Employee asks HR about 'ghost openings', uncovers a hidden and deceptive strategy.
ghost job openings"—positions advertised by companies with no real intention to hire. And now, thanks to one insider’s chat with HR, we may finally understand why.
The Chilling Reality of Ghost Listings
A user on Reddit, who works for a mid-sized environmental and geotechnical consulting firm, decided to ask their HR department a question many job seekers have pondered: Why are we listing job openings for roles we don’t actually need filled?
The answer was as revealing as it was unsettling.
“These are ‘proactive’ job openings,” the HR rep reportedly replied. “We expect to turn over 5–15% of our staff every year. It’s not a reflection of us being a bad company—it’s just the state of the industry. So instead of waiting for someone to quit, we stay ahead by keeping listings live. That way, we already have a pool of candidates ready the moment someone hands in their two weeks.”
In short, these positions aren’t intended to be filled today—they’re a hedge against tomorrow’s resignations.
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Hiring for Ghosts, Hunting for Superstars
But that wasn’t all. The HR team also revealed another strategic twist: ghost openings serve as bait for unicorns.
“If a superstar applicant sends in a resume, we can jump and hire them—even if we don’t have a specific role for them yet,” they explained.
In an increasingly competitive talent market, it seems companies aren’t just recruiting to fill gaps—they’re fishing for potential,