JOBS WEBSITE INDEED removes millions of listings every month, globally, to reduce the number of so-called ‘ghost jobs’ advertised on its platform.

Ghost jobs refer to open adverts for applications to positions that do not immediately exist or that have already been filled.

A survey of 1,000 American employers by US-group Clarify Capital found that a third of job listings are for opportunities at companies that are not actively hiring.

Compared to the results of the survey in 2022, the number of ghost jobs has halved in recent years. It is still a scourge for job sites like Indeed, however.

The firm was not able to provide exact data on the number of listings removed in Ireland, but did confirm that it removes “millions of job posts that don’t meet our strict quality standards” every month.

Employers who responded to the American survey said that although they are not actively recruiting, they will keep positions online for a variety of reasons. Most, 57%, said they do so to collect an active pool of candidates for future positions.

Notably, 6% of US employers claimed that job listings are kept online to ‘give the impression that the company is growing’.

Indeed told The Journal that the website has a dedicated team which assesses the legitimacy of listings to ensure they meet the website’s criteria. That includes the need for a job description, location, title and application methods.

It added: “Our policies do not allow ghost jobs – job postings on Indeed should be connected to a real employer that is actively hiring for a particular role.”

‘Advertising or window-shopping?’

Founder of Clearview Career Coaching Jane Downes told The Journal that jobseekers can find ghost jobs particularly frustrating.

“This is what is complicated with job websites,” she said. “Is it an advertising space or a chance for companies to window-shop?”

Downes added: “From a job hunter’s point of view, it’s a real issue. [The applications] wastes people’s time, particularly when there is no live role there.”

A quick scroll of posts uploaded to the Reddit thread RecruitingHell will show that many users have often not received interview or job offers, despite filing dozens of applications.

In some circumstances, recruiters are waiting for the ideal candidate to apply for a job, Downes said. In “less than ideal” scenarios, however, managers await an application from a good candidate in order to expand their team’s budget, she added.

Asked about companies that list positions to give the impression of growth, Downes said that it is a “very unfair practice”. She recommended that all jobseekers frequently track the status of every application they send.

A blog post from Indeed earlier this year acknowledged that ghost jobs can be ‘frustrating’ for jobseekers, particularly as application processes can be stressful and time-consuming.

It warned jobseekers to make sure that listings have detailed job descriptions, application deadlines and to cross-reference the adverts with the company’s social media posts or own website.