If you’ve searched for talent—or searched for a job—over the past few years, you’ve likely encountered the rise of ghost jobs. These are roles posted publicly that are not actually open, budgeted, or approved. And they’re not rare. Year over year, millions more jobs are advertised than are ever filled, leaving job seekers confused, disappointed, and increasingly skeptical of employers.
Ghost jobs are not simply a nuisance. They come with real consequences for employer brand, culture, and the trust employees place in HR. As talent markets tighten and reputations become easier to scrutinize, leaders can no longer afford to treat job postings as mere speculation or hope.
How Ghost Jobs Happen—Often with Good Intentions
Most organizations do not set out to intentionally mislead candidates. Ghost jobs typically emerge from a mix of internal pressures, operational challenges, and wishful thinking. Common scenarios include:
Pipeline building without an actual vacancy.
Recruiting teams may post roles to build a candidate pool in anticipation of future needs, even though a budget or headcount approval has not been secured.
Hiring managers are hoping for relief.
Leaders overwhelmed by workload may push to “get a posting up” just in case funding comes faster than expected.
HR wants to show progress.
In some environments, HR departments are evaluated on visible hiring activity. Posting roles—whether active or not—creates the impression of forward motion.
Trying to keep bench talent warm.
Organizations anticipating growth or potential project wins sometimes feel pressure to maintain a “ready bench,” even if the timing is unclear.
While each of these situations has understandable drivers, the results are often damaging. What feels small or harmless internally creates a ripple effect externally that leaders often fail to anticipate.
A Firsthand Lesson: Ending Ghost Job Practices
When I joined my previous company as CHRO, ghost job postings were common practice. Roles were placed on job boards simply to see what talent was available or “just in case” a big contract came through. Some positions remained posted for months, sometimes indefinitely—even though the team had no real intention of hiring for them.
I stopped the practice immediately.
From my perspective, if a job remains open with no progress and no hire, candidates begin to question the organization’s stability, culture, or management. They wonder: Why can’t this company fill a role? What’s wrong with the job or the environment?
Beyond that, posting roles we had no intention of filling was sending the wrong signal to our own people. It implied a level of growth that wasn’t real. It communicated that leadership was not being transparent. And it created false hope for current employees who thought help might be on the way.
Ghost jobs may seem like a small internal workaround, but they erode credibility quickly.
The Cultural Damage Ghost Jobs Create
Organizations often underestimate the cultural implications of posting roles that aren’t real. The consequences extend far beyond candidate frustration.
Loss of trust with job seekers.
Candidates invest time and emotional energy into applying. When they notice patterns, such as jobs posted endlessly, roles with no updates, or applications that never move, they lose trust not only in one company but in the hiring process in general. This perception spreads quickly in online communities and professional networks.
Damage to the employer brand.
A job posting is one of the most public pieces of messaging a company sends out. When a job sits idle or appears repeatedly, it signals instability or dysfunction. Candidates begin to assume turnover is high, the role is poorly defined, or leadership is indecisive.
Internal morale issues.
Employees see job postings, too. When they believe resources are coming, only for nothing to change, frustration grows. Teams feel undervalued, unheard, or misled. Leaders may unintentionally seed disengagement simply by leaving unrealistic postings active.
Weakened HR credibility.
When HR professionals allow ghost jobs to linger, they lose authority and influence. HR works best when it is a trusted advisor, not when employees view it as participating in optics or misdirection.
Misalignment with organizational values.
Most companies articulate values such as integrity, transparency, and respect. Ghost jobs undermine every one of them. If organizations want employees to trust leadership, that trust must be modeled in even the smallest actions, including job postings.
Practical Strategies to Eliminate Ghost Jobs
The good news is that ghost jobs can be eliminated with intentional structure and discipline. HR leaders can implement the following practices to strengthen trust and accountability across the organization.
Require clear approval before posting any job.
A job should not be posted unless headcount, budget, and timing are confirmed. If a role is tied to a project that hasn’t been approved, do not post it.
Establish posting expiration dates.
Set a maximum timeframe for open roles—such as 45 or 60 days—after which postings must be reviewed, updated, or closed. This prevents positions from lingering indefinitely.
Label future-pipeline roles honestly.
If a company genuinely wants to build a pipeline for future openings, consider a clearly labeled “Talent Community” posting rather than a specific job. Transparency and honesty prevent ethical concerns.
Partner with hiring managers to manage expectations.
Help leaders understand why speculative postings harm the brand. Coach them to plan workforce needs proactively rather than reactively.
Monitor job board data regularly.
Recruiting teams should track how long jobs stay open and where there may be repeated postings without hires. Trends will reveal operational gaps or communication issues.
Communicate internally about active vs. planned roles.
Employees deserve clarity. Regular workforce planning updates help ensure that job postings align with reality rather than intention.
The Bottom Line: Every Job Posting Sends a Message
A job posting is not just an administrative task; it’s a promise. It signals opportunity, growth, and intention. When companies post roles that are not real, they break that promise. In an era when trust is a currency, organizations cannot afford to squander it.
Ghost jobs may seem like a convenience, a hopeful gesture, or a harmless tactic. But the damage they cause, internally and externally, is far too costly. HR leaders play a central role in correcting this practice, setting clear standards, and championing transparency.
When we commit to posting only real roles, with real timelines and real intentions, we reinforce the foundation of trust that every strong culture depends on.
Michele Herlein is the author of “Cultural Excellence: A Leader’s Guide to Strengthening the Heart of Your Organization.” She is the founder of CultureMax, a consultancy that helps organizations align their culture and strategy, and a former senior HR leader at Bridgestone Americas and Barge Design Solutions. Michele has led cultural transformations that quadrupled profits at Bridgestone and increased profitability sevenfold at Barge. She holds a doctorate in business administration and has built her career on inspiring leaders to create thriving workplaces where people feel valued and organizations succeed.