How Verification Works

Every job listing on Deghost is automatically analyzed using 10 verification checks. Here's exactly how we calculate the verification score and detect ghost jobs.

How the Verification Score Works

Each job starts at 50 points (neutral). Positive signals add points, negative signals subtract them. The final score is clamped between 0 and 100.

75 - 100

High confidence — strong evidence the job is real

35 - 74

Medium / Low — some signals, but limited data

0 - 34

Unverified — not enough information or red flags

The 10 Verification Checks

Known Staffing Agency

+25

If the posting company is a recognized staffing or recruiting agency (e.g. Robert Half, Randstad, Hays), the job gets a significant boost. These agencies have contractual obligations to fill real positions.

Recruiter Posting Language

+15

Detects phrases like "our client", "on behalf of", or "confidential company" that indicate a recruiter is posting for a real hiring company.

Multi-Source Verification

+15

Jobs that appear on multiple job boards simultaneously are more likely to be real. If the same position is found on 2+ sources, it gets a boost.

Listing Freshness

+10 / -15

Recently posted jobs (under 7 days) get a boost. Jobs older than 30 days get a penalty — stale listings are a common ghost job pattern.

Urgency Signals

+10

Language indicating active hiring need — "immediate start", "ASAP", "backfill", "growing team" — suggests the position is real and the company is actively looking to fill it.

Ghost Job Keywords

-10 each

Scans for phrases commonly found in ghost listings: "talent pool", "future opportunities", "talent pipeline", "general application", "no current openings". Each match reduces the score.

Salary Transparency

+10

Jobs that include specific salary information in the description are more likely to be real. Companies with genuine hiring intent tend to be transparent about compensation.

Description Quality

+5 / -10

Detailed job descriptions (500+ characters) get a small boost. Very short or missing descriptions get a penalty — real jobs typically include thorough requirements.

Source Reliability

+10 / +5

Some job sources are inherently more trustworthy. Community-driven sources like GitHub Jobs and Hacker News get a higher trust boost than aggregator platforms.

Glassdoor Company Data

+10 / -10

If the company has a Glassdoor profile, its rating affects the score. Companies rated 3.5+ get a boost. Low-rated companies (under 2.5) or those with low recommendation rates get a penalty.

Ghost Job Detection

A job is flagged as a possible ghost job only when multiple automated red flags appear together:

2 or more ghost keywords found in the listing (e.g. "talent pool" + "future opportunities")
1 ghost keyword combined with a stale listing (60+ days old)

This conservative approach reduces false positives. A single keyword alone is not enough to flag a job as ghost.

Company Trust Score

The company trust score on the company profile page reflects the company's overall hiring track record:

Average verification score across all their job listings
Ratio of vacancies filled vs. opened (higher fill rate = more trustworthy)
Glassdoor rating and employee recommendation rate
Ghost job percentage (lower is better)

Browse verified jobs View transparency rankings →

Our verification system is automated and may not be 100% accurate. It is designed to help job seekers make more informed decisions, not to definitively classify jobs. Always do your own research before applying.

Learn More

What Is a Ghost Job?Ghost Job Statistics Check a Job Resources Blog