A growing number of job advertisements posted by Indian companies appear to be “ghost postings” — listings with little or no genuine intention to fill the roles — putting job seekers through wasted applications and interviews and eroding trust in online hiring channels.
Recruiters and market studies say the phenomenon has intensified over the last year, with some estimates putting the annual growth of such listings in double digits. Industry reporting suggests ghost postings are increasing by roughly 25–30% yearly and that only a minority of advertised roles ultimately translate into hires, according to a report published in Economic Times.
According to experts, such ghost postings are advertised because companies collect résumés so they can tap pre-screened candidates quickly when real openings arise, to gauge salary expectations, skills supply and competitor demand and regular job posts make a company appear to be growing and active, which can boost employer-brand metrics on platforms. Sometimes it also happens because positions already filled internally remain listed externally, or old posts are not removed.
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Recruitment insiders say the practice is especially common in certain high-velocity sectors such as technology, e-commerce and retail, and among startups that want to “look busy” to investors and candidates alike.
For candidates, the consequences are tangible. Surveys cited in the trade press find that a large share of job seekers suspect companies post ghost listings, and a very high proportion think employers should disclose when a posting is only for pipeline-building rather than an active opening. That perception is feeding frustration and distrust.
The negative aspect of such ghost postings is that candidates spend hours tailoring applications, preparing for interviews and travelling for roles that never existed. Résumé databases built from ghost postings concentrate personal data for roles that won’t be filled, which raises risks if data governance is weak and inflated vacancy counts can mislead job seekers and policymakers about the health of the hiring market.
Major hiring platforms have moved to curb clearly misleading listings. Industry reporting says LinkedIn and some applicant-tracking vendors are introducing controls or verification features to flag authentic postings, while platforms are also removing blatantly fraudulent ads.
The most frustrating aspect for job seekers is that they are even interviewed for posts that will never exist.
Career experts advise caution and verification steps. Check whether the same role appears on the company’s official careers page, look for posting timestamps and recruiter profiles, reach out politely to the listed recruiter for clarity, and prioritise networking channels that can confirm role authenticity. Candidates should also be cautious about sharing sensitive personal data early in the process.
Though Ghost postings are not strictly illegal in India unless some kind of cheating is not affected through bogus job offers or fake advertisements in the name of companies. but the steady rise of phantom job ads is reshaping how candidates evaluate online opportunities and how platforms and employers manage trust. For job seekers in India—already navigating a competitive market—the trend adds a new reason to combine online applications with networking and direct verification, and for employers, it’s a reminder that short-term optics can cost long-term credibility.
