Beware the Phantom Job Listing

Jobs Go Unadvertised as Managers Rely on Their Own Contacts

Why do companies post open jobs only after a hire has been identified, or skip posting altogether? The practice is legal and ubiquitous, but frustrating for job-seekers, who don't realize they're applying for phantom positions. Leslie Kwoh has details on The News Hub.

John Nottingham says he was planning to hire a new design manager eventually. But when he heard a talented fellow alumnus of his design school was looking for a job, he wasted no time: He created an opening and hired the man right away.

Under normal circumstances, Mr. Nottingham, co-president of product design and engineering firm Nottingham Spirk, might have posted the opening on the Cleveland-based company's website or LinkedIn page. But in this case, he says, he couldn't afford to wait. "Someone good was available, and we just grabbed him," Mr. Nottingham says.

With the labor market remaining weak, such back-channel methods are becoming the rule, not the exception, when companies hire. Many open jobs are never advertised at all, or are posted only after a leading candidate—an internal applicant or someone else with an inside track—has been identified. Sometimes, as in Mr. Nottingham's case, a hiring manager creates a new position ahead of schedule to accommodate a favored prospect.

While this "hidden" job market frustrates applicants, companies point out that it is perfectly legal to hire without advertising a job or to advertise one almost certain to be filled by an insider. They say internal hires generally perform better than external ones, at least initially, as research has shown.

Duncan Mathison, an outplacement executive and co-author of the 2009 book "Unlock the Hidden Job Market," concedes that anything hidden is difficult to measure but, by parsing labor statistics and recruiting surveys, he calculates that around 50% of positions are currently filled on an informal basis.

Even though federal labor rules don't require employers to post openings, human-resources departments at many companies require them to be listed on a job board or career site for some period, says Debra Feldman, an executive career consultant based in Greenwich, Conn. Such postings are meant to make hiring fair and transparent, and may help to protect employers from discrimination lawsuits or audits by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

But hiring managers frequently sidestep personnel requirements, forcing HR representatives to step in and "re-educate managers about the reasons for the policies," says Lynn Hutson, director of talent acquisition at Brookdale Senior Living Inc. BKD +0.24% in Brentwood, Tenn. "We tell them we have resources to help them, and we can find them a bigger pool to draw from."

At a previous job, Ms. Hutson says she sometimes warned hiring managers that the organization could lose federal grant money if they didn't recruit widely, and added that the established recruitment process occasionally turned up better prospects, especially when a manager's preferred candidate proved to be a bad fit.

Not all HR departments are willing to fight that fight, and not all managers want to sift through a pile of strangers' résumés. Nottingham Spirk's Mr. Nottingham says his 40-year-old firm has built up a reliable workforce mainly through word-of-mouth hiring. The company often recruits on the campus of Case Western Reserve University, where its offices are located. "We can go to a professor and say, 'Who's your best student?' " he says.

Some HR officers don't mind being bypassed. Tim Sackett, a former staffing director at Applebee's International Inc. who often had hundreds of openings to fill, says he was relieved when hiring managers chose not to involve him in recruiting.

The size of the so-called hidden job market fluctuates with the broader economy, according to Mr. Mathison. When the talent market is tight, companies must advertise to fill key positions, making more open jobs public. In a soft economy, however, companies do more "opportunity hiring," creating jobs specifically to lure or keep promising individuals, he says.

Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Mr. Mathison calculated the difference between the number of jobs that employers said they hoped to fill in the following month and the number of employees they actually hired. When a company hired more employees than it officially estimated, he surmised that they were filling unadvertised positions. To that he added another 30% of all jobs filled to account for the number of advertised positions that ended up going to inside candidates.

"Managers are still looking for people and keeping track of the best talent," even when hiring is frozen; when jobs do open, companies already have a handy pool of candidates, Mr. Mathison says.

Fair or not, the practice irritates many job seekers, who feel shut out of companies and often don't know they are applying for phantom positions.

"You never get a fair opportunity to show what you have to offer," says Jo Ann Bullard, an HR specialist who was laid off in April by Orc Software. She says she has since applied for more than 500 jobs and has interviewed for several of them, only to later learn from HR contacts that those companies preferred to promote insiders.

It can be nearly impossible to know whether a posted job is real, Ms. Feldman says. She recommends staying current with people who work in a given company: they will be among the first to know when someone is being transferred to another division, or when a firm is building a new team for a product launch.

Sometimes, it is obvious when a listing refers to an all-but-filled position. Take, for instance, a recent posting for a head football coach at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Division I Big Ten school.

"There are probably four or five people in the country who would be considered for that job, and I doubt any one of them will hear about the job from the ad," says Mr. Sackett, now president of HRU Technical Resources, an information-technology staffing agency in Lansing, Mich.

The university, which has a policy of posting ads for all openings, admits the ad was "a formality." The eventual hire, former Utah State University head coach Gary Andersen, was recruited by the school's athletic director, says spokeswoman Amy Toburen.

