Confirm a Job Posting Is Real Before Referring

Why Fake or Dormant Postings Exist

Photo by Mizzu Cho on Pexels

Recruiters rarely advertise that a role is already filled, frozen, or a simple talent-pool exercise. Understanding why misleading ads go live helps you spot warning signs early and decide whether to invest time. Below are the most common scenarios.

1. Evergreen pipelines. Some large firms leave ads open to create a steady stream of applicants for hard-to-hire skill sets. The opening may be genuine for one quarter, then become placeholder copy that is kept live because the marketing team never turned it off.

2. Budget freezes. A hiring manager drafts a posting, the finance team pauses headcount, yet the listing still auto-feeds to dozens of job boards. The post looks active, but no one can move candidates forward until the budget reopens.

3. Outsourced sourcing quotas. Agencies are sometimes paid by the volume of résumés collected rather than successful placements. Their incentive is to keep roles visible even when hiring slows.

4. Employer-branding campaigns. Organizations advertise “dream jobs” to signal growth. They collect résumés, send polite rejection emails, and walk away with a fresh marketing list. For applicants, this means a friendly brand interaction but zero chance of an interview.

5. Internal candidates are locked in. Regulations or corporate policy require a public posting even if an internal employee is already selected. The role is real, yet your odds of landing it are practically zero.

Real-world example

Maya, a data analyst, found five identical “Senior Data Scientist” ads at a Fortune 100 company. She applied to two without hearing back. After connecting with an internal employee, she learned the team hired someone six weeks earlier and forgot to close duplicate listings in their applicant tracking system. Maya’s story is frustrating, but it highlights how “ghost ads” appear for reasons other than deception.

Takeaway: When you see multiple identical postings or any of the scenarios above, pause and test the ad before asking someone to refer you. Time saved here can be invested in applications that matter.

How to Know if a Job Posting Is Real Using Rapid Checks

You do not need special software or hours of research. Ten focused minutes reveal whether a listing is real or a ghost. Follow the steps in order and stop the moment you detect a red flag.

Step 1. Visit the company’s careers site directly. Third-party boards often lag several days behind. If the role appears on Indeed but not on the employer’s own website, assume it is stale.

Step 2. Check the posting’s unique ID. Many companies include a requisition number in the URL or header. Paste that ID into Google with quotation marks. If you see cached versions from six months ago, the job has probably lapsed.

Step 3. Scan LinkedIn for hiring signals. Search the company name plus the job title. Look for “Hiring for X” posts from recruiters or team leads within the last two weeks. The absence of any chatter is a caution flag.

Step 4. Look at employee movement. Use LinkedIn’s “Insights” tab on the company page. Spikes in attrition, layoffs, or a hiring freeze note on employee profiles can tell you whether staffing is stagnant.

Step 5. Test the apply button. An active requisition should route you to a secure application form that requests details beyond résumé upload. Broken links or static PDF instructions suggest the role is no longer maintained.

Step 6. Send a short verification email. If a recruiter’s address is listed, write a two-sentence inquiry: “Hi Alex, before I apply I want to confirm that requisition 48376 is still open. Thanks for your time.” A genuine recruiter will often reply within twenty-four hours because it reduces ghost applicants.

Case study: The five-minute LinkedIn search

Diego, a marketing manager, found a “Growth Lead” role posted by a fast-growing startup. He checked LinkedIn and saw the VP of Marketing welcomed a new Growth Lead two weeks prior. Diego skipped the application and pivoted to a similar posting at another firm where no recent hires showed up. That single check saved him prep time and maintained his morale.

Cross-reference resources

If you want a deeper primer on additional signals like recruiter mobility and headcount charts, see Spotting Real Job Openings Before Requesting a Referral.

Takeaway: A systematic six-step scan prevents you from requesting referrals to roles that no longer exist, protecting your professional reputation with contacts.

Deep-Dive Verification for High-Stakes Applications

When the role aligns perfectly with your long-term goals, invest extra effort to verify it is real. The tactics below take thirty to sixty minutes but dramatically raise confidence.

1. Examine job board analytics. Some premium boards show how many applicants a posting has received and when it was first listed. A spike of candidates on day one followed by weeks of silence signals stagnation.

2. Analyze company press releases and investor calls. Look for mentions of team expansion or new product launches tied to the posting. A public commitment to growth correlates strongly with active hiring.

3. Review visa sponsorship data. If the company sponsors visas, check public records. Open requisitions often align with new petitions. No recent filings may indicate a pause in global hiring.

4. Track headcount on social media. Tools like LinkedIn Talent Insights or simple spreadsheet logging can reveal weekly changes in employee numbers. Flat growth over several months contradicts a claim of aggressive hiring.

5. Engage current employees in informational chats. Reach out to two or three team members who are not recruiters. Ask open-ended questions about team priorities. If none mention the role or upcoming interviews, it could be frozen.

6. Monitor interview review sites. Websites where candidates share timelines can show if recent interviews have progressed to offers. Multiple “position on hold” comments indicate trouble.

Mini case study: Engineering role on hold

Priya, a senior engineer, spent an hour reading quarterly earnings call transcripts and noticed a company’s R&D budget had been trimmed. She then contacted an engineer on the team who reluctantly shared the search was paused until funding returned. Priya refocused on companies with stronger cash flow and landed an interview within two weeks.

Build your own verification checklist

Create a spreadsheet with the methods above as columns. Rate each signal green, yellow, or red. A single red does not always kill a posting, but two or more usually means it is not worth a referral request.

Takeaway: Deep-dive verification pays off for dream jobs, ensuring you invest networking capital only when the odds of movement are high.

Next Moves After Confirming the Job Is Real

Now that you have confirmed the role is active, act quickly while enthusiasm is fresh inside the company.

Craft a tailored résumé version. Align the top bullet points with the posting’s first three requirements. A tight match improves hiring-system scores and gives your referrer a confident document to pass along.

Prepare a concise referral request. Mention the requisition number, two lines on how your skills solve the team’s pain points, and attach the tailored résumé. Keep it under 150 words so the employee can copy-paste into the referral portal.

Highlight verification findings. Let the referrer know you saw the hiring manager’s latest post or the recruiter’s “applications open” update. It reassures them they are advocating for an active hire.

Follow up respectfully. Wait four business days before sending a brief reminder. Referral portals often lag; your contact appreciates polite persistence.

Track outcomes to refine your process. Note which verification methods predicted a positive recruiter response. Over time you will discover personalized shortcuts that save hours.

Your action plan in one glance

• Run the six rapid checks on any new posting.

• Use deep-dive methods for dream jobs.

• Tailor résumé and referral note immediately after confirmation.

• Follow up and record results to improve.

Ready to level up? The ReferMe marketplace lets you connect with employees at your target companies, turning verified openings into warm referrals that actually reach hiring managers.

Call to action: Sign in to ReferMe today, verify your next role in minutes, and request a referral with confidence.

All images in this article are from Pexels: Photo 1 by Mizzu Cho on Pexels. Thank you to these talented photographers for making their work freely available.