Ghost Job
A job listing that remains publicly active even though the company has paused, closed, or abandoned the hiring process for that role.
Ghost jobs are job postings that appear active but are not genuinely being recruited for. This can happen for several reasons: the role may have been filled but the listing not taken down, the hiring may have been frozen while the company reassesses, or the company may be speculatively building a talent pool without firm headcount approval.
Ghost jobs waste candidates' time and damage employer reputation. When candidates invest hours in applying and interviewing for roles that are not real, they share those experiences publicly — on Glassdoor, Reddit, and professional networks — eroding the company's employer brand.
From a recruiter's perspective, maintaining clean job listings is a hygiene practice that reflects well on the organisation. Applicant tracking systems can be configured to automatically expire listings after a set period, ensuring that outdated postings are reviewed and either refreshed or removed.