Tag: Transparency

Ghost Job Posts in Sri Lanka

Job searching is already stressful. When candidates spend hours tailoring CVs, writing cover letters, and preparing themselves only to hear nothing back, it can be frustrating. One major reason behind this frustration is something called ghost job postings.

This is a growing global issue, and Sri Lanka is not immune.

What Is a Ghost Job Posting?

A ghost job post is a job advertisement published without a real intention to hire at that time.

The job may look real. The company name may be familiar. The role description may sound exciting. But behind the scenes, there is no active recruitment happening.

The post exists for other reasons, and not to actually fill a vacancy.

Why Ghost Job Posts Are Bad

Ghost job postings cause damage on multiple levels.

For job seekers, they:

  • Waste time and emotional energy
  • Create false hope and unnecessary anxiety
  • Distort the real job market and demand for skills

For companies, they:

  • Erode trust with candidates
  • Damage employer brand over time
  • Reduce response quality when they actually start hiring

At a broader level, ghost jobs:

  • Hurt the credibility of the entire industry
  • Create misleading signals about job trends
  • Push people to make poor career or learning decisions

The Situation in Sri Lanka

Studies in the U.S. estimate that around 27% to over 30% of job postings are ghost jobs. Many recruiters and companies have openly admitted to posting ghost jobs at least once.

In Sri Lanka, there is no reliable research or published data on this topic yet.

However, considering:

  • The project-based nature of the IT industry
  • Hiring driven heavily by client demand
  • Frequent “pipeline hiring” behavior

…it’s reasonable to assume that ghost job postings may exist at similar or even higher levels, especially in tech.

Why Companies Post Ghost Job Ads

Companies post ghost jobs for many reasons. Some are intentional, some careless, and some unethical.

Common reasons:

  • Signaling internal employees that the company is “growing”
  • Creating confidence among customers or investors
  • Sending a message that employees are easily replaceable
  • Researching the talent market and skill availability
  • Testing how many people apply for certain roles
  • Influencing trends by promoting specific technologies
  • Boosting engagement or followers on social media
  • Showing openness to talent without immediate hiring plans
  • Running scams (asking candidates to pay during the process)

Not all reasons are malicious, but still making problems.

How to Identify Potential Ghost Job Posts

Not every suspicious job post is fake. But ghost jobs often follow patterns. If you notice several of these together, pause and research before applying.

Common warning signs:

  • Very generic or extremely brief job descriptions
  • Reposting the same role frequently without updates
  • Social media posts asking people to “comment if interested”
  • Anonymous posts in job groups
  • Sudden floods of generic openings from the same source
  • No clear hiring timeline or process mentioned

How to Verify a Job Before Applying

If something feels off, trust your instinct and do a quick check.

Practical steps:

  • Cross-check the job on the company’s official website
  • Look for the same role on multiple trusted platforms
  • On social media, check the poster’s profile credibility
  • Message the recruiter politely and ask for more details
  • Use LinkedIn to:
    • Review the company page
    • Check employee count and growth
    • See if similar roles actually exist internally

If applying via email:

  • Prefer corporate email addresses over generic ones
  • If a third party is involved, verify their legitimacy
  • Confirm whether your CV goes directly to the company

General Safety Rules for Job Seekers

Some rules should never be broken. No matter how desperate the situation feels.

  • Never make payments during any stage of recruitment
  • Any request for money = scam
  • Do not include sensitive personal details in your CV
    • No NIC numbers
    • No full postal address
    • City is enough
  • Apply only to fresh job postings whenever possible

What to Do If You Find a Fake Job on ITPro.lk

If you come across a suspicious or fake job ad on ITPro.lk, please use the Report option on the job page.

This helps us protect the community and keep the platform trustworthy for everyone.

A Message to Companies. Why Ghost Jobs Are a Bad Idea

If you’re a company posting ghost jobs and believe it’s harmless. It’s not.

There are better, honest alternatives.

