Nothing is more frustrating to a job seeker than to answer a help-wanted advertisement to only find out that it was fake. And yet, “ghost jobs” — jobs that are advertised, but not real — are ubiquitous.
Ghost jobs fall into a variety of categories, ranging from outright scams to HR white-washing. And they’re on the rise. Indeed, a recent study by ResumeUp.Ai says that roughly 27.4% of the jobs posted on LinkedIn are phantoms — listings by real companies that have no intention of hiring. And that doesn’t count the scam listings that the Better Business Bureau (BBB) says cost job-seekers some $840,000 in 2023 — a 250% increase from the year prior.
Legitimate Causes
Why would legitimate companies post help-wanted advertisements that they don’t intend to fill? The reasons are myriad. Some companies want to give the impression that they’re growing, even when they’re not. Others have a preferred internal candidate, but their human resource rules require them to search more broadly. Additionally, some companies are simply trolling for candidates for potential future hiring, even though they don’t have current openings. And, a portion of the advertisements are simply stale, reflecting a job that was legitimate but has already been filled.
Nefarious causes
Meanwhile, scammers capitalize on job-seeker frustration and desperation by posting advertisements too. Often these are aimed at either conning applicants into paying up-front fees or providing personal information that the scammers later use to gain access to credit in the victim’s name.
Social media boost
Notably, social media sites ranging from LinkedIn to TikTok benefit from the fake ads both directly and indirectly. After all, even scammers pay for their advertisements, which creates a direct boost to the social media company’s bottom line. But the indirect benefits are equally significant.
Job posts — even fake ones — generate significant user activity. People will click, view, apply, and even share with friends and relatives. All this fuels engagement algorithms that the platforms use to justify their advertising rates and their stock prices.
Moreover, every person who interacts with the listing provides valuable behavioral and demographic data. The social media platforms use this data for targeted marketing and sell it to third parties.
Red flags
Don’t want to get taken in by fake job listings? Then take a few steps to verify that the listings are real.
Double-check: If the post lists a specific company that’s seeking workers, verify the job listing on the “careers” page of that company’s official website. (Most legit listings include a link to the company’s careers page, but go to it independently using your favorite search engine to make sure you’re not follow a scammer’s fake link.)
If the job is on Indeed, Facebook, or LinkedIn but not on the company’s official career page, it is likely a placeholder, stale listing or a scam.
Too-good: Scam listings often fall into the too-good-to-be-true category. They will offer extremely high pay for low-skilled, easy, flexible, or remote work. Ask yourself why someone would pay thousands for a few hours of work per day. They wouldn’t, unless they expect you to do something illegal, right?
Suspicious application process: Scammers also may ask for unnecessary personal info, direct you to external sites, or ask you to pay. No legit employer will ask for your Social Security number, driver’s license, or bank details before you have gone through a formal interview and accepted a written offer. Similarly, real employers don’t ask you to pay for training, software, application processing fees, or equipment.
Vague descriptions: Job descriptions with no specific details about responsibilities, team structure, or required qualifications are often red flags.
Evergreen postings: A job listed for 30-60 days or more is likely a ghost job. Also, those that appear repeatedly over months without updates. Even if it’s real, why would you apply for a role that keeps hiring and firing within months? It may be a toxic work environment.
Using SideHusl to verify Gig Jobs
The one time evergreen listings may be real is when the job listing is for a part-time gig — such as Uber, DoorDash or another gig platform. These companies are constantly on the lookout for new workers, since most people who engage in gig jobs work only part-time at their own convenience. For this type of job, you can use SideHusl.com to check out the company.
To know if a company or job listing is legit, type the name in the search bar on SideHusl.com’s home page. If you do not have a specific company in mind, browse by work category (e.g., teaching, driving, selling, renting) to find vetted, legitimate options.
Each company review includes 1- 5 ratings (Husl$cores) to gauge how well each platform serves workers, factoring in job availability, pay, risks, and working conditions. Companies with stronger ratings are legitimate, pay well, and treat workers fairly. A company with a low score — 1 or 2 in the rating system — is likely a scam, has extremely low pay or has poor working conditions. You can also read user reviews and complaints to understand how former and current employees feel about the company.
If you’re not sure where to start, click the SideHusl Quiz to discover various ways to make money based on your interests, resources and skills.
