New report finds ghosting, ghost jobs, misleading jobs undermine hiring trust
The recruitment process in 2026 is facing a trust problem as employers admit to ghosting candidates and intentionally posting job listings that they don't plan to fill immediately, according to a new report.
New findings from Resume Genius revealed that 86% of employers have ghosted a candidate because they have too many applicants to respond to, up from 79% in 2024.
The same percentage of employers said they ghosted a candidate because of their indecision (86%), while another 82% said it was because the jobseeker's salary expectations were beyond the available budget.
These challenges are in line with recent reports showing that employers are facing a surge in job applications as more jobseekers utilise AI in their job search.
But facing a high volume of applications is not a good excuse for ghosting candidates, according to Geoff Scott, Senior Hiring Manager at Resume Genius.
"Candidates invest hours in applications and interviews — even a brief update can give them closure. Plus it makes the employers look like they actually care, which should be helpful for their reputation," Scott said.
Misleading, ghost jobs harm trust
Ghosting candidates is just one of the factors that's undermining trust in the hiring landscape of 2026, Resume Genius said, noting that misleading and ghost jobs are also in play.
According to the report, 90% of hiring managers are intentionally putting up ghost jobs, or listings that they don't plan to fill immediately.
Hiring managers describe ghost jobs as a deliberate pipeline-building tool that they use for a variety of reasons:
- Building a pool of candidates for future openings (47%)
- Signalling growth or stability to investors, clients, or competitors (34%)
- Internal HR policy requiring a role to be advertised externally before an internal candidate is appointed (31%)
Hiring managers also admit to putting up misleading job postings, with 64% of hiring managers saying they misrepresented some aspect of a role during the hiring process in the past.
Among the aspects that they misrepresent include the difficulty of the role or team environment (32%) and the inaccurate hiring timeline (29%), according to the report.
What should HR do?
Employers have long been warned against posting ghost jobs and misleading job listings, as they could lead to various consequences.
The Academy to Innovate HR (AIHR) previously said that ghost jobs can lead to fewer good applicants, candidate frustration, reputational damage, and legal issues.
Alexander Lyons Solutions, a recruitment firm, also warned that misleading job ads can hurt an employer's reputation. They can also lead to poor employee retention and loss of talent.
It stressed that clear and honest job descriptions can set the right expectations for candidates and benefit both the employee and the organisation.
"By being upfront about what the role involves, what the company culture is really like, and what candidates can expect from day one, businesses can build a workforce that's engaged, motivated, and aligned with their values," it said.
Similarly, being transparent that some job ads are not meant to fill immediate openings and only for building talent pipelines are being encouraged to avoid reputational damage.
"This can help your company minimise candidate frustration, and protect its employer brand," the AIHR said.
