Last week, HR News Canada reported an almost unbelievable statistic: 40% of employers have posted fake job listings in the past year.
Take a minute to digest that. I know I did. Imagine scrolling through job boards, hopeful for the next big step in your career. You meticulously tailor your resumé and cover letter, only to discover the job never existed.
That’s if you even find out it’s not real. Many jobseekers, after all, send applications into a void — never to be replied to or seen again.
This statistic isn’t just a red flag; it’s an alarm bell for the HR profession. The survey, which polled 649 hiring managers, unveils a practice that’s apparently shockingly widespread and ethically indefensible. But why would companies resort to such deceitful tactics?
False positive impressions
The data uncovered a few reasons. First up, according to 63% of respondents, was that it creates the impression of growth.
Another 62% believed it made employees feel replaceable. That’s… interesting. Managing by fear is certainly one way to go.
Stacie Haller, chief career advisor at ResumeBuilder.com, doesn’t mince words about the practice.
“It’s a concerning scenario, particularly when these misleading postings originate from HR departments — the very entities entrusted with shaping accurate perceptions of their organizations,” Haller said. “Whether it’s to create an illusion of company expansion or to foster a sense of replaceability among employees, such practices are not acceptable.”
It’s an ongoing problem as well, with three in 10 respondents admitting to having active fake job listings. And if you think there’s shame among the hiring managers about the practice? Well, the numbers tell a different story.
Many hiring managers believe in the positive impacts of fake job postings. According to the survey, 68% reported a positive impact on revenue, 65% saw improved employee morale, and 77% noted increased productivity.
Which, well, sure.
Short-term gain, long-term pain
These numbers paint a picture of a misguided belief in short-term gains. But Haller emphasizes the long-term damage. “Employees deserve transparency about the companies they dedicate their time to, rather than being led astray by false representations. Any tactic aimed at undermining employees’ sense of value and security is deplorable,” she said.
The ethical considerations extend beyond just internal operations. The survey reveals that 70% of hiring managers view posting fake job listings as morally acceptable, with 43% believing it is definitely acceptable and 27% considering it probably acceptable.
This cavalier attitude towards deceit is troubling, especially when two-thirds of these managers reported that stakeholders eventually discovered the truth. But, who cares about employer branding and organizational reputation?
Who? Well, frankly, all of us. But especially the folks sitting in the chairs in the HR department.
Recruitment is HR 101. And good HR practices demand the championing of policies that prioritize ethical behaviour over deceptive tactics — whatever false short-term gain companies think they’re getting is going to be crushed by the long-term damage to trust and reputation.
Era of transparency
We’re in an era of workplace transparency. The trend in Canada is more, not less. The practices of organizations are very much open to scrutiny. When I first saw the headline, I was tempted to dismiss it as attention grabbing but somehow not “real.”
But it’s a statistic that shouldn’t be dismissed. Instead, HR can leverage it as a catalyst for change and an opportunity to “do better.”
We owe it to our employees, our candidates, and ourselves to foster a job market built on trust, integrity, and genuine opportunity.
Anything less is a disservice to the profession, our organizations, and the people we need to recruit and retain to make them successful.