If you want to show openness to talent:

  • Create a clearly labeled Talent Pool or Open Applications page
  • Be transparent that it’s not an active vacancy

If you want to collect CVs:

  • Offer an email or form for speculative applications
  • Clearly state that responses are not guaranteed

If you want engagement:

  • Use social media content, employee stories, tech discussions, or learning initiatives

You don’t lose credibility by not hiring all the time.

Final Thoughts

Trust is the heart of any strong brand.

Companies don’t build trust by posting frequent job ads.
They build trust by being honest, transparent, and respectful of people’s time.

And for job seekers research is your superpower.

A healthier job market starts with honesty on both sides.

Finding Your True Worth – How to Figure Out the Right Salary

Figuring out the right salary for your role can be tricky. Everyone seems to have an opinion, but how do you know what’s real?

1. Opinions/Social Media or Forums (Least Reliable)

People love to talk about salaries on social media and in casual conversations. Remember that opinions are often Trojan horses for hidden agendas. People often have their own reasons for saying what they do. Sometimes, people are motivated to post false numbers to influence opinions and set certain expectations in the job market. Also, they might exaggerate to look good and impress others in public while downplaying their earnings when talking to coworkers. It’s hard to know what’s true.

2. Surveys (Better, But Not Perfect)

More structured than opinions. Helps to collect more information, including the demographics of the participants so you can analyse them better. But since the answers are self-reported, this information can contain biases and false information.

3. Research (The Best Method)

The most reliable understanding of salaries often comes through proper research. A mix of different sources including informal conversations, online surveys, and platforms like Glassdoor. In some cases, information gathered directly from companies adds valuable perspective. When data is collected from multiple angles and cross-checked, the result tends to be a more accurate and balanced view.

Not all sources hold equal weight. Information from trusted or direct sources usually carries more value than unverified hearsay. In practice, combining many sources while being mindful of their reliability often brings researchers closer to the actual market range.

Finally: Salary details are usually considered confidential in most workplaces, which makes finding accurate numbers challenging. No single source can provide the full picture. It seems that a layered, evidence-based approach is the closest thing to a scientific method when trying to understand compensation standards.

Salary Transparency – Reality, Trends, and Possible Candidate Pitfalls

Salary transparency is still a fresh concept in Sri Lanka. While it’s not yet widespread, we’re starting to see some early trends emerge locally as companies experiment with openness about pay.

Is There a Real Trend in the World?

Yes, salary transparency is a growing global trend, especially in places like the U.S. and Europe, where laws and worker expectations are pushing companies to share pay details. A real-world example is Buffer, a tech company that adopted full salary transparency in 2013. They publicly share every employee’s salary online, from the CEO to entry-level staff. Buffer says this openness builds trust and boosts job applications, proving it’s not just a passing fad but a shift toward fairness and accountability in workplaces worldwide. Sri Lanka might be behind, but the global movement could inspire change here too.

Benefits of Sharing Salary in Job Ads

Posting salaries in job ads can attract the right candidates. People who know what they want and won’t waste time if the pay doesn’t match. It also cuts recruitment effort by filtering out mismatches early, saving companies time and resources.

Challenges with Transparent Salary

However, transparency isn’t all smooth sailing. One challenge is employee morale. As an example, at Reddit, which removed salary negotiations to promote fairness, some workers still felt uneasy comparing their pay to new hires, showing how openness can spark tension. Another issue is competitors poaching talent. If a rival firm sees your salary range, they might offer more to lure staff away.

Possible Candidate Pitfalls

Candidates need to watch out for tricks too.

Bait and switch recruitment: Some companies post high salaries in ads but never hire. Their real goal is to look like a top paying company.

Selective transparency: Organizations might display salaries only for their highest-paying roles while keeping compensation for average positions undisclosed.

Range manipulation: Some employers post extremely wide salary ranges (e.g., “50,000-120,000 based on experience”) that provide little meaningful information

Salary transparency is creeping into Sri Lanka, following a real global trend. It promises better hiring and trust but brings challenges and pitfalls too. For now, both companies and candidates here need to tread carefully as this idea takes root.