How current are job postings on LinkedIn?

43 Comments

1. AnonymousJune 12,2022 at 3:52PM UTC

   They probably already had internal candidates and were required by law to post them.

2. AnonymousJune 14,2022 at 12:10PM UTC

   Very true.

3. AnonymousJune 14,2022 at 12:36PM UTC

   I hate this so much. Why bother if it is already promised to the cronyism and nepotism corrupt ways within a company. It takes a lot of work to apply for a position, very frustrating to say the least.

4. AnonymousJune 12,2022 at 4:01PM UTC

   It depends on the employer, sometimes when a posting goes out, they still keep it active even if they already found their group to interview just in case they want to pull from another pool until the position is filled. It’s hard to tell bc it depends on the employer

5. Gretchen SkalkaJune 12,2022 at 4:39PM UTC

   Employers pay for those ads, usually on a 30/60/90 day basis, so it's not unusual (unfortunately) for positions to be filled while the ad clock runs down.

6. Cyndi RosenblattJune 12,2022 at 6:01PM UTC

   If it takes 10 days for the job to be posted on the external site, but it was only posted for two weeks on the internal site, it can be almost closed by the time you see it. If there are specific companies you'd like to work for, it's best to check their jobs directly on their website weekly. If something is posted less than a week, it's unlikely to be a true open position (they already know who they want to hire) anyway.

7. AnonymousJune 14,2022 at 12:12PM UTC

   It is most likely that the positions were already filled internally. Yet by law the company is obligated to advertise the positions regardless.

   I think LikedIn is a great resource to meet like minded professionals and to network. But in terms of job hunting, I would prefer using Indeed or simply applying with the company directly.

8. Crystal HowellJune 14,2022 at 12:20PM UTC

   People are looking, I recommend calling the company and checking their careers website, before sending a resume.

   Get aggressive, call the HR department, as most folks are not doing that. Be proactive, take the job first.

   The squeaky wheel gets the interview. Good Luck

9. GirlBossanova934974June 14,2022 at 12:28PM UTC

   Trust Linkedin. I think sometimes LinkedIn employers repost jobs and that sort of thing happens. The BEST way to get the latest from Linkedin is to sign up for email job lists with YOUR criteria used as selection criteria. I have set up 4 email feeds in the past and it works. Last but not least, keep that LinkedIn profile up to date AND full of useful info for employers and recruiters. Far too often, people create these flowery adjective driven profiles which mean zilch to employers and recruiters. The more financial and technical detail you can give, the better. PS: I am still getting all sorts of calls from recruiters and companies based upon LinkediN profile. Found a new position almost a year ago but it works!

10. AnonymousJune 14,2022 at 12:29PM UTC

    I find that some employers wait to post on LinkedIn so it may only have been posted on LinkedIn for one day but it's been live on their site for two months or LinkedIn is getting it from an aggregator where it was just added . It doesn't seem intentionally deceptive but not always accurate.

11. AnonymousJune 14,2022 at 12:29PM UTC

    People posting jobs on paid sites like LinkedIn can be trusted to actually need applicants: why would they pay for the post, if they didn’t? (The one exception being the goofy requirement some have to post a job on a board even if they’ve hired internally).

    That said, while I agree with the poster below about reaching out to the recruiter, you absolutely should not call them unless they’ve posted their information and welcomed calls. Cold calling an HR department is an outdated practice and most recruiters despise receiving unsolicited phone calls to make sure an application has been received. You should, however, attempt to introduce yourself to them on LinkedIn and/or by email and provide context as to why you’re reaching out, what you can offer, and ask if they’re available to connect to discuss— keep it to one paragraph. Same goal, different approach. Good luck!

12. Kate M.June 14,2022 at 12:50PM UTC

    I really dislike LinkedIn these days. Twenty years ago, I thought it was great. Today, my feed is clogged with so many self-congratulatory posts or inspirational fluff. It feels more like a virtual happy hour than a place to hunt for jobs. Indeed seems to be a better resource for quality job listings.

13. AnonymousJune 14,2022 at 1:59PM UTC

    I was thinking the exact same thing yesterday going through my feed. I like the “new job/role” celebrations or innovations of some kind posts. I separate work colleagues from friends - some are both, but most are not - so my limited postings on LinkedIn are all job/company related.

14. AnonymousJune 14,2022 at 2:33PM UTC

    You put it perfectly! "self-congratulatory posts or inspirational fluff." A term I would have used 15 years ago would be "posers". If it weren't for looking for a new role, I'd be off.

