Here are the answers to your question ‘Why do companies post jobs that are already filled?’.
Causes for posting jobs that are already filled
You may be surprised (or angry) to know that companies post jobs that are already filled. Someone fresh out of college searching for jobs may not be aware of this sham. But once you have been around the block, you will catch this dark side of the corporate world. Needless to say, such job advertisements waste job seeker’s time and make them think there are more opportunities available- when there aren’t.
There are many causes behind posting jobs that are already filled. Sometimes, companies are responsible for misleading job seekers. Sometimes, they are well aware of how misleading their job postings are, but they play no direct role. The causes of posting such jobs range from being downright shady to something which could have been easily avoided. Here, we bring you 11 causes to explain why companies post jobs that are already filled.
They are victims of forgetful nature
Recruitment teams, being victims of forgetful nature, sometimes forget to remove the job postings. These postings remain even after the recruitment of suitable candidates. It appears they have been reposting but they haven’t. But, candidates, unaware of the vacancy being filled, apply to these postings. This lacks any shady intentions and could have been easily avoided.
Some websites are posting already filled job vacancies
Some companies which only post job vacancies on their websites never care about the struggle of job hunters. These companies collect job postings from other company websites and job hunting sites and post these jobs on their websites. These jobs were removed by the companies long ago.
In this case, the company is not posting filled vacancies, but job listing websites are the real culprit. Now, this amplifies the number of already filled jobs available online and increases the chances of job seekers getting exposed to such advertisements.
Job postings have hidden intentions
The company, even after hiring people, may repost the job advertisement for several months. The job posting page redirects you to the company website. As many candidates apply, the website traffic and business visibility increase. It acts as a free marketing campaign under the disguise of job postings.
Collecting applications for candidates for future vacancies
Companies are supposed to hire diverse cultures, not the culture they have in the office. It may also happen that it views its culture as positive when in reality the workplace is filled to the brim with a toxic culture. Needless to say, new joiners find it difficult to continue the job and leave within a month or so.
This causes a high turnover rate. Companies are well aware of this high turnover rate, no matter what perception they have about their culture. Keeping the high turnover rate in mind, they keep on posting ads even if it was filled.
The candidate and the company do not see eye to eye
After the recruitment, the candidate may make unreasonable demands to the employer. Some candidates do not cooperate during relocation. It may also happen that they change their minds after receiving the offer letter and back out. Sudden family emergencies can stop them from accepting new offers and creating vacancies.
Besides, candidates sometimes fail to realize the job load when they said “yes” to the recruiter. But, within a week of the job, they start hating their new job and resign from the post. This makes the company post jobs that are filled recently.
This can be remedied by having clear discussions with recruiters. It is not wiser to hold off your doubts during the interview. When interviewers ask “do you have any questions?”, you should not hesitate and ask enough questions to develop a proper understanding of the job.
Companies are still searching for their perfect employees
The company may have hired someone, but are not satisfied with his/her work. It reposts the ad in hope of getting applications from their dream candidates. Once they find them, they will close the ad and may remove the employee that got selected before their dream candidates.
Companies are yet to hire the desired number of people
Let’s say, company X wants to hire 20 people for similar job roles. As we know, the job market is competitive, and new joiners may also leave during on-boarding or some of the selected candidates may not even appear for the shortlisted interview.
It may also happen that the company shortlists 30 people and after the interview, it considers only ten people to be suitable for the job. It did hire candidates but failed to reach its desired number. The company decides to repost the job until it obtains a sufficient number of job applicants, who may be fit for the job role.
There is no scarcity of shady companies
It is not a rare occurrence that companies hire internal candidates. If internal candidates are more talented or skilled, they surely deserve the job. But, companies feel no issues in wasting time on external candidates when they have already selected the internal candidate.
Besides, they never hesitate to call many external candidates for filling the job position. It is not something that happens every time or every day, but it happens. To paint a coat of honesty in their recruitment approaches and satisfy hiring policies, the company interviews external job seekers to get approval for hiring someone they have already selected for the vacant post.
Some company policies state that internal candidates can be considered if external candidates are also shortlisted and interviewed. Just for the sake of meeting these policies, these companies face no hesitation in wasting the time of external job hunters.
When these companies conduct interviews of external candidates, interviewers either end the conversation abruptly or appear less mentally invested in the interview. They tend to ask brush-off questions or may not even ask enough questions to gauge your suitability for the job. They appear as if they are not interested in interacting with you.
It’s like window-shopping
The company has obtained its dream candidate or hired someone suitable for their job role. But, it still wants to see different candidate profiles, the skills they possess, and their experience and posts jobs that are already filled. It may have no serious intention of hiring. It helps them in understanding the average qualities of candidates and enables them to update their candidate requirements.
Change in strategy
The new employees are shifted to new roles or given new responsibilities. The company then posts jobs that are already filled to compensate for the newly generated gaps.
More workflow
The market demand has suddenly increased. The posts were filled months ago, but the workforce becomes unable to sustain the present load.
This makes companies release job ads which are filled months ago. It allows increasing the workforce required for present market demand.
Benefits companies get by posting already-filled jobs
- When companies hire internal candidates or someone from their department itself for a new position but still give job ads for external hires, companies want to show how well they are contributing to nationwide employment.
- Some factors for posting already-filled jobs lack clarity and are not straightforward. Through ads for external hires, they try to build an authentic image.
- Posting already-filled jobs generate a fresh pool of candidates who can be considered during a hike in the workflow.
- Some companies are picky and want freshers to have experienced-like qualities”. When they are never fully satisfied, they post jobs already filled to obtain the most talented candidate.
Tips for job hunters
- Getting exposed to already-filled job postings is part and parcel of job hunting. You should not get disappointed and carry on with polishing your resume and sending applications to recruiters.
- You should prioritize companies that provide their mail addresses for sending your resume. Companies which have hired internal candidates may not be willing to provide email addresses.
- It is wiser to apply to jobs posted on reputed and trusted websites. These websites lack job postings copied from other sites which have expired long ago.
Conclusion
Job postings which are already filled can be misleading or disheartening for job seekers. Causes of posting such jobs can be as simple as new employees leaving jobs within a week. There are some disturbing causes like the shady behavior of some companies. However, it is important to carry on with the job search and make some wise decisions.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there any way to detect advertisements for jobs that are already filled?
There is no particular way to detect advertisements for jobs that are already filled. But, it is safe and wiser to select jobs of companies that provide a telephone number, email addresses, and clear selection procedure.
- Is there any way to avoid applying to jobs that are filled?
It is hard to evaluate which jobs are filled or which jobs are honestly waiting for candidates. You can easily detect a fake job advertisement more easily than those from companies that have hired internal candidates but are still posting job vacancies. So, there is no full-proof way to avoid applying to already filled jobs.
