[Czechia] The ‘ghost jobs’ trend is growing

In Czechia, an increasing number of companies are posting job ads for roles that either don’t exist or have already been filled. This trend, known as “ghost jobs”, originated in the US. Now, Czech labour market experts are expressing concern about its growing adoption, Expats.cz reports.

Speaking to Czech media outlet Hospodářské noviny, Michal Španěl - an analyst at job portal JenPráce.cz - said, “There are ads that stay active for suspiciously long periods or reappear frequently, even though the company isn’t actually hiring.”

He added, “Jobseekers feel cheated and disappointed when they find out it’s a fictitious role. It damages the employer’s credibility."

Companies often post ghost jobs or leave ads up on job portals and websites to collect résumés and build a talent pool for future hiring needs. Saving time in the recruitment process further down the line.

In addition, ghost job postings reportedly serve a broader strategic purpose, acting as marketing tools to demonstrate company growth and success and draw the attention of job seekers and competitors. According to Expats.cz, some employers also use such ads to gauge the talent market or hint to current employees that their replacements could be easily found, using the indirect pressure to boost job performance.

At present, no official ghost job statistics are available for Czechia; however, platforms such as Práce.cz and JenPráce.cz confirm that they have identified such patterns and, in anonymous surveys, many local recruiters have admitted to sharing ghost jobs.

“Sometimes we contact companies that have ads listed on their websites but not with us, and they admit they aren’t actively hiring but would be open to interesting applicants,” Filip Mikschik - founder of StartupJobs - told Expats.cz.

Mr Mikschik said the practice is more common on company websites, where there are no fees for posting ads, rather than specialised job portals, which charge thousands of crowns per listing.

A strategy of this nature may seem harmless or even practical but experts caution that it can do more harm than good. “It’s a risky recruitment style,” Mr Mikschik added. “You might lose valuable candidates who feel misled or frustrated, and over time, fewer relevant people will apply.”

Transparency will only grow more important to candidates as the Czech job market tightens, so employers are being urged to think twice. This seemingly clever hiring tactic could ultimately damage trust and do real reputational harm.

Source: Expats.cz

(Quotes via original reporting)

In Czechia, an increasing number of companies are posting job ads for roles that either don’t exist or have already been filled. This trend, known as “ghost jobs”, originated in the US. Now, Czech labour market experts are expressing concern about its growing adoption, Expats.cz reports.

Speaking to Czech media outlet Hospodářské noviny, Michal Španěl - an analyst at job portal JenPráce.cz - said, “There are ads that stay active for suspiciously long periods or reappear frequently, even though the company isn’t actually hiring.”

He added, “Jobseekers feel cheated and disappointed when they find out it’s a fictitious role. It damages the employer’s credibility."

Companies often post ghost jobs or leave ads up on job portals and websites to collect résumés and build a talent pool for future hiring needs. Saving time in the recruitment process further down the line.

In addition, ghost job postings reportedly serve a broader strategic purpose, acting as marketing tools to demonstrate company growth and success and draw the attention of job seekers and competitors. According to Expats.cz, some employers also use such ads to gauge the talent market or hint to current employees that their replacements could be easily found, using the indirect pressure to boost job performance.

At present, no official ghost job statistics are available for Czechia; however, platforms such as Práce.cz and JenPráce.cz confirm that they have identified such patterns and, in anonymous surveys, many local recruiters have admitted to sharing ghost jobs.

“Sometimes we contact companies that have ads listed on their websites but not with us, and they admit they aren’t actively hiring but would be open to interesting applicants,” Filip Mikschik - founder of StartupJobs - told Expats.cz.

Mr Mikschik said the practice is more common on company websites, where there are no fees for posting ads, rather than specialised job portals, which charge thousands of crowns per listing.

A strategy of this nature may seem harmless or even practical but experts caution that it can do more harm than good. “It’s a risky recruitment style,” Mr Mikschik added. “You might lose valuable candidates who feel misled or frustrated, and over time, fewer relevant people will apply.”

Transparency will only grow more important to candidates as the Czech job market tightens, so employers are being urged to think twice. This seemingly clever hiring tactic could ultimately damage trust and do real reputational harm.

Source: Expats.cz

(Quotes via original reporting)