15. Cheryl WilburgJune 14,2022 at 3:29PM UTC

    Linked in has become another social media site for the business set. I seldom see anything worthwhile on there, even from those in my network

16. Béatrice Denise ChahineJune 14,2022 at 4:08PM UTC

    I completely agree! My dad got me on LinkedIn ten years ago because I was in college and he wanted me to start getting the feels. However, so much has changed since then. Now it's toxic. My best friend avoids it at all costs. I only came back on it because I started looking for a job again. I also have job alerts from Idealist, which is a nice platform.

17. AnonymousJune 14,2022 at 4:41PM UTC

    I couldn't agree more.
    Also, to add I've seen a lot unprofessional photos of women being shared around by others on LinkedIn lately like women in low cut shirts, photoshopped makeup, etc with a self congratulatory post on how successful their career is while saying nothing about their career or what they accomplished and they get all these likes and congrats from others. I've also seen alot of political posts on there lately as well. Those types of posts do not belong on a professional networking website . I keep my LinkedIn for the sole purpose of networking and to connect with previous and current colleagues and I scroll through their job posts every now and then just to see what is out there but other than that I really don't go on.

18. Kate M.June 14,2022 at 9:59PM UTC

    Yes. The political posts are so tedious and (in my opinion) have no place on a professional networking site.

19. Rhonda L. CarsonJune 14,2022 at 12:53PM UTC

    I noticed that some jobs show an 'actively recruiting' tag so I did some research. The 'actively recruiting' tag is based on an algorithm around the recruiter's responsiveness and outreach. I will no longer apply if the tag is not visible.

    https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a507990/actively-recruiting-on-linkedin?lang=en

20. Carolyn HipkinsJune 14,2022 at 1:56PM UTC

    Good to know.

21. AnonymousJune 14,2022 at 2:07PM UTC

    Thanks for mentioning this. I'm going to look at this more closely now.

22. IntentionGirl955901June 14,2022 at 1:07PM UTC

    This happens way too often. It has happened to me three times and none of the posting are over one week. I reach out to the poster /recruiter and all of a sudden, it's no longer open.

23. AnonymousJune 14,2022 at 1:17PM UTC

    Even when I find ads on LinkedIn, I always go to the company's website and search for it and apply.

24. Heather CutlerJune 14,2022 at 6:12PM UTC

    I've done this, too, to confirm the position is still open and active.

25. Sarah HernandezJune 14,2022 at 1:19PM UTC

    That's interesting. I haven't had that experience, but usually, I try to apply if it's been up for a week or less. I use LinkedIn's job alerts to get updates to my email daily or weekly depending on the keyword search or position I am looking for.

26. Diane OswaldJune 14,2022 at 1:31PM UTC

    As a recruiter with a LinkedIn recruiting license, I can tell you that job postings are current. LinkedIn is one of the best sites for us to find quality talent, and yes the jobs fill quickly.

27. AnonymousJune 14,2022 at 4:10PM UTC

    I understand that applicants respond quickly but I don’t see how the job can be listed as filled so quickly. The employer could not have made a decision (callbacks, interviewing etc) that quickly. I’ve experienced this too. Jobs are listed as filled the same day they are posted. Thoughts?

28. AnonymousJune 14,2022 at 4:30PM UTC

    You are making an assumption that LinkedIn is the only platform they used. They might have used many different, starting from their own internal platform and they did not necessarily post on all of them at the same time. By the time, they posted it on LinkedIn, they might have interviewed a few people

29. Krystin MorganJune 14,2022 at 4:45PM UTC

    Yeah, I agree with this. I'll add that sometimes a posting gets refreshed/reposted even if it's late in the process. For example, maybe an offer is out to a candidate but it's unclear whether they'll accept, so the job is reposted to be safe - then the person accepts and the job is filled.

    Side note: I have been a recruiter for many years and have never seen a company post a job just to "fulfill an obligation," and I'd say a vast majority of hires I've encountered have come from online applications vs. any other source!

30. Serena GarnerJune 14,2022 at 1:48PM UTC

    I think many times they post positions on LinkedIn to fulfill the legal obligation of posting, when they already have someone they want to hire (either from within or a person that has been referred to them).

31. Joanne RosenJune 14,2022 at 3:13PM UTC

    It's not LI that you can't trust. It's the postings.

    If there is a position in a large company and they want to fill it from within, they will often post the job simply to cover their butts and not get accused of nepotism etc.

    If you are waiting for jobs to be posted on job boards, you are probably too late. You have less than 1% chance of getting a job that way, especially if you just hit the APPLY button.

