Companies are posting more fake job openings.

So these are known as a ghost job or a phantom job because the job posting is for a position that does not really exist or they have zero intention of filling that role.

It's basically false advertising.

This is nothing new, but the stats show that this trend has been accelerating post-pandemic.

So I want to tell you why these companies are putting up fake job postings because I don't want you to waste your time.

I don't want you to feel bad or get your hopes up.

So the companies that are doing this see this as a strategic move.

So I'm going to tell you what's going on, but you're going to think it's a very dirty move.

I think it's a dirty move. So you could be the judge.

According to a study by Clarified Capital, 33% of hiring managers that admitted to phantom job postings said that they're doing this because they want overworked employees to feel like help is on the way.

So in other words, let's just say that your company is overworking you, and then what are you going to do? You're going to complain, right?

So what are you going to say? You're going to say the logical thing.

You're going to say that this is too much work, you need help, and they need to hire another person.

And what's your company going to do? Are they going to hire someone? Of course not, because that costs money.

So what's the most strategic thing for your company to do? It's to put up a fake job posting.

And they're going to tell you, keep up the good work, hang in there, help is on the way.

A month goes by and nothing, no surprise, no help, you're still being overworked. And then you investigate, is there really a job posting?

You search on your own, and then you actually see that the job posting, it exists by your company.

And you think, "Oh, they really are trying to find someone. And you know, all good, I'm going to continue busting my ass. My company cares about me, they hear me."

Another two months pass by, you're like, "Where's the help?"

And your company tells you, "Well, we just haven't found the right person yet. It's a very competitive labor market."

But in reality, they're just milking employees for as long as possible, for as much output as possible, for the lowest price possible.

You know, their mentality is, "We fooled them for three months already, let's see if we can keep it going."

So in this scenario, the employee is getting abused, and you have all these job applicants that are applying for a role that was never meant to be filled.

So here's another reason for a fake job posting.

Clarify Capital surveyed 1,000 hiring managers. 50% of hiring managers posted job openings with no intention to hire.

The reason why was because they wanted to keep a warm talent pool readily available when they actually needed to hire someone.

Another common reason for putting up a phantom job posting is for the appearances.

Appearances are everything. It's to give the impression that the company is growing. You know why? It's good for the company's stock price.

Because... okay, I'll just summarize it like this:

Management's compensation, usually their bonus and their stock options, their RSUs, their stock awards, they're pegged to the performance of the stock.

So there are just so many reasons to put up fake job postings.

And I want to address this because people that are looking for jobs are getting frustrated. I read it in the comments. People are like, "I sent out 10 resumes. I sent out 20 resumes. I see people posting that they sent out 50 resumes, maybe even more."

The companies don't respond, even though you're qualified. They give an interview.

They maybe even give a follow-up interview, but then they just ghost you. Or they tell you that the position is no longer available.

I'm sure that this has happened to so many people.

So I want you to know that if this happens to you, in a lot of cases, in most cases, you probably did nothing wrong.

In many cases, they're just, they're simply playing games.

I know that it sucks because you read the job posting, you're qualified, you get excited, you get your hopes up.

But no, that was never a real posting to begin with. It was never meant to be filled.

And I want you to know that this is... I just want you to know that this is just not, it's not happening just to you. Okay, this is more prevalent, and the trend continues to grow.

Another thing that I want to tell you is, just to be careful about the propaganda that you're hearing.

The propaganda about how there are so many jobs available, like you can get any job you want, it's an employee market.

The latest report from the government, the JOLTS report, shows that there are 8.8 million job openings right now in the US.

That is 1.4 job openings for every unemployed person.

So it seems like businesses are desperate for employees, but no, that's not the reality. It's a difficult market right now.

But listen, don't get it twisted. I'm not trying to say don't apply for a job. I'm not saying that all job postings are fake.

I'm saying that a lot of these job postings that sound too good to be true are usually fake.

And here's some clues that you're applying for a ghost job.

It's if the description is very vague, if it's lacking details, or there's a constant duplication of the same job posting.

Like you see the same exact job ad three months ago, six months ago, nine months ago. It just doesn't go away.

So those are common red flags.

And to clarify, with a fake job posting, many hiring managers, they're going to take it far.

They're going to give you an interview. They'll even give you a follow-up interview with no intention to fill the role.

And then you may go along in the process, deep into the process, and they might just ghost you.

If they do this, I just want you to know that this is a sign of an unethical company or just a toxic work environment.

So just watch out for yourself. I'm just trying to look out for you.

So listen, I'm going to end by saying this.

I understand that it's difficult to find a job right now. The labor market is not as strong as it seems from all the government reports that are being released.

I'll just tell you, don't give up. Keep trying. You have to be persistent.

But be aware of the nonsense that's occurring right now. This is the trend.

Try not to get too discouraged. And I really hope that you find an upgrade. You find a better job that pays better, that gives better benefits and flexibility.

Thank you so much. I hope this information has been helpful. Please subscribe and have a wonderful weekend.