Community Guidelines

This Service is a crowd-sourced Ghost Job Database. We rely on the community acting in good faith to help other job seekers navigate the mine field of Ghost Jobs which is time wasting and demoralising. As a community we ask that you please follow these two simple rules:

Do not flag legitimate jobs as Ghost Jobs.
Do not attempt to flag a job more than once.

Terms of Service

You may not use the Service for any illegal, immoral or indecent activity.
Your use of the Service is at your sole risk. The Service is provided on an "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" basis. The Service is provided without warranties of any kind.
We are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, including without limitation, loss of profits, data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses, resulting from use of or inability to access or use the Service.
We reserve the right to alter or terminate this Service entirely at any time, without prior notice or liability, for any reason whatsoever.
We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to modify or replace these Terms and Conditions at any time without notice.

Privacy Policy

We will log your IP address and browser information to prevent abuse of the Service.
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What is a Ghost Job?

A "ghost job" or "phantom job" is a job posting for a non-existent or already filled position, often used by employers to appear as though they are growing or to placate overworked employees.

Definition

A ghost job is a job posting that is either fake (for a position that doesn't actually exist) or a position that is already filled, but the job posting remains active.

Purpose

Employers may post ghost jobs for various reasons, including

Creating the illusion of growth: By having open positions, companies can give the impression that they are expanding, even if they aren't hiring.
Placating employees: Open positions can make employees feel like reinforcements are on the way, even if they are not.
Maintaining a strong brand image: Keeping job boards populated can help companies maintain a positive image as a desirable employer.

Identifying Ghost Jobs

Job postings that never close: If a job posting seems to be continuously open or repeatedly reposted, it could be a sign of a ghost job.
Vague job descriptions: Ghost jobs often have vague or overly broad job descriptions with a lack of detail.
Lack of response or follow-up: If you apply for a job and receive no response or follow-up, it could be a sign that the position is a ghost job.
Catchy titles: Ghost jobs may use catchy titles to attract attention, but the job description may lack substance.

Legality

There is no law against ghost job adverts [in the UK], but it would not reflect well on a company if they were to be found out to be using them.

Sources