Ghost Jobs: Is the Role Still Open?

An advertisement is not a hiring commitment

You find a civil engineering role that fits your experience. You tailor your résumé, prepare examples and apply. Weeks later, the same advertisement appears again. Is the employer still hiring, building a candidate pool or keeping an outdated page online?

Those possibilities deserve different responses. The aim is to establish what the opportunity actually is before investing more time, rather than to diagnose an employer’s intentions from a posting alone.

What is a ghost job?

Collins defines a ghost job around an employer advertising a position without intending to appoint someone. [1] That is different from a genuine recruitment process that is later paused, cancelled or completed without a hire. It is also different from an openly described inventory for future vacancies.

An unanswered application can be discouraging, but silence alone does not establish that there was never a position. Nor does an old posting date, a broad salary range or repeated advertising prove deception.

Why the distinction matters in infrastructure

Consider an illustrative example: a consultant seeks a project controls specialist for a proposed transit assignment. One advertisement says the position depends on winning the contract. Another simply says “we are hiring,” without explaining that condition. The uncertainty may be similar, but candidates have much better information in the first case.

Before preparing a lengthy submission, clarify whether the position is approved now, tied to a future contract or intended to create a pool. A conditional opportunity can still be worth pursuing when the condition is transparent and the timing suits you.

Five checks before spending more time

1. Find the original posting. Start from the employer’s official careers page and follow its recruitment links. A familiar recruitment-platform domain alone does not prove that a particular advertisement is authorized.

2. Match the reference and location. Compare the requisition number, title, city and employer. A similar title with another reference may be a different vacancy.

3. Separate the dates. An aggregator’s “posted today” label may refer to republication. Look for the employer’s posting date and closing date. A deadline in the past is a reason to ask about status, not to assume the employer intended to mislead.

4. Read the hiring language. Notice terms such as future opportunities, anticipatory staffing, inventory, talent pool and subject to contract award. They describe a different prospect from an immediate vacancy.

5. Ask about the next concrete step. Request confirmation that applications are being reviewed, whether the role is approved and the expected interview or start period. An application button is useful evidence that a form accepts submissions, not a guarantee of active selection.

A pool can be legitimate when it is clearly described

Veterans Affairs Canada explains that anticipatory processes and inventories can be used for future vacancies. A pool is therefore not automatically a ghost job. [2]

Ask what inclusion means: is there a current vacancy, what is the pool’s purpose and validity period, and is another assessment required before appointment? Treat a future possibility as a future possibility in your own planning. You can apply without counting it as an imminent offer.

An Ontario disclosure worth looking for

Since January 1, 2026, covered Ontario employers with at least 25 employees must state whether a covered public posting concerns an existing vacancy. Exceptions apply, including to the Crown and certain Crown bodies. The disclosure requirement does not oblige an employer to fill the position. [3]

Check the statement and ask for clarification. Consult the official guide for scope and exceptions; this is general information, not legal advice.

A short message you can send

Hello, I am interested in the [job title] position, reference [number]. Could you confirm whether recruitment is still active and whether this is an approved vacancy or a pool for future opportunities? If selection is underway, is there an expected interview or start period? Thank you.

For a project-based role, add one focused question: “Is the appointment dependent on funding approval, a contract award or another project milestone?” You do not need to send a second application or a detailed unpaid work sample simply to ask about availability.

Decide how much time to invest

For a current role with a clear process, tailor your application to the published requirements. For a transparent future pool, decide whether a shorter expression of interest is worthwhile. If the posting has disappeared or the deadline has passed, seek confirmation before completing a long assessment.

Keep a simple record of the reference, original link, application date and any response. If useful, follow up once with a specific status question and continue your other applications. A lack of clarity is a reason to manage your effort, not evidence that your qualifications are inadequate.

Employers also have a responsibility to be clear

Candidates should not have to investigate a company to discover whether a job exists. An employer can reduce uncertainty by distinguishing approved vacancies from future pools, explaining project conditions, keeping advertisements current and communicating changes to people already in the process.

Repeatedly refreshing a posting without explaining its purpose makes informed decisions harder. Clear recruitment information respects the time and preparation expected from applicants.

Be careful with headline statistics

A survey of hiring managers, an analysis of advertisements and a study of jobs that closed without a hire measure different things. Ashby’s customer-data analysis explicitly cautions that an unfilled role is not necessarily a ghost job. [4]

This guide does not assign a “ghost job” percentage to Canadian employers or to civil engineering. A foreign estimate should not be presented as a Canadian rate without comparable definitions, sampling and evidence. The practical checks above help manage uncertainty; they do not establish prevalence.

An unclear vacancy is different from a recruitment scam

A delayed or uncertain hiring process does not by itself indicate a scam. Separately, do not send money, banking information or identity documents merely to establish whether a role is available. Verify the organization independently if a message uses an unexpected domain or directs you away from its recognized recruitment channels.

If a listing on this site appears closed or inaccurate, use Contact and include the job reference or link. Describe what you observed without assuming fraudulent intent.

Sources and related reading

Published November 4, 2026. Practical recommendations and project examples are editorial; the examples do not describe named employers.

[1] Collins English Dictionary — ghost job: definition.
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/ghost-job

[2] Veterans Affairs Canada — How to read a job advertisement: anticipatory processes and inventories.
https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/employment/veterans/jobs-federal-government/how-read-job-advertisement

[3] Ontario Ministry of Labour — Requirements related to publicly advertised job postings: vacancy disclosure and exceptions.
https://www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0/requirements-related-publicly-advertised-job

[4] Ashby — How common are ghost jobs? April 8, 2025: customer data and the limits of interpreting unfilled jobs.
https://www.ashbyhq.com/talent-trends-report/reports/ghost-jobs

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