How to Stand Out

It may be tough for outsiders to crack the hidden job market, but job seekers can find ways to get on the inside track. Some strategies:

Make coffee and lunch dates.

Reach out regularly to managers from other departments for lunch or coffee, even if you're not in the market for a new position, advises executive-career consultant Debra Feldman. When it's time to make a move–or if your department unexpectedly downsizes–you'll already be on their radar. "Even when you're happy in your job, you should always be making new connections," Ms. Feldman says.

Put your goals in writing.

Duncan Mathison, co-author of "Unlock the Hidden Job Market," recommends creating a list of the jobs that might best utilize your skills, the kinds of companies you'd excel at, and the type of manager you prefer. This "targeted opportunity profile" will help identify the organizations and people that are key to getting a desired job, he says.

Get candid with the boss.

In line for a promotion? The only sure way to find out is by checking in with your manager, Ms. Feldman says. You could be waiting for the position above you to open up – only to discover that management is eyeing someone else for that spot.

Seek out hiring managers.

Attend events likely to attract key contacts in your field, such as panel discussions about topical issues and popular happy hours. "A lot of people make the mistake of just showing up at a networking event and meeting with other unemployed people," says Mr. Mathison.

Ovako je za sina ‘naštiman’ konkurs za prijem u MUP KS!?

Na adresu portala Doznajemo stiglo je pismo jednog (uspješnog) učesnika testiranje kandidata za tzv. mlađeg inspektora u MUP-u KS. Naš kandidat je prošao, ali mu je zasmetalo ono što je vidio i čemu je svjedočio. Prenosimo pismo u cijelosti. Puni identiteti svih osoba, uključujući i autora pisma su poznati redakciji, no u tekstu ćemo ih zamijeniti inicijalima – pružajući priliku onima koji se spominju da sami eventualno isprave svoje pogreške, bez javnog prozivanja. Pročitajte!

Kandidati za «Mlađeg inspektora» u Ministarstvu unutrašnjih poslova Kantona Sarajevo (MUP KS), koji su zadovoljili na testu znanja održanom 09.02.2013.godine, stekli su pravo pristupa testu fizičkih sposobnosti. Test fizičke sposobnosti se održao 11. i 12.03.2013. godine u periodu od 08:30 do završetka testiranja na stadionu «Asim Ferhatovic Hase» u Sarajevu i u prostorijama Jedinice za specijalističku podršku – sportska sala MUP-a KS.

Prilikom samog dolaska ispred stadiona Koševo, primjetno je bilo da su mnogi kandidati došli sa svojim roditeljima. Naravno, to u prvi momenat nije izgledalo nimalo čudno, ali već prilikom postrojavanja i utvrđivanja identiteta ja kao i drugi kandidati koji su došli sami, primijetili smo da su pojedini roditelji otišli i korak dalje te su počeli prilaziti i razgovarati sa članovima komisije.

Prilikom prve discipline «trčanje sprint 100 metara» nalazio sam se na rednom broju ispred jednog od kandidata, a našeg sugrađanina, A.Č. sina M.Č., dugogodišnjeg radnika u MUP-u Hadžići, a sada visokog funkcionera Općine Hadžići. Naime, on je u ovoj disciplini istrčao vrijeme 15,60 sekundi tj. vrijeme kojim se ne zadovoljava daljnji prolaz jer je test u svakoj fazi eliminatoran.

Međutim, kada smo završili testiranje na stadionu Koševo uputili su nas u prostorije Jedinice za specijalističku podršku na preostale tri discipline koje spadaju u test fizičke sposobnosti. Prilikom dolaska u njihove prostorije okupili smo se u salu te su nam nakon određenog vremena pročitali ko je zadovoljio, te ko može nastaviti dalje testiranje. Nakon pitanja, ima li ko neke primjedbe na rezultate? – određeni broj kandidata se javio te se žalio ne vremenske uslove, klizav teren usljed kiše, kao mogući razlog slabih ocjena i u startu lošiji položaj na drugu grupu koja će se testirati narednog dana, ako se desi slučaj da vrijeme ne bude isto. Predsjednik komisije im je saopštio da je vrijeme idealno te da on nije ni meteorolog, a takođe ni Bog da određuje vrijeme, te da je priča oko vremena suvišna.

Nakon kraće rasprave, javio sam se za riječ, te sam tražio da mi pojasne način bodovanja i eliminacije, pošto je u prethodnim testiranjima, za isti konkurs, bilo da se mora iz 5 vježbi skupiti minimalno 30 bodova za prolaz dalje. Članovi Komisije su mi odgovorili da je ovo po novom pravilniku, te da je ovaj put dovoljno 5 bodova iz 5 vježbi, te da se mora iz svake vježbe osvojiti minimalno 1 bod za prolaz i nastavak, kao i sudjelovanje kandidata u daljnjoj konkursnoj proceduri. Nakon šturog odgovora, zatražio sam da mi pojasne po kojem pravilniku nije zadovoljio kandidat koji je trčao 15,03 sec, a moj kolega A.Č. koji je trčao 15,60 sec je prošao dalje. Kao i to da, samim tim stvara meni konkurenciju u daljem odabiru kandidata.

