1. Ghost job postings – Many commenters argue that a large share of listings are never intended to be filled; they are kept open to inflate hiring numbers, satisfy compliance, or make the company look active.
“It's clear‑cut fraud – they are advertising something that doesn't exist, specifically to game numbers.” – legitster
“Investors maybe. Makes your company look better than it is.” – HumblyTossed
“It's the case for most government jobs … they will have an internal candidate, and the rest is for show.” – mixdup
2. Frustrating, dehumanizing hiring process – Applicants describe receiving instant rejections, no feedback, and postings left up for weeks, wasting their time and eroding trust.
“Regardless – it would be nothing to show some basic human decency and respect: … Submit a basic and honest response for the people who's resumes didn't make the consideration … A simple human note for the candidates who were considered but didn't make the interview.” – legitster
“If you met the listing qualifications but got rejected as not qualified, I would double check that your resume wasn't unclear about something.” – Aurornis
“I've got a stack of 100 resumes and 2 hours today to select the top 10 candidates from that stack.” – shagie
3. Mandatory postings with an internal candidate already chosen – Especially in education and government roles, laws require advertising the job even when the hire is predetermined, leading to “ghost”‑like listings.
“Education roles are also an indication of mandatory listing: they have someone internally in mind for a future vacancy but are legally required to list it.” – dfm
“The law in most states and at the federal level require opening jobs to the general public to prevent favoritism … It usually just results in having a job posting that is filled before it's posted as they will have an internal candidate.” – mixdup
“District admins often design a role with someone in mind … They need to post the job to meet union criteria, but only one person could realistically fit the bill.” – renjimen
4. AI/LLM‑driven noise in applications – The rise of language‑model‑generated resumes and cover letters makes it harder for both sides to signal genuine fit, increasing reliance on AI screening and worsening the signal‑to‑noise ratio.
“AI tools have devalued resumes and cover letters, personal repos, leet code scores, etc…” – criddell
“In the age of LLMs every one is ‘tailoring’ their resume to every posting.” – whstl
“I do reach out to LinkedIn profiles … but I'd never use LLM‑written text to do so. You have to appear like a real human.” – Aurornis