Why So Many Job Descriptions Feel Fake or Misleading, According to Reddit

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With a degree in Psychology and more than 10 years of experience in digital marketing and HR, Gem Siocon writes HR and marketing articles packed with practical and actionable advice.

The Reddit Thread: What Sparked the Discussion

According to OP’s observation, many JDs feel “off”: mismatched skills, recycled templates, or roles that may not even exist. Users asked whether this is due to ghost jobs, copy-pasting, or pipeline-building.

Users’ comments came from HR pros, hiring managers, and job seekers.

Job Descriptions Are Often Generic by Necessity

Several HR commenters explained that JDs are written broadly because roles change and companies want flexibility.

User EstimateAgitated224, who identifies as an HR professional, commented:

“I have always worked in the corp world, they had to have 6 of the time you would spend doing each item, but it never = 100% because there were to leave room for other items. So I always felt they were super general.”

Many organizations include long responsibility lists to provide a complete view of the role’s scope and to ensure candidates understand the range of work involved.

Legal or compliance requirements sometimes require generic language, leading to JDs that feel vague or not tailored to the actual role.

Many Job Descriptions Are Outdated & Hard to Maintain

User EstimateAgitated224 added

“I am not a recruiter I am an HRD who does some recruiting… So many other things will fall into the scope of a job, but if I had to guess what you are seeing, is that people don’t update them, they are a pain to write and very few applicants read them.”

Maintaining dozens or hundreds of JDs is a workload issue. Without ownership (recruiter vs. HR vs. hiring manager), descriptions drift away from reality. This causes a disconnect between what’s posted and what actually happens on the job.

Misalignment Between HR and Hiring Managers

Some comments referenced breakdowns between HR’s writing and the hiring manager’s expectations. The JD lists one set of requirements, but interviews focus on something entirely different, as user thehandsomelyraven posted:

“how misaligned are we talking? do you mean they list duties or responsibilities that aren’t at all related to the position but once you get to the interview stage you learn that the HM is looking for something specific?

A software engineer senior or principle JD may have specific duties or qualifications, but maybe they’re looking for someone who has a specific skill set that isn’t covered on the team. This is going to be weighted more heavily during an interview.

JDs aren’t going to list everything that someone may be responsible for or may do in a position. JDs are used in many different ways and recruitment is only one part of that.”

Cross-functional communication issues create disconnects. This misalignment directly impacts job descriptions, leading to postings that don’t reflect what hiring teams actually need.

Hiring managers often skip involvement in JD writing. This is a structural problem, not intentional deception.

The Ghost Job Debate — Real or Myth?

Some users deny ghost jobs exist; others strongly believe they do. Some people assume postings are fake simply because they didn’t get a response. Others hinted at pipeline-building or evergreen postings. User AnneTheQueene commented:

“I would love to say that ghost jobs aren’t a thing, but I want to be fair and say that just because I’ve never seen them in practice, doesn’t mean they don’t exist. To me it seems a very convoluted and inefficient way to do any of the things people claim they’re used for.”

While there are some reports that a ghost job economy does exist, most HR pros on Reddit emphasized:

Not all lingering job posts are intentional ghost roles.
Sometimes hiring is slow, paused, or deprioritized.
Often it’s systemic chaos, not deception.

Copy-Pasting, AI-Generated JDs, and Lack of Quality Control

Several users noted that many JDs feel templated or AI-written. User litelorax posted

“I suspect many of them are simply written by AI and the HR people are not proofreading them appropriately with the hiring manager to make sure it is accurate. But also, the ghost job thing others have said.”

AI and templates accelerate JD creation. The downsides are a tendency to use repetitive phrasing, to write overly long requirement lists, and to set unrealistic expectations.
Quality control becomes a bottleneck.

Standardization (and Its Downside)

Some HR professionals use standardized job descriptions to reduce workload and maintain compliance. User Trying_2BNice posted:

“Part is that it is simpler to have standardized job descriptions. Part is that we don’t want to reveal the specific skills and needs we have to competitors.”

Standardization helps with consistency and fairness, though it often sacrifices nuance, which contributes to the ‘copy-paste’ feeling job seekers notice.

The Reddit thread makes one thing clear: job seekers aren’t imagining the disconnect. Outdated content, generic templates, AI-driven drafts, and misalignment with hiring managers all contribute to job descriptions that feel inaccurate or unclear.

These issues don’t always point to bad intent. But they do create real friction in the hiring experience.

What HR Can Do to Rebuild Trust

As HR, here are some practical things you can do to avoid creating job postings that feel fake or misleading:

Update job descriptions at least annually. Connect with current employees in the role to confirm whether the responsibilities still reflect day-to-day work. Many teams use JD management tools like Ongig to centralize updates and reduce duplicate versions.
Use structured intake meetings to align HR + hiring managers. Discuss role expectations and KPIs to ensure you hire the right candidate the first time (and avoid costly rehires).
Keep requirement lists realistic and focused. Only list role ‘must-haves’ to expand candidate reach.
Avoid automated posting of stale roles. That’s why you need to review job postings (especially if you hire frequently) at least once or twice a year so job descriptions stay accurate and inactive postings are removed.
Use AI for drafting. But humanize and verify every JD to ensure they reflect the company’s voice and tone. This is an important differentiator to attract the most qualified candidates.
Link job postings to transparent hiring timelines or disclaimers. Doing this helps manage candidate expectations and build their trust. It also makes the hiring process more efficient.

Conclusion: The JD Problem Isn’t Always Intentional. But It Is Fixable

Most misleading JDs come from structural issues, not malice.

With better clarity, collaboration, and process improvements, job descriptions can become more honest, useful, and candidate-friendly. The Reddit thread shows the demand for transparency and the opportunity for organizations to do better.

November 26, 2025 by Gem Siocon in Job Descriptions