Volume 3 Issue 2 | 2026 | View PDF
Paper Id: IJMSM-V3I2P117
doi: 10.71141/30485037/V3I2P117

Transparency failures in Online Recruitment Systems: Evidence from LinkedIn Job Postings

Yeshwanth Zagabathuni

Citation:
Yeshwanth Zagabathuni, "Transparency failures in Online Recruitment Systems: Evidence from LinkedIn Job Postings" International Journal of Multidisciplinary on Science and Management, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 141-153, 2026.

Abstract:
Online recruitment platforms have transformed the job search process by increasing accessibility and enabling candidates to apply to multiple positions rapidly. However, these platforms may also contribute to recruitment inefficiencies through incomplete job postings, limited transparency, and ambiguous hiring requirements. This study examines transparency failures in online recruitment systems through a mixed-method analysis of 1,258 LinkedIn job postings collected between 2019 and 2025, together with survey responses from 141 job seekers. The study evaluates several dimensions of recruitment transparency, including salary disclosure, experience requirements, recruitment timelines, recruiter contact information, and completeness of job descriptions. The findings reveal substantial gaps between candidate expectations and the information provided in job postings. While survey respondents rated salary transparency, realistic experience requirements, recruitment timelines, and information on work arrangements as highly important, these attributes were frequently absent in practice. Only 19.7% of job postings disclosed salary information, while only 1.2% specified a recruitment timeline. Furthermore, the study argues that incomplete or low-transparency job postings contribute to information asymmetry, candidate uncertainty, and inefficient job-search behaviour. Based on these findings, the paper proposes a structured job description framework to improve transparency and standardisation on online recruitment platforms.

Keywords: Digital Labour Markets, Information Asymmetry, Job Posting Transparency, Labour-Market Inefficiency, LinkedIn Job Postings, Online Recruitment Platforms, Platform-Mediated Labour Markets.

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