Trust for Strategy

The act of posting ghost jobs is not merely based on the notion of the creation of a talent pipeline or producing an enhanced corporate image. Some of the rather rare drivers are:

Internally satisfying compliance or policy requirements–in some cases there is a need to post jobs publicly even when jobs have been promised to internal applicants.

Measuring the current market in terms of salary demands or candidate quality without any real intention to hire, which assists companies to align in terms of competitive compensation.

Implication of help coming or of their jobs being dispensable may be ways to keep employees alert and motivated, although no hiring is in the offing.

Trial hiring on various job descriptions or outreach text to identify what works best to get the best applicant pools and then dedicating resources to actual hiring.

These can be strategically sound tactics, but can also serve to undermine trust with candidates and employer reputation, a factor I warn clients regarding as a financial advisor. Openness tends to be more effective in the long-term than these less apparent, occasionally ethically dubious, strategies.

Duman Zhumagulov
Owner, Box Star Movers

An Unspoken Strategy Behind the Listings

Companies may make job listings in a very visible marketplace during a supposedly weak hiring climate to appear as if they are growing in technology, attracting fund-raising or M&A interest, or building a competitive advantage by reputation.

Others use ghost listings to stress-test internal teams, comparing how outsiders value the same role for purposes like raises or restructuring.

I’ve seen hiring managers keep posts active simply because they’re unsure about budgets or future departmental needs, and don’t want to lose time once the decision to hire is finalized. Although this may seem misleading, from another angle, ghost posts can be seen as defensive maneuvers in fast-changing industries dealing with uncertainty.

Oryna Shestakova
Head of Communications & Lead of the Research Group, Papers Owl

Masking Strategic, Deceptive Motives

While many ghost job postings stem from pipeline-building or internal policy, there are lesser-known motivations behind this practice.

In some cases, companies post roles to appear as though they’re growing — an effort to attract investors or boost internal morale. Others may use these listings to test the market, gauging interest or salary expectations without committing to hiring.

In rare cases, a ghost job may be posted to frighten current employees into working harder as if to say “Everyone is replaceable.”

I’ve also seen firms leave jobs up to create the illusion of competitiveness, especially during economic slowdowns.

Brett Bennett
Director of Operations, PURCOR Pest Solutions

A Waste of Job Seekers’ Time

I tend to dislike when companies post “ghost jobs,” which is why we don’t. 

I’ve personally talked to a handful of new hires in the past few years who have expressed dealing with these, and I’ve even talked to colleagues at other companies who have expressed that they do in fact post these fake job openings. 

It’s one of those practices that may not be illegal necessarily, but that doesn’t mean it’s not wrong. The job market is so hard for job seekers already – all this does is just waste their time.

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.

Recent Posts

Byline Post

by

May 30, 2025

Scaling XR for Healthcare HR: Unlocking a $250 Billion Future

By Sarah Chen, Chief Executive Officer, HorizonXR Innovations

The extended reality (XR) market is poised to soar to $250 billion by 2028, driven by a 250% surge in search interest over the past five years, according to McKinsey’s 2024 report and Exploding Topics 2025.

As CEO of HorizonXR Innovations, I’ve spent 15 years harnessing XR to transform healthcare, from surgical training to patient care. Yet, a critical challenge persists: 70% of organizations lack the IT infrastructure to scale XR, per Gartner’s 2025 tech trends. For HR leaders in healthcare, XR offers unparalleled opportunities to upskill clinicians, enhance employee well-being, and foster diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Drawing on my experience leading XR deployments for 200+ healthcare providers, I propose a cloud-native, edge-integrated platform as the key to overcoming scalability barriers, empowering HR to shape a resilient workforce in a $70 billion healthcare XR market.

  • XR’s Transformative Power in Healthcare HR

My journey in XR began at Stanford’s HealthTech Lab, developing AR surgical navigation tools, followed by five years leading Microsoft’s HoloLens healthcare initiatives.

At HorizonXR, I’ve overseen XR solutions that redefine HR processes. Our VR training programs have boosted clinician proficiency by 20% and reduced training costs by 30% across 150 hospitals, per our 2024 data. AR wellness apps have improved staff engagement by 25%, addressing the 60% of healthcare workers reporting financial stress, per a 2025 PwC survey.
With 80% of healthcare executives planning XR investments by 2027 (Deloitte 2025), HR is at the forefront of this shift, especially as 65% of medical students now train with VR, per a 2024 AAMC study.

HR’s role is critical amid 2025’s challenges: 61,000 tech layoffs (Times of India 2025), a 4.8 million cybersecurity talent gap (SHRM 2025), and 48% employee burnout post-election (SHRM 2025). XR enables HR to upskill, engage, and retain talent, but only if scalability issues are addressed.

