ETCH Jobs of the Week 10/19/24
Ghost Job Busters
ETCH Jobs of the Week (JOTW) is a collaboration between ETCH (now The EdSheet at Whiteboard Advisors), your home for EdTech news and information; and my recruiting practice, Tenzing, which helps orgs positively impacting education efficiently attract, source, vet and hire mission-aligned talent.
Last week I wrote that job seeking and hiring often feels “worse than ever, despite advancements in HR tech and AI. There’s a growing need for human-first, relationship-driven solutions.”
One of the ways this manifests is the rise in ghost jobs.
What is a ghost job?
A ghost job is a publicly advertised job opening representing a position that doesn’t actually exist. To put it more bluntly, ghost jobs are fake job listings - publicly advertised job openings that never result in hires.
How much of a problem are ghost jobs?
Ghost jobs are frustrating and confusing for job seekers, prompting them to use tactics that, in turn, make the hiring process even more difficult for employers. The problem has grown so widespread that Resume Builder’s recent survey of 649 hiring managers found that nearly 40% of companies had posted a ghost job this year.
Revelio Labs, a U.S. workforce intelligence firm, found that the hire rate per job posting has halved over five years, dropping from eight hires per 10 postings in 2019 to four in 2024. The rise in ghost jobs isn’t just a quirky side note of the hiring process; it represents a significant hurdle for both job seekers and employers.
Why are companies posting ghost jobs?
There seems to be a “FOMOTC” factor at play, as in fear of missing out on top candidates. A Clarify Capital survey of over 1,000 managers reported that 50% of employers post ghost jobs because “they are always open to new people.” Another 35% post these roles just in case “an irresistible candidate applies.”
Managers also told Resume Builder in their survey that they see ghost jobs having a positive impact on revenue, employee morale, and productivity since ghost jobs create the impression of growth and that employees are replaceable.
While this might seem like a strategic way to avoid missing out on talent and improving the bottomline, it actually perpetuates a broken hiring system on both the micro and macro level.
Ghost jobs are making hiring worse
There is a certain irony here, don’t you think? Companies post ghost jobs to avoid missing out on great candidates, candidates apply for jobs that don’t exist, and then both candidates and hiring managers end up frustrated by the lack of quality in their job pipeline .
The result is companies end up just hiring from referrals - according to Greenhouse, as much as 30% of (real) positions.
So, what should companies be doing?
Isn’t hiring hard enough? Rather than relying on ghost jobs to catch potential hires, companies need to rethink their hiring strategies. Here are a few more productive approaches:
Establish clear policies and procedures that define what constitutes a genuine job listing with intent to hire, ensuring that only valid job openings are posted and outlining the process for doing so. The job listing renewal process should also be scrutinized to avoid jobs being indefinitely renewed.
Differentiate your organization with specific, targeted, transparent, and REAL job postings. Instead of casting a wide net with vague or non-existent roles, focus on carefully tailored job descriptions. By specifying exactly what skills, qualifications, and experience you’re looking for, and what you are offering in return; this will naturally reduce the flood of irrelevant applications.
Create a decisive hiring culture and process. The common management mantra “hire slow, fire fast,” has evolved into something more akin to “hire eventually (if the right candidate comes along) and keep everyone in limbo.” Probably not the greatest recipe for long term morale. If you are hiring, prioritize it, be serious about it, and design hiring processes that lead to actual decisions and feedback loops to candidates.
Thoughtfully leverage networking and referrals: While referrals are an important part of recruiting, over-reliance on them can limit the candidate pool. Instead, companies should focus on creating strong employee networks that diversify the candidate pool. Combine that with targeted outreach through professional communities and hiring partners.
Build relationships with potential hires: If you’re “always open” to meeting great people, make it a two-way street. Instead of posting ghost jobs, why not create talent communities where prospective candidates can interact with your company? This can include regular communications about your company culture, upcoming opportunities, and events that foster relationships before a position opens.
In a world of deep fake jobs, what can job seekers do?
Right now the best signal for a ghost job is the age of the posting. Kelsey Richard of Trust Insights advises, “First, freshness counts. Treat job listings like fruit – go for the freshest first, and apply in descending order of freshness.”
Lean on “old fashioned” networking, and working referral angles. If you find a job you want to apply to, by all means apply; but then research and follow up with people you are connected to within the organization. If you have no connections in the organization, then follow this strategy to build them.
