I\u2019ve spent five years in this executive role, dedicated and steady \u2014 yet recently, I stumbled upon a job ad that mirrored my own position, down to the title and duties. There\u2019s absolutely no need for a second person in this role, so confusion quickly turned to dread. I went straight to HR and asked, \u201cWhy are we keeping a job ad open when we\u2019re not actually hiring for it? Or am I being fired?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He smiled, clearly trying to mask his surprise that I had found out \u2014 then I froze when he suddenly stood up and sighed: \u201cOh well Christy, you were not supposed to see that job listing. Thing is, we keep certain positions advertised to stay prepared for natural employee turnover. Every year, we expect around 10\u201320% of staff to leave. It\u2019s not a company issue, it\u2019s just how the job market works right now. By keeping these ads open, we can build a pool of potential candidates and act quickly when someone resigns.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then he added something that made me even more uneasy: \u201cIf an exceptional candidate \u2014 a real \u2018rock star\u2019 \u2014 applies, we might bring them on board immediately, even if there isn\u2019t an opening at that moment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m not sure if this is standard practice everywhere, but honestly, it feels unsettling. It\u2019s as if the company is already preparing to replace me, even though I have no plans to leave. At the same time, I can\u2019t help but see how unfair this seems from the perspective of jobseekers. They apply in good faith, not realizing that some of these \u201copen\u201d positions might not be real openings at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What do you think about this system? Have you ever encountered a similar situation at your workplace?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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