Catches from the Job Posting Net: Are they really ALWAYS looking?

We’ve all seen ads, mostly, where a company or staffing firm seems to recruit for the same positions week after week.

Are there more and more new opportunities, or is something else going on?

Truthfully, it’s usually “something else going on.”

1. The job is VERY hard to fill due to a limited Candidate Pool. There’s just a limited talent pool for this, such as in fields like IT or medical. Chances are, if your resume is on the job boards and you qualify for a position like this, you’ve already been contacted.
2. The job is OFTEN open because there is some turnover. This is particularly true of call centers. Even the best call center environments have a fair amount of turnover. For ANY call center, I’d suggest speaking to someone who works there before you’d interview – find out if the turnover is natural or there are problems that are worse/deeper than that.
3. The job is ALWAYS open because there’s a real problem; employers can’t keep people. I’ve seen this very recently with one firm that keeps advertising the same entry level position: it’s possible that they could have up to 3 people in the role at once. However, they advertise about every 2 weeks for this same opportunity.

Thus, the employer can’t “keep” people. My guess, from experience in dealing with employers who say such, is that this is the attitude there: “We can’t find anyone good.”

Truth is that they do, but they are chased away! It’s a bad work environment with broken promises and unrealistic expectations. And this is well worth avoiding, or you’ll be the next person that they complain about.


Note that #3 above is the MOST common reason that employers keep advertising; there’s a BAD work environment to consider.

It’s in your best interests to look carefully at any job that’s posted “over and over again.”

And if you can talk to someone who works there, get the “skinny” as to why those jobs are open.

If you don’t have that opportunity and do interview for one of these jobs that’s “always advertising,” be certain to ask this key interview question: “Why is this job open?”

Warning sign is if the employer is negative about employees or the person or people you are being asked to replace.

No company can grow to the point where all they do is hire. Growing firms may add a lot of people, but if they are well or at least decently run, they’re going to keep a fair number of those they hire.

So, if someone is “always advertising” be aware that it’s not growth, and, in fact, may be a warning sign. A sign to avoid the job!

After all, you deserve better than to walk into someone else’s failures!