I also like Caroline Castrillon’s jiu jitsu-like approach to older job postings, urging candidates to use them as a means to strike up a conversation with a recruiter or hiring manager:
“Contact the company directly. Conduct a LinkedIn search and reach out to the hiring manager. If the position is already filled, it’s a win because you saved yourself some time. Another bonus is that the hiring manager may offer to consider you for future opportunities. On the other hand, if the role is open, you can discuss your skills and qualifications with someone directly involved in the hiring process.”
If your organization could use help designing more human-centered hiring practices:
Now, let’s get to the REAL Jobs of the Week…
Workforce Program Associate | ASU+GSV Summit
Location: Remote
Education Focus: Workforce learning and development
Mission: ASU+GSV’s mission is to create a world in which ALL people have equal access to the future and we believe that scaled innovations in the delivery of education and workforce skills are critical to achieving that end.
Job Summary: The Workforce Program Associate will support the growth of the Workforce Learning Community at the ASU+GSV Summit. Responsibilities include managing relationships with startups, HR leaders, and non-profits, curating program content, coordinating logistics, and fostering a community-focused environment for attendees. The role requires collaboration across internal teams and managing key projects while maintaining strong communication with stakeholders. Candidates should have experience in workforce learning and event management, with a passion for driving workforce innovation.
Program Manager, Knowledge Management | UNCF
Location: Atlanta, GA
Education Focus: Higher education, specifically supporting HBCUs
Mission: Strengthen HBCU capacity through data management and strategic development
Job Summary: The Program Manager will oversee institutional data for HBCUs, fostering strategies to improve their effectiveness and growth. This role involves managing data infrastructures, collaborating with stakeholders, and helping secure funding to support capacity-building projects. The candidate will also assist in incubating new initiatives, conducting background research, and developing proposals. Strong communication skills, project management experience, and a passion for education and social justice are essential.
Compensation: $54,000–$60,700 annually
Senior Manager, Finance and Contracts | SchoolKit
Location: Remote (U.S.)
Education Focus: Finance and contracts in education
Job Summary: The Senior Manager, Finance and Contracts will oversee financial operations, including budgeting, expense management, and contracts. The role involves collaborating with the accounting firm, managing QuickBooks, issuing invoices, and supporting project-level finances. They will ensure efficient financial systems and processes while also leading contract management and organizational operations. Strong project management skills and the ability to handle multiple workstreams are crucial.
Compensation: $85,000–$95,000 annually
Events & Partnership Marketing Manager | MagicSchool
Location: Remote
Education Focus: K-12
Job Summary: The Events & Partnership Marketing Manager will develop and execute event strategies and manage partnerships to drive brand growth and lead generation for MagicSchool. Responsibilities include creating event calendars, ensuring brand consistency, building stakeholder relationships, and tracking event impact. The role requires expertise in event planning, marketing, and partnership management, with a focus on innovative education solutions.
Compensation: $90K – $115K + Equity
Manager, Community Development | Meta
Location: Aiken, SC; Jeffersonville, IN; Cheyenne, WY; New Albany, OH; Altoona, IA
Education Focus: Public relations: government, nonprofits, and school districts
Mission: Support Meta’s commitment to building strong community relationships around its data centers, driving local engagement, and advancing infrastructure development in under-resourced areas.
Job Summary: The Manager, Community Development will oversee relationships with local stakeholders and advance Meta’s data center community initiatives. Responsibilities include collaborating with internal teams, managing charitable activities, and maintaining development plans. The role involves working with local governments, schools, and nonprofits, monitoring community needs, and reporting risks. Strong communication, organizational, and cross-functional collaboration skills are essential. Travel up to 50% is required.
Compensation: $151,000–$216,000/year + bonus + equity
Director, Early Childhood | Valhalla Foundation
Location: Woodside, CA (Hybrid)
Education Focus: Early childhood development and healthcare systems
Job Summary: The Director will oversee Valhalla’s Early Childhood Healthcare portfolio, focusing on leveraging healthcare systems to improve outcomes for children and families. This includes managing philanthropic investments, collaborating with healthcare leaders, conducting due diligence on new opportunities, and scaling evidence-based solutions. The role involves coaching grantees, synthesizing learnings, and collaborating with other funders to drive system-wide impact. Strong analytical skills and experience in complex problem-solving are essential.
Compensation: $198,000–$297,000 annually
Need more hire power? Tenzing will do all the legwork (e.g., sourcing, vetting, and managing the hiring process) for half the cost of traditional headhunters.
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