Ghosting, ghost jobs and bots: Candidates reveal their top challenges in the Greenhouse 2024 State of Job Hunting report

4 mins, 38 secs read time

With all the talk of ghosting, ghost jobs and AI bots, it might sound like we’re assembling a cast of characters for a horror movie. But no, it’s not spooky season anymore. We’re simply describing the state of the job market today.

The latest Greenhouse 2024 State of Job Hunting report – a survey of 2,500 workers across the US, UK and Germany – reveals nearly half of US workers are actively job-hunting, yet 79% admit they’re feeling heightened anxiety in this current job market. “The data highlights a troubling reality – the job market has become more soul-crushing than ever,” says Jon Stross, President and Co-founder of Greenhouse.

Let’s take a closer look at what candidates are facing – from discrimination and fierce competition to a new AI arms race – as well as a few bright spots and areas of opportunity for employers and TA teams.

Ghosting and ghost jobs are getting harder to avoid

Ghosting and ghost jobs are two common concerns for job seekers. Ghosting refers to employers that abruptly stop communicating with candidates without any explanation. This disrespectful behavior is on the rise: 61% of job seekers have been ghosted after a job interview, a nine percentage point increase since April 2024. Historically underrepresented job seekers are even more likely to experience post-interview ghosting (66% vs. 59% of white candidates).

One explanation for the increase in ghosting is that employers are being overwhelmed by AI applications. Internal Greenhouse data shows that recruiter workload increased by 26% in the past quarter alone. AI has made it easier than ever for candidates to apply for jobs, with 38% of job seekers mass applying to roles, flooding employers with resumes rather than pursuing targeted opportunities.

Companies are struggling to manage the overload of applications fueled by AI, but they need to realize that the market runs in cycles and they won’t always have the upper hand. Every unanswered email and every vanishing hiring manager isn’t just a minor inconvenience to candidates; it’s costly and can damage a company’s reputation, making it harder to attract top talent in the long term.
Jon Stross, President and Co-founder of Greenhouse

The practice of posting “ghost jobs” – positions advertised with no intent to hire – is also becoming more prevalent. Three in five candidates say they suspect they’ve encountered a ghost job. And Greenhouse data shows this phenomenon isn’t just in candidates’ heads. In any given quarter, 18–22% of the jobs posted on the Greenhouse platform are classified as ghost jobs.

Candidates still care deeply about DE&I

While diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) efforts and programs have faced public backlash, job seekers still see a company’s commitment to DE&I as a green flag. More than half (53%) of candidates consider it very important for companies to openly promote DE&I in job postings, while only 9% deem it unimportant. Historically underrepresented job seekers are placing increasingly more importance on DE&I. The number of these candidates who say a company’s DE&I commitments are essential when applying to a role grew by 27 percentage points between April and November 2024.

At the same time, 64% of US candidates report they’ve faced discriminatory or biased interview questions. The most frequently encountered discriminatory questions related to age, race and gender. A structured interviewing approach can help ensure that all interviewers ask the same questions and don’t veer into dangerous, discriminatory territory by going off script.

The giant bot in the room

We can’t talk about the current state of hiring without examining the role of AI. A vast majority (91%) of workers view the current job market as challenging, and 57% attribute the intensified competition to AI.

Hiring remains a black box to many job seekers, and AI has made it more opaque. Some candidates embrace AI’s potential, indicating they don’t have a problem with automated screening of basic qualifications and AI-assisted candidate evaluation. However, others remain skeptical. Overall, 15% of candidates oppose any AI involvement in hiring.

Next steps for TA teams

Wondering what you can do to make sure you’re creating positive impressions for your candidates? Here are a few ways candidates would like to see the hiring experience improve:

• 42% want stronger recruiter communication

• 38% are seeking ways to make their applications stand out from the crowd

• 28% would like more clarity on AI usage

If you’re struggling to keep up with an influx of AI applications, we recently shared a few tips to help you navigate this situation. Focusing on skills-based and structured hiring can help streamline your approach to writing job descriptions and conducting interviews, while Greenhouse features like smart searches and application limits can keep your candidate pipeline moving and prioritize real candidates while preventing spamming. And if you’re wondering how to approach AI usage for both your TA team and candidates, we’ve published our policy and encourage other companies to do the same.

Our research reveals it’s a tough market for job seekers and TA teams alike, but job seekers see the steps you take to create a positive candidate experience – and it makes a world of difference.

Explore even more of the findings from our 2024 State of Job Hunting report, including common missed opportunities and candidates’ top concerns. Download the report at the top right of this page to learn more.