Australia's tightening hiring market has created fertile ground for ghost jobs, a practice where recruiters post fake roles to gather market intelligence, build candidate pools and generate leads, all without having a live brief to fill.
Despite being prohibited under section 31 of the Australian Consumer Law, the practice appears to be thriving.
Sarah Purches, managing director at Kindtide, a recruitment company, said the scale of the problem was impossible to ignore.
"Every candidate I speak to has experienced this," said Purches.
"Recruiters use the promise of a role to get candidates on the phone, gather market intelligence, ask for names, understand team structures, and build a pool of people they can later float to hiring managers, despite not being engaged on a real brief."
The 2025 IAB Talent Report found the hiring market shrinking, with vacancy rates declining to 4% and businesses refocusing on experienced candidates in commercial and technical roles, conditions that appear to be fuelling the practice.
"The market is tough enough that people feel they cannot afford to dismiss any potential opportunity,” said Purches.
“I am not just seeing this in marketing and advertising either, I am seeing it across multiple functions and levels, from senior technology leaders through to marketing managers and HR advisors.”
A senior technology executive, who asked to remain anonymous, told AdNews he had experienced it firsthand.
He recalled receiving an unsolicited call from a recruiter, claiming to be filling a director of technology role at a health company
Yet, when questioned, the recruiter refused to name the client.
After hearing nothing back, the executive followed up with the agency directly.
"He actually rang me and said, 'oh, yeah, unfortunately, we didn't get the role'," said the Jobseeker.
“I think they were just mining for opportunities, more than anything.”
The executive said the phenomenon cut both ways, affecting him both as a job seeker and during his tenure as senior leadership, where recruiters had approached him looking to place candidates.
"They'll say, I've got a candidate who is looking for work and they are wanting X amount. Here's their resume with the experience. They filter out the person's name, but they pretty much give you a copy of their resume," said the jobseeker.
Purches explained why recruiters seemed to be engaging in this practice at growing rates.
"When revenue is harder to win, some people start cutting corners. Agency recruitment is a sales environment. People are measured on KPIs like calls made, leads generated, CVs floated, clients won and placements made,” said Purches.
“If there is no live brief, some will still use the idea of a role to get candidates talking, uncover hiring leads and build a pipeline they can try to monetise later. At the blunt end of it, it is about targets and commission.”
For candidates navigating the market, Justin Randles, director of Mercury Talent, offered some practical advice.
"If anyone has any doubts about the validity of a job ad, they should call the consultant and ask who the client is and request a copy of the candidate brief or job description. If the consultant can't or won't tell you who the client is or send you a detailed job description, don't apply," said Randles.
Purches had a stark message for recruiters engaging in this illicit practice.
"People who are already anxious, under financial pressure, and trying to hold themselves together through a tough job search are being given false hope and then having it ripped away. That does real damage," said Purches.
"It affects confidence, trust, hope and mental wellbeing. For some people it is not just frustrating, it is devastating," said Purches.
The anonymous jobseeker reflected Purches’s sentiment.
"Some of these recruiters just have no morals and no shame," he said.
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