Why Would This Be True?

I just encountered a thorough debunking of a common myth I myself used to believe.

Job hunters just about can't avoid being told to ferret out unadvertised positions, often in the form of the maxim in the title of the post I just linked: 80% of All Jobs are Hidden.

An important reason I like the post is that, before he dives into how this myth might have originated or why it might seem plausible, Jonathan Blaine gives a good executive summary right out of the gate:

Let's examine the question from the point of view of an employer. Why would a company keep a job opening secret? Short answer: in most cases it wouldn't because it wants to be able to find the cream of the crop. Successful businesses do not restrict options. Also, the longer the role remains unfilled, the less money the company will make, or the more stretched and ineffective existing staff will become. [emphasis in original]

Image by Jan Canty, via Unsplash, license.

The rest is interesting reading, but that question is easy to remember and very nicely boils the problem with that myth down to its essence.

(Blaine has also, by this point mentioned two general cultural factors behind the ubiquity of the myth.)

As with any good advice, it is not too hard to generalize: Never assume that something "everyone knows" is the truth, particularly if it starts sounding implausible as soon as you begin asking yourself why it would be true.

-- CAV