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.
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.
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.
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.
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