If you’ve been looking for a new job opportunity for a while, you might start to feel frustrated, like you’ve seen everything before.

Would you be surprised to know that some companies don’t post all their open positions online? Would you be even more surprised to know that this is a common practice, or would it make a whole lot of sense as to why you’re seeing the same jobs all the time?

At Bishop & Company, we want to tell you the whole truth: We work with companies to help fill their open positions all across the islands because we want to bring great opportunities to talented candidates, like you, and we can often help companies find great candidates faster than if they’d post the open position on the internet for everyone to see.

Let’s talk a little about why companies use this “hidden job market” approach.

It might be an internal posting.

Some companies are intent on hiring or promoting from within. To open a new position, or to post a higher-level position than what an internal employee already has, the job has to be made available online for people to review and apply. By posting it only on their company’s website, without cross-posting to social media, LinkedIn or other platforms, they’re keeping the position quiet while still fulfilling the requirement of making the position publicly available. It’s a loophole, but it’s one they can utilize.

It’s a lot more efficient.

Utilizing a company’s own website is a lot faster and more efficient than the time it takes to upload or publish the open position across multiple areas. Different websites, job boards, industry groups, etc., might all have different requirements for how a job post is written; then there’s the maintenance required to update the post or take it down when the position is filled, or to renew the posting if initial candidates aren’t the right fit.

It might be to protect an internal shake-up.

If a company is about to change directions and needs to hire new employees to replace ones who are about to be let go, and those employees don’t know yet, an internal posting is a way to keep the search quiet without drawing too much attention to the situation before positions are cut or people are notified.

Here’s why this all matters to you as you’re looking for your next opportunity:

These positions won’t be as popular for applicants.

If companies are only posting their positions internally, you have to know about it in order to apply for it. That means your applicant will be one of a smaller stack that the company receives, automatically giving you a better chance at landing an interview, at the very least.

If you find an internally posted position, it means you’re already interested in the company.

Finding that open position on the company’s website means you were already eager to join their team. You can better tailor your resume and application information to meet the company’s interests because you’ve done your research, you know more about the team and you’re already invested in the company. Your interest and eagerness to join the team means you’re better positioned to answer questions during your interview and won’t have to make up answers on the spot!

If you hear about the position from a friend who works in the company, you already know why you want to work there.

Don’t forget that many companies offer referral bonuses to employees who help bring in new hires, especially if they stay with the company for a set length of time (usually one to three months at a minimum). Your friend who passed along the information will benefit not only from the financial incentive but will help the company hire faster, and their recommendation will help you get closer attention to your resume.

Here’s another little secret many people and companies don’t talk about: When you, as a job candidate, sign up to work with a staffing firm like Bishop & Company, you’ll be notified about all those internal postings and little-shared positions, because we’re one of the ways companies try to be more efficient with their hiring practices. Companies that we partner with need to fill open positions as quickly as possible, so we work with them to find out exactly what kinds of skills and background experiences they’re looking for. We’ll then contact our pool of candidates whose skills meet the company’s needs, and if you’re interested, we’ll pass your resume along to their hiring manager. You’ll be at the top of the list for consideration! Our recommendations carry more weight and bring more attention than one just randomly submitted through a jobs portal because our partner companies know we understand their priorities.

Unlock Hawaii’s Hidden Job Market

Take a look at the list of jobs we’re currently working to fill and, if you want to benefit from the “hidden job market,” it’s time to call Bishop & Company!