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When candidates search for jobs, they become familiar with the job postings as if they were their own neighborhood. Like the house on the block with the "For Sale" sign in the yard for what seems an eternity, you may notice job postings that have been up forever too. You may ask, "They haven't filled that yet?" or "Why is that still up?" or "Should I apply?" but the more you see the same thing, the more likely you will skip over it.
There are many reasons a job post may appear "old" to the job seeker, but the reality is more nuanced. Below are just a few scenarios that more than explain why a job listing is "old."
Scenario #1 – The post is for an "evergreen" job. There are many postings online for "evergreen" jobs, positions for which companies recruit twenty-four-seven, 365 days a year. A typical recruiting set-up encourages a steady stream of applications monitored and managed by a dedicated recruiter or Human Resources professional. These exist across fields and pay scales and may have more of a rolling hiring process than other jobs – all advantages to the job seeker. Some examples of high demand jobs for which employers may continuously post:
Accountants/Auditors – An accounting firm (e.g., PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young) always needs accountants and auditors.
Retail – Large retail operations (e.g., Nordstrom, Macy’s) recruit sales associates year-round and ramp up hiring during the holidays.
Delivery Drivers – the Gig Economy employs lots of drivers with different employment arrangements. Whether independent contractors or employees, gig economy workers are always in demand.
Nurses – Nurses are the most extreme example, but this category could include other healthcare roles. In fields where there are shortages of qualified people, the jobs become evergreen by default.
Scenario #2 – The position is still open. Recruiting employees is expensive. To run a job ad on multiple digital and traditional platforms costs money every day. Job ads are not on auto-pilot. The moment job ads are no longer needed, they are pulled. Life is unpredictable, so many reasons may exist for why a position is open for a long time, and the job seeker can't know any of them. Here are just a few examples:
The hiring manager may be searching for a unique candidate profile and is willing to wait until he/she meets the perfect individual.
A candidate accepted a job offer and then backed out at the last moment.
Salary negotiations fell apart.
Background check/drug test fails.
The last candidate’s references came back "Buyer beware!" and they decided to keep looking.
Family matters made the candidate turn down an offer.
As you can see, the multitude of potential reasons a job listing may be old is reasonable and neither indicate a dark cloud over the position, company, or recruiting process nor preclude consideration by people searching for employment.
Scenario #3: Some jobs are more difficult to fill than others. Step over to the other side and consider the two most probable environments in which recruiters operate. Environment #1: cities. Advantage: lots of jobs and lots of candidates. Disadvantage: lots of jobs and lots of candidates. It's very competitive. Environment #2: small labor markets. Advantage: Less competition. Disadvantage: Fewer jobs and recruitment challenges. Each environment contributes to employment that may go unfilled for longer than anyone wants.
In big cities, companies may have the luxury to take their time because the pool of candidates is so large. There may be many qualified candidates, so the recruitment, interview, and hiring process expand in scope and timeframe. The longer the hiring process, the more likely you will lose potential candidates to other jobs.
In smaller labor markets, jobs may go unfilled because deeper pools of qualified professionals more likely live and work in larger cities such as New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, or Miami. Recruiters in remote or smaller markets may face more issues in needing to identify and relocate potential employees, which costs time and money.
The final takeaway is this: stop skipping over old job listings and consider applying for roles for which you are qualified. Forget about the age of the job listing. Lightning can strike anywhere, anytime. If you don't apply, you definitely won't get the job.
Philip Roufail contributed to this article.
Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.
