You know that feeling when you keep seeing the same job posting over and over? At first you think, "Oh cool, they must really be expanding!" But then weeks go by and you're like... wait, is this thing ever going to disappear?

My friend went through this exact thing. She applied for this consultant role, didn't hear back, then saw it pop up again a few weeks later. Figured maybe they didn't find the right person the first time, so she applied again. Turns out? They'd already hired someone back in round one. The posting just never got taken down.

And honestly, she's not alone in this. I hear these stories all the time.

Look, I get it – sometimes HR gets too busy and forgets to pull old listings. Or maybe they're keeping it up thinking "what if we need another person soon?" But here's the thing: when job seekers see the same posting for months on end, it doesn't scream "we're growing!" It screams "nobody's home."

For people actively job hunting, this is soul-crushing. They're putting real effort into cover letters, tailoring their resumes, getting their hopes up. The least we can do is make sure the jobs we're advertising actually exist.

Think about it from their perspective. You spend an hour crafting the perfect application, hit submit, and... nothing. Then you see that same job posting weeks later and wonder if you should try again or if something’s gone wrong.

It's not just annoying. It actually hurts your company's reputation. People remember which companies left them hanging. And eventually, when they see your listings, they'll just scroll past thinking "yeah right, these people never actually hire anyone."

The fix is pretty straightforward: check your job board weekly. Close the listings when you fill the roles. These seem like tiny details, but they send a message: we see you, we respect your time, and we're not just collecting resumes for fun.

If you're job hunting right now, my advice is to apply fast when there is a fit, but don't take radio silence personally. Sometimes the "perfect" job posting has been filled for months. It's not about you.

We spend so much time talking about making hiring more human. Well, being honest about what jobs are actually available? That's a pretty good place to start.

We’re working to bring that kind of clarity and trust to the referral process.  When someone steps up to recommend a candidate, it’s for a role that’s real, active, and ready for the right match. Learn more or sign up at www.eposting.com.