Obavijestili su me da je on trčao 14,90 sec što me zaista nasmijalo, te su rekli da sam prošao dalje i ne vide razlog zašto se javljam. Nakon toga, sam postavio to isto pitanje članu komisije koji je mjerio vrijeme, on je isto to vrijeme ponovio tri puta na moje oči i usi, ali i ostalih kolega. Rekao mi je da on ne gleda ko trči i da ga to ne interesuje, te da ga ne interesuje ko i kako upisuje vrijeme što u potpunosti shvatam i opravdavam. Na sve to, jedan uvaženi član komisije dodaje, da ne optužujem komisiju i pitao je ima li još neko primjedbi, na sto sam shvatio onu narodnu «kriva Drina se ne može ispraviti».

Naravno, u potpunosti se slažem da su uslovi bili katastrofalni za trčanje, ali su svima bili jednaki i nisam mogao da razumijem dvostruke aršine koji se primjenjuju, pa mi se stvorila sumnja da možda postoje još neki kandidati koji su došli reda radi, odnosno samo onako da budu viđeni, ali kao što naš narod kaže, može se svakom desiti jedna greška pa i našem sugrađaninu A.Č., budućem mlađem inspektoru u MUP-u KS.

Naravno na moju, a još više njegovu žalost, on i ja smo bili grupa broj 3, te smo skupa nastavili testiranje u preostale tri discipline.

Nakon mog završetka testiranja, A.Č. je išao tik iza mene, te je došao na strunjaču na kojoj su se radili sklekovi. Nakon njegova dva skleka, skrenuo sam pažnju članu komisije da sklekovi nisu ispravni, na šta mi je on odgovorio da niko od nas ne može uraditi ispravan sklek, te sam posumnjao da smo svi mi, nas 95, retardirani debili. Zatražio sam da bar uradi 18 sklekova, odnosno minimalan broj za prolaz. Naravno, jedva je uradio 10 koji po pravilniku i svim kriterijima nisu bili ispravni (ruke su mu bile u duploj širini ramena te se spuštao samo 5 centimetara ). Upitao sam profesoricu B., zašto mu piše 1 bod ako nije osvojio ni pozitivnu nulu? Odgovor profesorice bio je:
«Šta ćeš mu, vidiš ga da je smotan i da ne može uraditi ni jedan».

Nakon završetka, postrojili su nas, te su meni saopštili da «pustim to» i da sam prošao, da imam dobre bodove, te da se brinem za sebe. Toliko o ovom testiranju, ako neko želi da zna više detalja, o članovima komisije, o tome ko je i zašto pisao bodove, po čijem nalogu… slobodno kad me sretne u Hadžićima neka me pita.
Pa, čak se javno spekuliše u našem gradu da su pojedini kandidati dobili testove, te da su pojedincima profesorice Bosanskog jezika sastavljale pismene radove, ali eto, ovo je samo malo da se zna prava istina o našem društvu u našoj državi. Kako? Ko? Zašto?

Ovo nisam samo ja vidio. Dotičnog A.Č. nisam ni poznavao lično prije ovog testiranja, ali ove moje navode kao i detalje, potvrdit će mnogi kandidati koji su bili na testiranju kada dođe vrijeme za to. Još jedna molba za sve moje prijatelje, da me ne pozivaju na tel. i daju mi podršku zbog prolaska testiranja, možete sami zamisliti koliko je još, među ovih 190 kandidata istih, kao sto je naš A.Č.. A predsjedniku i članovima komisije želim sreću u odabiru onih najboljih uz veliku molbu da mi ne vrijeđaju inteligenciju i ubjeđuju me kako je nebo zeleno! Naravno, razumijem ja i sistem i društvo, ali bilo je mnogo ljepših načina da se ovo malo zamaskira i prikrije.

Iskreno, lično ja na većem cirkusu od ovog konkursa nisam prisustvovao. Možda što reče moj jedan prijatelj «uvijek je to tako samo ti nisi primjećivao». Kako reče nas jedan bivši predsjednik novinaru, ako se mogu sjetiti «Sretan vam ostanak u Bosni i Hercegovini».

Štela ili ne, ali gospođa Izetbegović je sada direktor Gradske bolnice u Sarajevu...Nameće se pitanje da li bi ona uopće bila direktor gdje je i ranije bila, a kamoli direktor Gradske (bivša vojna bolnica), da joj suprug nije Bakir Izetbegović, član Predsjedništva BiH...
Što onda dalje reći: štela je od vrha do dna i to je u BiH nažalost posve javna stvar...