Is 'career catfishing' going on in your workplace?

Analysis: There has been a big rise in job seekers accepting positions and then ghosting their new employer before the first coffee break

In 2022, the 2 Johnnies released a two-part episode in their podcast series warning about the risks and perils of catfishing. When the series exploded in popularity, they returned with episode three, which unpacked fresh twists and listeners’ experiences. Before long, the topic went viral, sparking a nationwide hunt to unmask the mysterious person behind the screen.

But what is catfishing? The term was popularised by MTV’s Catfish: The TV Show and refers to the act of deceiving someone into a relationship with a fabricated online identity. Basically, a person takes information and images from others and uses them to craft a new identity for themselves.

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Now, the same concept has quietly slipped into the professional world. Indeed, 2025 has brought a surge of new work terms and buzzwords that are hard to keep track of. Terms like micro-retirement, revenge quitting, coffee-badging, task-masking and hush holidays have already emerged. Career catfishing is straightforward: you apply for a job, you land a job, accept the offer and then ghost your new employer before your first morning coffee.

This is the most obvious and widely recognised example, but career catfishing can be much more complex. Others may hijack credentials and exaggerate endorsements to secure roles far beyond their abilities. Whether you disappear before your first day or bluff your way through an entire interview process, the result is the same: it erodes trust, harms professional reputation and could have legal consequences. Career catfishing is indeed a professional trapdoor.

The 2025 Future of Work Survey in the UK found that Generation Z is the most likely to engage in this bold behaviour, with 34% (or one in three) accepting a job offer but not attending their first day without informing new employer, not even by email. Although more common among younger people, older job seekers are also exhibiting this trend, with 24% (or one in four ) of millennials admitting they skipped work after accepting a job offer. In comparison, 11% of Gen X and 7% of boomers have done the same.

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The statistics portray a negative view of Gen Z job seekers, leading to the assumption that younger workers lack professionalism and dismiss conventional employment norms and practices. However, it offers us a snapshot of their reality and the frustration they face in finding jobs and during the job application process.

A 2024 survey of Gen Z job seekers showed that 71.6% cited a lack of feedback after applications as their main frustration. Additionally, 65.7% found the application process too lengthy, possibly due to preparing resumes, cover letters, and attending multiple interview stages. Meanwhile, 40.2% felt there was too much emphasis on experience and education. Some might say that these frustrations not only push people to overstate their credentials to catch employers’ attention but also diminish candidate interest, causing some to disengage entirely.

Graduates from the survey shared their thoughts on the challenges of finding a new job. “A lot of lengthy application processes even when I’ve gotten through to the last stage, there has not been much feedback given even when asked”.

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The quote highlights the real-world impact of prolonged hiring processes. In today’s unpredictable job market, Gen Z candidates quickly scan entry-level positions. When recruitment involves several rounds and feedback is delayed for weeks, candidates tend to lose interest. As a consequence, they might accept an offer from another job, become discouraged and give up or even embellish their credentials to stand out from other candidates. What starts as a quest for the perfect fit can soon become a frantic search for any opportunity, thereby leaving employers empty-handed or, through the very definition of career catfishing, stuck with hires who never truly intended to stay.

The impact extends beyond frustrated job seekers. Career catfishing is also significantly affecting employers and businesses. Each new hire involves a major investment of time and money. The recruitment process is lengthy and demanding, encompassing everything from advertising the position and screening candidates to conducting interviews, background checks and onboarding. Essentially, organisations allocate resources to find and prepare new employees. As a result, ghosting on the first day or overstating key skills wastes these investments and the energy that went into them.

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It’s a trend which is of huge concern for external recruiters and staffing agencies. Last-minute cancellations and résumé misrepresentations may strain their professional relationships and undermine trust, as employers depend on these agencies to identify suitable candidates for their vacancies. Incidents of career catfishing compel employers to reevaluate the competence of these agencies in providing appropriate talent. From a financial perspective, these external recruiters and staffing agencies impose fees for successful placements. Therefore, non-appearance without notice not only depletes the employers’ budgets but may also prompt disputes over fees.

Career catfishing may indicate that our hiring systems and processes are not aligned with the fast-paced, high-stakes job market today. Not showing up for work on the first day without notice and résumé padding can be attributed to factors such as delayed feedback, competition and high expectations. The solution entails transparent and sincere two-way communication. On one hand, employers should honour the time of job seekers, particularly amidst the prevailing uncertainty. But job seekers must also recognise that identifying the appropriate candidate for the position is a challenging and time-consuming process.

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The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ

Is ‘career catfishing’ going on in your workplace?

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