Some 39% of hiring managers said their companies have fake or “ghost” job listings, according to a survey by ResumeBuilder.com. 

“It’s a concerning scenario, particularly when these misleading postings originate from HR departments — the very entities entrusted with shaping accurate perceptions of their organizations,” ResumeBuilder Chief Career Advisor Stacie Haller said in a press release. 

Top reasons behind the fake job posting strategy include: 

• Appearing open to external talent, 67% 
• Projecting company growth, 66% 
• Making employees believe their workload will be alleviated by new workers, 63% 
• Making employees feel replaceable, 62% 
• Collecting résumés and keeping them on file for a later date, 59% 

Regarding how often candidates who applied for fake jobs were later contacted, 39% reported candidates were always contacted while 45% say candidates were sometimes contacted. Just 12% said candidates were rarely contacted, and 5% reported never. 

“Whether it’s to create an illusion of company expansion or to foster a sense of replaceability among employees, such practices are not acceptable,” Haller said. 

However, the ResumeBuilder survey also found that 43% of hiring managers believe fake job postings are acceptable, and 27% think they are probably acceptable. And a majority say fake job postings had positive impacts on revenue, employee morale and productivity. 

In addition, 66% of hiring managers say stakeholders — including employees, investors and applicants — who were not supposed to find out about the practice of listing fake jobs did uncover the truth. 

The data is based on a ResumeBuilder survey of 649 US hiring managers on May 22 for the report.