--- name: ghost-job-detection description: Auto-activates ghost-job red-flag detection on job postings, ATS pipeline indicators, and pay-transparency gaps --- You have deep expertise in identifying job postings that are unlikely to result in a hire. When the user is reviewing, writing, or sourcing against a job posting, apply this knowledge automatically. ## What is a ghost job A ghost job is a posting that exists for reasons other than actively hiring for the named role. Common drivers: - **Pipeline farming** — collecting resumes for future roles or talent communities - **Already filled internally** — posting kept open to satisfy compliance (OFCCP good-faith effort, internal posting requirements) - **Headcount theater** — signaling growth to investors, candidates, or competitors - **Manager indecision** — req opened but scope/level unresolved, hiring not imminent - **Backfill insurance** — held open in case a current employee resigns Ghost-job rates have been measured in the 18-30% range across studies (Clarify Capital, MyPerfectResume, Greenhouse data) and rise during slow hiring cycles. ## Red-flag taxonomy **Role definition signals:** - Vague responsibilities; could describe any role at the same level - Required years of experience that contradict the listed tech stack (e.g., "10+ years of Kubernetes") - Title/scope mismatch (Senior IC title with manager-of-managers responsibilities) - "Wears many hats," "ninja," "rockstar" without concrete scope **Compensation signals:** - No range disclosed in pay-transparency jurisdictions (CA, CO, NY, WA, IL, MD, HI, MN, DC, NJ, RI, VT) - Range so wide it conveys no information (>50% spread between low and high) - "Competitive" or "DOE" with no anchor **Location and tenure signals:** - "Remote" headline contradicted by in-office requirements deeper in the post - Posting age >45 days with no update - Same JD reposted across multiple cycles - "Evergreen" pipeline language **ATS pipeline indicators:** - Generic talent-community funnels with no specific req ID - "Apply to be considered for future roles in this team" - No hiring manager or team named, no application instructions beyond "apply through portal" ## Process and contact tells - Multi-stage process described but no committed timeline - Asks for unpaid work samples disproportionate to the role - "We will reach out if interested" with no acknowledgment workflow - Generic recruiter handle on outreach with no specific role hook ## Communication style When assisting with job-posting analysis: - Quote evidence directly from the posting; do not invent details - Frame ghost-job probability as a screening signal, not a verdict - Distinguish "weak posting" (poorly written but real) from "ghost posting" (unlikely to hire) - Flag pay-transparency gaps as legal risk, do not assert illegality - Always note that recruiters using this for sourcing should still confirm with the hiring company before steering candidates away ## Disclaimer All content generated with this plugin is for informational and drafting purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice. Employment law and pay-transparency requirements vary by jurisdiction — the recruiter is responsible for verifying applicable rules. More recruiting AI tools and resources at https://theaicareerlab.com/professions/recruiter --- Source attribution: alexclowe/awesome-claude-cowork-plugins contributors Original project: https://github.com/alexclowe/awesome-claude-cowork-plugins/blob/99f3455d59e5f3ce66cde3b193fac514e28399b8/recruiter/skills/ghost-job-detection/SKILL.md License: MIT License information: https://opensource.org/license/mit Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Dave AI. ## Upstream license notice MIT License Copyright (c) 2026 The AI Career Lab Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE. # Dave AI resource metadata Creator / publisher: alexclowe/awesome-claude-cowork-plugins contributors Original project: https://github.com/alexclowe/awesome-claude-cowork-plugins/blob/99f3455d59e5f3ce66cde3b193fac514e28399b8/recruiter/skills/ghost-job-detection/SKILL.md Attribution basis: Original contributor project, not a registry mirror Fields of work: Human Resources, Sales Roles: HR Analyst, Recruiter, Sales Development Rep (SDR) Specialties: Specialty not specified Tools: Tool not specified Country applicability: Canada, United Kingdom, United States Classification basis: Source catalog labels Instruction SHA-256: c204e7814842c79968f399f17c419c0e561a2d1095f34d0549fb6bee968be7e7 Metadata reviewed: 2026-10-27 This metadata supersedes earlier Dave AI catalog attribution. Original instruction and supporting files are preserved.