Resume Builder, which offers résumé templates, surveyed nearly 650 hiring managers in May and found nearly seven in 10 said it was “morally acceptable” to post fake jobs. Hiring managers credited the move with increasing revenue, morale, and how much workers get done.
Here’s the weird part though-
About seven in 10 of the fake jobs were on a company website or LinkedIn, according to the survey. And, yet, despite all the shenanigans, many fake listings often lead to real interviews — and even employment.
Four in 10 hiring managers said they always contacted workers who applied for made-up jobs. Forty-five percent said they sometimes contacted those job seekers. Among companies that contacted applicants, 85% report interviewing the person.
“A lot of them are getting contacted and interviewed at some point, so it’s not necessarily a black box,” Haller said.
Does that part make sense to anyone?
There’s another angle on this too related to H1B Visa hires.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38875758
H1B requires that companies show that no qualified Americans could be found, so those listings are written so nobody could or would want to apply. Stuff like 10 years experience in software released 5 years ago, entry level job/pay requiring a masters degree, etc.
What this sounds like is legit listings, but done to give the outward appearance that company is strong/growing and to scare current workers into thinking that they will get replaced if they are not killing themselves slaving away.
Could also be job postings to convince current workers that their overwork will soon end because the company is about to hire new folks. I’ve seen that theory floated to explain the “help wanted” signs at fast food places that never come down.