What is a ghost job and how do we detect them?

What is a ghost job?

A "ghost job" is a job posting that isn't actually being actively filled. Companies post them for various reasons:

Talent pipeline building - Collecting resumes for future needs

Market research - Testing interest and salary expectations

Compliance requirements - Meeting internal posting policies

Forgotten listings - Old posts that were never removed

Perception management - Appearing to be growing/healthy

Why ghost jobs are a problem

Job seekers waste significant time and emotional energy:

Crafting tailored applications for positions that don't exist

Waiting for responses that will never come

Missing real opportunities while chasing ghosts

Experiencing repeated rejection and frustration

How Gilji detects ghost jobs

Our AI analyzes multiple signals:

Posting age and activity

How long has the posting been live?

Has it been reposted multiple times?

Are there signs of recent updates?

Company hiring signals

Is the company actually growing?

Are there other signs of active hiring?

What does the company's hiring velocity look like?

Job posting patterns

Is this posting vague or overly broad?

Does the salary range seem realistic?

Are the requirements contradictory?

Employee and review signals

What do current employees say about hiring?

Are there reviews mentioning hiring freezes?

Has the company had recent layoffs?

Interpreting your ghost score

0-30 (Likely Legitimate): Strong signals this is a real, active position

31-60 (Uncertain): Mixed signals - proceed with caution

61-100 (Likely Ghost): Multiple red flags detected - may not be worth your time