  • The IT Scalability Challenge

Gartner’s 2025 finding that 70% of companies lack XR-ready IT infrastructure resonates in healthcare. HR teams face three hurdles:

Outdated Networks: 60% of hospitals rely on 4G or basic Wi-Fi, per a 2024 FCC study, unable to support XR’s 10-20 Mbps bandwidth needs. This disrupts VR training, where 95% of clinicians demand real-time performance, per our surveys.

Legacy Systems: 55% of hospitals struggle to integrate XR with EHR platforms like Epic, per HIMSS 2024, complicating HR’s ability to track training outcomes.

Processing Gaps: 70% of hospital servers, over five years old (Gartner 2025), can’t handle XR’s 3D rendering, limiting multi-user sessions critical for team training.

These barriers hit smaller and rural facilities hardest, where only 25% have upgraded IT in a decade (HIMSS 2024). With XR deployment costs averaging $500,000-$1 million (IDC 2024) and 5% healthcare inflation (PwC 2025), HR needs cost-effective solutions.

  • A Cloud-Native Solution for HR

To bridge the 70% IT gap, I advocate cloud-native XR platforms with edge computing integration.
By hosting XR applications on AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud and using edge nodes for local processing, HR can deploy training and wellness programs without costly hardware upgrades. This approach:

Cuts Latency: Edge computing reduces lag by 40% (AWS 2024), ensuring seamless VR training for 2,000 concurrent users.

Saves Costs: Cloud platforms slash hardware expenses by 35%, per our 2024 data, with subscriptions starting at $15,000 annually versus $500,000 for on-premises setups.

Ensures Compliance: Edge nodes secure patient data, addressing the 70% of healthcare breaches tied to weak systems (Gartner 2025).

In 2024, we piloted this solution with St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago. Their HR team scaled VR training from 50 to 250 clinicians monthly, saving $750,000 and boosting satisfaction to 97%. A similar pilot with Rural Health Network in Appalachia used AR wellness apps to reduce staff absenteeism by 20% for 500 employees, proving scalability for resource-constrained settings.

These outcomes align with HR’s data-driven focus, as 82% of leaders use analytics for talent management (SHRM 2023).

  • Real-World Impact from My Experience

My 15 years in health tech have taught me that XR’s success hinges on accessibility. At Microsoft, I led HoloLens deployments for 200 hospitals, cutting surgical training time by 25%.

At HorizonXR, I’ve driven cloud-based XR for 200+ providers, navigating HIPAA and legacy IT. Our 2024 Mercy Health partnership scaled XR training, wellness, and DEI programs across 20 facilities, reducing turnover by 18% and saving $1.2 million, with 96% clinician approval.

These results stem from strategic partnerships with cloud providers (65% of healthcare cloud market, Forrester 2024) and open-source frameworks like OpenXR, which cut development costs by 20% (Omdia 2024).

For HR, the ROI is clear: a 3:1 return within 18 months, per our pilots, driven by lower training costs and higher engagement. Subscription models and incremental adoption—starting with low-bandwidth AR tools requiring 5 Mbps—make XR viable for 40% of budget-constrained clinics (HIMSS 2024).

  • The Future of XR for HR

By 2028, healthcare XR will hit $70 billion, growing at a 34% CAGR (Statista 2024). Emerging trends will enhance HR’s impact:

6G Networks: Offering 1ms latency (Nokia 2025), 6G will enable real-time XR training, vital when 75% of hospitals lack 5G (HIMSS 2024).

AI Optimization: AI rendering cuts bandwidth needs by 30% (Nvidia 2024), supporting rural providers serving 20% of U.S. patients (CDC 2024).

Modular Devices: XR headsets, 40% cheaper by 2027 (IDC 2024), will democratize access.
HR must prepare by upskilling staff—50% lack XR skills, per Gartner—with certifications like AWS Cloud Practitioner.

For HR professionals entering XR, focus on cloud architecture (35% demand growth, LinkedIn 2024), Unity-based 3D modeling (60% of XR developer needs), and cybersecurity, with 750,000 U.S. job openings (Cybersecurity Ventures 2025). Bootcamps can train workers in 6-12 months, addressing the 61,000 tech layoffs.

  • A Call to HR Leadership

The $250 billion XR market is a transformative opportunity for healthcare HR. At HorizonXR, we’re proving that cloud-native, edge-integrated platforms can overcome the 70% IT gap, enabling HR to upskill clinicians, boost well-being, and champion DEI.

With 20% of healthcare workers reporting low morale (BrandStoryboard 2025) and 70% of Gen Z valuing inclusion (Oyster 2025), XR is HR’s tool to build resilient, engaged teams.

Let’s shape a future where healthcare thrives through innovative talent strategies.

About the Author

Sarah Chen is CEO of HorizonXR Innovations. With 15 years in health tech, including roles at Stanford HealthTech Lab and Microsoft’s HoloLens team, she pioneers XR solutions that empower HR to transform healthcare training, well-being, and inclusion.

Do you wish to contribute to HR Spotlight? 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 experience and expertise.