    That's why we teach our clients to do a proper job search.

    Cheers

    Joanne

    https://www.analyticadvantagecc.com

32. AnonymousJune 14,2022 at 3:39PM UTC

    I'm curious about that <1% statistic? I must be very lucky because applying via LinkedIn is how I found my current role and one before that and both times I was in the final stages of the interview process with other orgs simultaneously. All through LinkedIn.

    Time to buy a lotto ticket.

33. AnonymousJune 14,2022 at 4:49PM UTC

    I am not sure where Joanne got her 1% statistic nor am I here to discredit it since I don't know where she obtained it.
    However, networking does play a large factor and make it easier to get a job. It isn't impossible to get a job without knowing somebody obviously you've done it, I did it for my current role.

    Job Boards only have around 25-30% of jobs available in the market while 70-75% are filled through networking or internal. I also think about when she says "just hitting apply" that is quite literally all a person does. Even if you don't know somebody at the company before applying you can still reach out after, gain more information about the role, and personally send your resume.

    Just my two cents. This is based on my training, knowledge, and personal experience.

34. AnonymousJune 15,2022 at 1:29PM UTC

    Joanne is selling a job search service.

35. JeanneJune 14,2022 at 5:28PM UTC

    I found a lot of potential positions via LI. Also, I opened myself up to recruiters and had a number of them reach out to me. I also really utilized the professional membership and frequently DM'd recruiters listed on the job postings. The majority got back to me and we were able to discuss the position.

    What I found was that my salary requirements were at times too high for the LI positions. However, the connections to recruiters that I made was what got me into my current role.

36. AnonymousJune 14,2022 at 6:21PM UTC

    Some of the recruiters have explained the process below. I will say LinkedIn is the primary sourcing tool most organizations are using. Sometimes you have to reopen/repost due to candidates that drop out, but there may have been backup applicants. Other times, companies are required to publicly post a role before they fill it. My advice to you is to keep going. Don't let yourself get hung up or stressed out on the things you cannot change. Keep moving. It wasn't meant to be. Apply to many roles and don't just hold out on few applications.

37. AnonymousJune 14,2022 at 7:14PM UTC

    I have had a similar experience. I started checking the url to see if they were copycat sites. Then they push that 15-page terms and privacy policy and data sharing crap off on you. It can truly be a waste of time, that's 4 sure!

38. AnonymousJune 14,2022 at 8:20PM UTC

    haha thank you I will edit my post! It took my a second to find it.

    What a dumb mistake I made lol.

39. AnonymousJune 14,2022 at 9:52PM UTC

    Thank you for taking the time to explain this. I appreciate that.

40. Karen GongawareJune 15,2022 at 2:25AM UTC

    Whatever is listed just go to the company's website and search for employment/jobs/careers there. Then you are up to date.

41. Liz MilneJune 15,2022 at 3:43PM UTC

    Sometimes companies post jobs that they fully intend to fill internally (or that they already have a preferred candidate for) to meet legal requirements - could this be the case here?

42. AnonymousJune 15,2022 at 6:08PM UTC

    Here's an example for what just happened with a job I posted. I initially posted a free listing and didn't get the hits I was looking for (not surprised but I thought I'd try). I just opted for the Promoted post and it reset the clock. So now it says 'just posted' with '4 applicants'. The same 4 that I had before.

43. AnonymousJune 24,2022 at 1:32PM UTC

    This practice has nothing to do with LinkedIn or where the job has been posted. In previous companies I've recruited for, it's a policy (and I believe a legal policy) that a job must be posted for 3 days externally before you can extend a written offer, and typically happens if there is already someone identified (a referral or internal candidate) that the hiring managers want to bring on board. The policy's part of the Equal Opportunity Employer law - to allow qualified talent apply & to make the best hiring decision based on looking at more than just 1 pre-determined or possibly internal candidate.

    Now, if these companies were to be audited they would have to prove in a business case that 1) they did source through all applications received in those 3 days, 2) that the original person they wanted to offer to, is in fact the best candidate compared to all those applications, and 3) they allowed it to be a competitive process by sourcing & qualifying all those who went through the process.

    It can be frustrating to apply to a role just a few days later to be told it has been filled, but my suggestion is to focus on the things you can control - your resume being easy on the recruiter eye, having keywords that match the posting and your true experience, and if given the opportunity to speak to a recruiter sharing your story in the most authentic and value-oriented way to show a clear case as to why you are the best fit.