job ads and no actual job

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I have come into a really weird realization during the last two years.I have noticed that there are ads for nurses in the paper,and on hospital websites-and I have come to the conclusion that they really arent hiring.

I am not a new grad so that cant be it.But there are some places where I apply and hear nothing back and the internet posting procedes to be there over a year.Also,HR will not answer their phone or call you back.Sometimes you do get an excuse that its being 'reviewed' or sent to the nurse manager.Most of the times when I've been persistant and followed up-I get excuses or a brick wall.Also,I've gotten lied to several times when HR tells me that they will call me back whether I get the job or not,and then they will not answer their phones or call me back.

Also for the ones in the paper,I apply-hit a brick wall,and they continue to put the ad in the paper.

Has anyone else had this experience? (I know some people in real life who've had this happen here too-so I know its not some horrible curse I have).

Also is there a nurse recruiter or HR person here who can explain this?

I am wondering if its to keep an applicant pool-or some weird form of advertising for the facility?

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This HCA hosptial had a job advertised for a couple of years or more, a nurse auditor, a paperwork position.

I applied for it and poof, it disappeared, the position didn't exist.

I don't know if they were using up their advertising budget or what.

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I've run into this before. That is one reason why I don't waste my time with online applications anymore, I go in person. I've always got some kind of response when I go in person and several times have been hired on the spot. Have read more than once that the "phantom" ad is just a ploy to gather resumes/applications. When I have checked back or attempted to apply again, most of the time I have found that no one has any idea whatsoever about what happened to my first application. So I just go in person.

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I always try to go in person when possible too.But some of these places do not accept paper applications or even have them anymore-they only accept online applications.Some places do also do not want phone calls,seriously-they request no phone calls.:banghead:

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Specializes in Trauma ICU, Surgical ICU, Medical ICU.

I recently resigned to go back to my home state and had to find a job. I found the best thing to do was to bypass HR alltogether, I found the floor numbers, asked for the manager. If they were not there I asked for the phone number, told them who I was, called them and talked to them personally. I explained my experience and they either wanted to meet with me or not. If I waited for HR to do anything, God only knows how long I'd have to wait to not have a job. It took me less than a week to get exactly what I wanted with only 1 year experience. I don't know how this works in the rest of the country but I surely think it can't hurt to contact managers personally. The worst they can do is reject you or tell you to fill out an app.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, WCC.

I post all of my openings on careerbuilder. Due to the high cost of the ads, you beter believe i don't place them unless I have an actual opening. I give the option of emailing a resume to me, calling for an interview and tour, or stopping by to fill out an application. I always return a response to those that do send a resume or apply.

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Specializes in ICU, OR.

Yes, I have seen this happening. What this hospital does is, post a L&D or Nursery position, which there are not many of in this area. Then the Nurse Recruiter will say that those postings are only specifically for the employees of a nearby hospital that is closing, for them to apply for. Not for anyone else to apply for. But would I like to apply for ____ (adult med/surg position) instead? No thanks. The job posting stays there for months.

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Aha! This is not just for nursing jobs. This is most jobs in the paper. The problem may be that there are jobs available but everybody and their grandmother applies for those jobs. At some point these employers get so boggled down with resumes and applications that, though they don't take the ad down they may start scrapping new applicants and ones they already have on file. So the problem is maybe 500:1. Five hundred people applying for 1 opening.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, PACU.

FYI:

When a company wants to take in foreign labor, the government requires that they show proof of a unsuccessful attempts to locate US labor. Many of those posted jobs are farces, just to comply with the gov't requirements.

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well that "splains it! Makes perfect sense now.

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There are many possible reasons for this. In my experience from staffing nurses in California, usually there was a genuine need at the time hospital management thought about bringing on additional help. However, many things may have changed by the time the Ad is published and one reads it and then applies.... Just a few possibilities: the nurse that was leaving may have changed his/her mind, another nurse from a different floor at the hospital may have jumped on the position before the Ad can get pulled, lower patient count may have rendered the position void, and as previously noted, there may have been 500 applications for the one spot.

As a recruiter, I see this all the time - I submit a nurse to a hospital that is looking for three night shift nurses. After hearing nothing from the hospital for a week, the hospital says that the their needs have changed and they no longer need anyone.

Yeah it's very frustrating and why I recommend to anyone who is looking for nursing work to apply with several agencies.

Make sense???

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Yep this is all making sense now. :(

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