Applying for work looks different than it did a few years ago. Here’s what job seekers are up against, and how to protect yourself.
Job hunting used to mean a CV, a cover letter and a phone call if you were lucky. Now you might be interviewed by software, apply for a role that was never really open, or get messaged by a “recruiter” who wants your bank details.
None of it means you should stop applying, but it helps to know what’s going on.
Ghost jobs
A ghost job is a listing for a role a company isn’t actively trying to fill. In a 2024 survey of US hiring managers by careers firm Resume Builder, 40% said their company had posted a fake job listing that year, and three in 10 had one active at the time.
There’s no equivalent New Zealand survey. Graham Rodgers of Success HR told Newshub that some agencies re-advertise to keep a pool of candidates for casual roles, and that some ads exist to make an organisation look like it’s thriving.
Check how long a listing has been up. A role posted in the last few days is more likely to be real than one that’s been running for months. If the same ad keeps reappearing unchanged, ask the employer directly whether the role is open before you spend an evening on a cover letter.
AI in the interview
More employers use software to screen CVs, and some now run first-round interviews with AI. Spark uses an AI “smart interviewer” for early-stage contact centre hiring, according to HRD New Zealand.
The law hasn’t changed to match. Simpson Grierson employment lawyer Rachael Judge told HRD that “AI does not change an employer’s underlying legal obligations.”
If an AI tool screens people out on grounds such as sex, family status or race, the employer can be liable for discrimination even if nobody intended it.
You’re entitled under the Privacy Act to ask how your information is used. If an AI assessment is involved, it’s reasonable to ask whether a person reviews the results.
More applications, more competition
AI tools make it easy to fire off dozens of applications in an evening, and recruiters are swamped. The market is also tight. Seek’s job ads were up 9.7% on a year earlier in August, but unemployment sat at 5.6% in the June quarter, its highest since 2015.
Mass applications rarely stand out. A shorter list of roles, with a CV tailored to each, does better than a generic one sent everywhere.
Fake recruiters
Scammers have followed job seekers onto social media. New Zealand Police warned in June that fake job ads on Facebook are moving people onto WhatsApp or Telegram, then asking them to download an app that steals banking details.
The Police advice is to “Only install apps from trusted sources such as the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.”
Real employers don’t ask you to pay for training, buy equipment up front or install an app from a link to get a job. Look up the company yourself rather than using the contact details in the message.
Report scams to the National Cyber Security Centre, and to Police on 105.
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