A man claimed he got canned for refusing to post a job that he believed was a scam. In a viral post that has been viewed over 929,000 times as of this writing, TikTok user Ceros Whaley (@ceroswhaley) explained how he lost his second job for trying to do what he felt was the right thing.
“You can’t find jobs because of ghost jobs,” text overlaid on the clip read.
The man allegedly got fired for trying to protect others from these fake listings.
“I got fired from my second job because I wouldn’t post a ghost job,” the man began in the clip.
What is a ‘ghost job’?
Ghost jobs are work listings posted online for jobs that simply don’t exist. Workers began to notice a trend where companies were posting ads for jobs that would receive thousands of applicants but never result in new hires.
A study a couple of years ago uncovered a shocking truth: Companies weren’t actually filling many of the job vacancies they posted online. The study found that while “96% of employers claim[ed] they’re actively trying to fill an open role quickly,” the data suggests the opposite.
A majority of employers admitted they actually planned to fill a role two months or more after posting it. Meanwhile, one in five employers polled claimed they weren’t actually planning on filling their open roles until the following year.
Eight percent of employers even stated they did not plan on filling the open role until at least six months after it was posted.
How can you tell if a listing is a ghost job?
According to an article by Forbes, there are a few ways to spot possible ghost jobs. It warned that ghost jobs tend to be up for well beyond the average time it takes employers to fill positions—about 44 days. It also warned job seekers to be on the lookout for detailed job descriptions on job ads. Many ghost jobs offer vague job descriptions. A quick online search can also reveal if the company is actually hiring.
Was a worker fired for refusing to post ghost jobs?
TikTok user Ceros Whaley explained that he was a hiring manager who typically posted job listings to Indeed and other sites.
He refused to name the company he worked for but still dished the dirt on his former employer’s practices.
Whaley claimed he previously posted fake jobs on behalf of his employers to “encourage employees to work harder.”
He said workers for the company would apply for the positions but never get hired.
He argued that ghost job postings are a tool employers use to incentivize hard work, but they are ultimately detrimental to employees’ mental health.
“And I’ve made maybe 300 ghost job listings,” he admitted. “I’ve made a lot. I’ve made so many; it’s insane.”
Ultimately, the worker said he lost his job for refusing to post any more ghost jobs.
“I don’t feel good about doing this,” he claimed he told his manager.
@ceroswhaley #fyp #storytime #job #foryou #viral ♬ original sound – CerosWhaley
Viewers respond
In the comments section, many called out employers for posting ghost jobs.
“The corporations have ZERO ethics. If a person applies for a ghost job, not only do they not get the job, the company has ALL of your info,” user Mega Gaming wrote.
“Yeah, ghost job listings are so evil. Not only is it bad for workers mental health but also the people who put in the effort to apply for them never to hear back,” user FreshFindsPod said.
Others theorized there are even more dangerous implications to the practice.
“They also do this to make the economy look like it’s booming…” user Nikita said.
The Daily Dot reached out to Ceros Whaley via Instagram and TikTok direct message.
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