Why This Story Matters:
A survey of workers from a leader in hiring software found “Ghost Jobs” – positions advertised with no intent to hire – and “Ghosting” – when employers abruptly stop communicating with candidates without any explanation – are two common concerns for current job seekers. Employers seeking to hire top talent need to be aware of these two troubling trends.
Survey Finds Job Candidates Encounter “Ghost Jobs” and “Ghosting”
A survey of 2,500 workers across the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany found that nearly two-thirds (60%) of U.S. job seekers have applied to suspected “Ghost Jobs” – positions advertised with no intent to hire – which along with “Ghosting” are two common concerns for current job seekers, according to the Greenhouse 2024 State of Job Hunting Report.
The report found that posting “Ghost Jobs” is becoming more prevalent in the job market and harder for candidates to avoid. Greenhouse data shows this phenomenon of ghost jobs is not just in the heads of job candidates. In any given quarter, 18–22% of the jobs posted on the Greenhouse platform are classified as ghost jobs, according to a blog about the report.
The Greenhouse report revealed most “Gen Z” candidates in the U.S. (71%) suspect they have encountered a “Ghost Job.” Out of the candidates who suspect they have applied to a ghost job, 29% applied anyway and 31% decided not to apply. One-quarter (25%) of U.S. candidates want to see fewer instances of ghost job postings or postings never meant to be filled.
“Ghosting” refers to employers abruptly stopping to communicate with candidates without any explanation. The report found 61% of U.S. job seekers were ghosted after a job interview, a nine percentage point increase since April 2024. Two-thirds (66%) of historically underrepresented U.S. job seekers experienced post-interview ghosting compared to 59% for white candidates.
The report suggested the increase in “Ghosting” may be caused by employers being overwhelmed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications which make it easier than ever for candidates to apply for jobs, with 38% of job seekers mass applying to roles, flooding employers with resumes. Greenhouse data shows recruiter workload increased by 26% in the past quarter.
The report from Greenhouse – a leader in hiring software – reveals nearly half of U.S. workers are actively job-hunting but 79% admit they feel heightened anxiety in the current job market. “The data highlights a troubling reality – the job market has become more soul-crushing than ever,” Greenhouse President and Co-founder Jon Stross said in the blog about the report.
Stross reminded companies struggling to manage the overload of applications fueled by AI that they need to realize the job market runs in cycles. “Every unanswered email and every vanishing hiring manager isn’t just a minor inconvenience to candidates; it’s costly and can damage a company’s reputation, making it harder to attract top talent in the long term.”
ClearStar Integrates With Greenhouse to Deliver Background Screening Solutions
ClearStar is integrated with Greenhouse to deliver leading and trusted mobile background screening solutions to clients and offers seamless transfer of candidate screening results within a cloud. Recruiters can access the reports from wherever they are and manage the hiring process from start to finish, all within a single, cloud-based application. Partner benefits include:
- Real-time integration
- Custom integrations available
- Domestic and global ordering from a single integration
- Single candidate invite for all services via text or email
- Application Programming Interface (API) instructions available upon request
ClearStar is proud to be a trusted Greenhouse Marketplace Partner. ClearStar is the technology engine and fulfillment channel for 60 other screening firms, placing it at the forefront of the market. ClearStar has been named a top screening firm for enterprise organizations by HRO Today and the company’s numerous certifications place it in the top 1% of all screening firms.
ClearStar Offers “One Stop Shop” for Background Screening Services
ClearStar – a global background screening provider specializing in background checks, drug testing, and occupational health services – is a “one stop shop” that offers employers a variety of screening solutions in a single convenient location to help empower them to make informed and compliant hiring decisions. The background screening services from ClearStar include:
- Background, Drug, Clinical, and Occupational Health Screening
- Criminal Record Searches at Federal, State, and County Levels
- Sex Offender Registry Searches
- Employment/Education Verifications
- Licenses and Credentialing
- Personal Reference Checks
- Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) Searches
- Social Media Screening
- Civil Record Searches
- Employment Credit Reports
- Employee Monitoring
- Contractor Screening
- Tenant Screening
- Global Searches in 230+ Countries
ClearStar has provided background screening solutions to the Human Capital Management (HCM) industry from its corporate offices in Alpharetta, Georgia, since 1995, and will celebrate the company’s 30th anniversary in 2025. Employers in the U.S. and globally trust ClearStar to manage the background screening of their workforces. To learn more, contact ClearStar.
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Thomas Ahearn - Digital Content Editor
Thomas Ahearn is a Digital Content Editor at ClearStar, a leading Human Resources technology company specializing in background checks, drug testing, and occupational health screening. He writes about a variety of topics in the background screening industry including Artificial Intelligence (AI), "Ban the Box," class action lawsuits, credit reports, criminal records, drug testing, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), identity theft, privacy, social media screening, and workplace violence.
At ClearStar, we are committed to your success. An important part of your employment screening program involves compliance with various laws and regulations, which is why we are providing information regarding screening requirements in certain countries, region, etc. While we are happy to provide you with this information, it is your responsibility to comply with applicable laws and to understand how such information pertains to your employment screening program. The foregoing information is not offered as legal advice but is instead offered for informational purposes. ClearStar is not a law firm and does not offer legal advice and this communication does not form an attorney client relationship. The foregoing information is therefore not intended as a substitute for the legal advice of a lawyer knowledgeable of the user’s individual circumstances or to provide legal advice. ClearStar makes no assurances regarding the accuracy, completeness, or utility of the information contained in this publication. Legislative, regulatory and case law developments regularly impact on general research and this area is evolving rapidly. ClearStar expressly disclaim any warranties or responsibility or damages associated with or arising out of the information provided herein.
