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If you’re scrolling endlessly through job boards hoping for your next big opportunity, you might be missing the real action.
According to career strategist Jane Janniere, Canada’s true hiring engine runs behind the scenes. “Up to 85 per cent of jobs may never get posted publicly,” she says.
Grimbsy, Ont.-based Ms. Janniere says this hidden hiring is more common than people think. For more than two decades, she’s worked on both sides – as a recruiter and now a leadership and career transition coach – and she’s seen how the best roles often don’t start with a posting.
“Sometimes, the position only becomes real when the right person appears,” she says.
There are practical reasons behind this quiet hiring culture.
With artificial intelligence making it easier for candidates to apply, sometimes hundreds or thousands at a time, employers are overwhelmed.
“Public postings now attract a flood of AI-generated resumes. It’s unmanageable. So hiring managers turn to trusted networks; it’s faster and yields better cultural fits,” Ms. Janniere says.
Confidentiality also plays a role. Strategic leadership changes or upcoming expansions can’t always be publicly advertised and some roles don’t fully exist until someone compelling walks in the door.
“I’ve seen vague job posts used as market research,” Ms. Janniere says. “They want to see who shows up before they decide what they really need.”
So, how can job seekers break into this hidden arena?
Start with authenticity. “Be radically yourself,” says Ms. Janniere. “People notice when you show up with clarity about the problems you’re great at solving. Sometimes you get hired for a different, even better role than the one you thought you were exploring.”
It’s not about old-school networking either. Ms. Janniere encourages “meaningful relationship-building” through industry conversations, LinkedIn thought leadership and reaching out to peers without asking for anything. Informational interviews, done with genuine curiosity, can also spark surprising opportunities.
And timing is everything. “Don’t wait until you’re laid off,” Ms. Janniere says. “Build relationships while you’re stable. Treat networking like a regular part of your career, not a panic move.”
That said, the hidden market isn’t without flaws. “It tends to reward sameness,” Ms. Janniere warns. “It can perpetuate exclusion if companies don’t actively broaden their networks. That’s a real concern.”
Still, for job seekers willing to play the long game, the payoff can be huge. Some candidates land custom-made roles simply by showing up and sharing their ideas. “The best hires often arrive before the job description is written,” Ms. Janniere says.
With AI raising the noise on traditional job sites, relationship-driven hiring is only becoming more dominant. The hidden market, it seems, isn’t just a backdoor – it’s the front door most people don’t know how to knock on.
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