In a recent survey, 56% of Canadian workers revealed suspicions that the roles they had applied for were all “ghost jobs.” Canada, and Ontario to be more specific, is one of the few regions around the globe that has taken active efforts to address the issues of organizations posting ghost job applications to assess the state of the job market and indulge in the illusion of inflated hiring needs. Despite this, Ontarians remain suspicious that employers will attempt to circumvent these restrictions and redesign their internal ghost job ads policy.
Ghost jobs are a frustrating reality of the job application process and often leave workers feeling more exhausted by the hiring process than they should be, and such practices reflect very poorly on the company. The ghost job ban in Ontario, Canada, is a good start to addressing this issue, but employers and HR teams need to take greater responsibility in how they represent themselves to the workforce.
Canada is all set to address the issue of ghost jobs, but employees remain wary about the hiring process and the loopholes that persist. (Image: Pexels)
Over Half of The Workers in Canada Suspect They Have Encountered Ghost Jobs: Say Yes to Transparency
Ghost jobs refer to job postings from real and authentic organizations, which are often uploaded with no real intention of hiring. Some organizations leave job postings up for months, even going so far as to take them down and refresh them occasionally, but candidates never hear back from the organization. The process of hunting for a job is stressful and anxiety-inducing for multiple reasons, and this HR ghosting makes it even harder for employees to feel any sense of progress in their own job search.
A recent survey conducted by Employment Hero found that 56% of the surveyed Canadians believe they have previously applied for a ghost job. Additionally, 55% stated that it was difficult for them to find relevant opportunities that they were suited for, making the job hunt all the more frustrating. About 70% of them admitted that being ghosted by employers impacted their mental health and their motivation to continue job hunting, of which 33% said this impact felt significant or severe.
These hiring trends of utilizing ghost jobs to assess the market keep employees rooted to their current employers, as a result, perhaps boosting retention. However, lowered attrition paired with dissatisfied employees is not a healthy mix that businesses should rely on. Beyond ghost job postings, there is also the matter of transparency.
To Fight Ghost Job Postings, Employees Also Skip Openings with No Salary Listed
Conversations around pay transparency are also worth discussing. Whether in the form of ghost job posts or real openings at an organization, many employers leave out details regarding pay. This leaves employees wondering about compensation until the final rounds of their interview with an organization, with matters having progressed too far to back out.
Frustrated by the lack of clarity in pay, 64% admit to skipping job posts that do not have the salary listed. This is another matter that demands attention. Attempts have been made to regulate pay transparency in the U.S., with states enacting their own policies to ensure that employers provide a pay scale with each job post to ensure employees can receive the industry standard for the post or equal pay matching that of their colleagues.
Addressing both ghost jobs and transparency, Ontario’s new hiring requirements add additional safeguards to urge employers to be more upfront about the job openings at their organization.
Addressing Ghost Jobs, Canada Has Set Some New Regulations in Place to Protect Employees
As part of new employment regulations in Ontario that went into effect in January 2026, employers with over 25 employees are now required to respond to interviewed candidates within 45 days. This prevents HR from ghosting job seekers and discourages them from uploading job postings with no intention to hire. Similarly, employers also need to include the salary range in their job posts to give job seekers a clearer idea of the compensation they can expect for the role.
This is good news for employees in the region, but many remain apprehensive. While 88% are optimistic about the benefit of these rules and their ability to enforce change, 95% also believe that employers will try to work around these regulations. This mistrust in employers isn’t healthy for the work environment, as suspicions continue to linger even after an employee gets hired.
Employers and HR Have an Important Role to Play in the Fight Against Ghost Job Postings
Spotting ghost job postings is harder than it should be, as many come with authentic job descriptions and regular interactions with the post that suggest the organization is still reviewing applications. The lack of details, role clarity, or pay information may suggest an inauthentic job post, however, these might also be signs of a rushed upload.
Employers that choose to advertise open roles and actively get back to employees are likely to see more engagement and continued relationships with applicants even when they aren’t hired. There is always the possibility that they might be eligible for a future position, and employers won’t have to invest in the cumbersome and expensive process of advertising for the role once more.
It is tiresome for HR teams to chase candidates who suddenly ghost them, just as it is cumbersome for employees to chase HR in the hopes of hearing back from them. Eliminating this barrier can work wonders for a company’s reputation, while also helping to build an extensive talent pool for the organization to draw from long-term.
What do you think about Ontario, Canada’s approach to ghost jobs? Share your thoughts with us in the comments. Subscribe to The HR Digest for more insights into the evolving state of employment and the challenges now faced on both sides of the hiring conversation.
