The Ultimate Guide to Indeed

This is the ultimate guide to Indeed.com. So, you’ve landed on Indeed, the name practically synonymous with job hunting. No doubt you’ve scrolled through its endless listings, tweaked your resume until it gleams, and maybe even landed a gig or two thanks to it. But here’s the secret: Indeed, it holds depths you haven’t even begun to fathom. This isn’t just another “how to use Indeed” guide – it’s a treasure map to its hidden compartments, where career-boosting superpowers lie untapped. Whether you’re a seasoned job seeker or a hiring expert, prepare to have your “Indeed-i-know” blown.

We’re about to unleash its secrets, optimize your strategies, and catapult you beyond the ordinary into a job-landing, talent-finding paradise. Revamp your recruitment approach with Indeed by leveraging its core features, strategic acquisitions, and advanced technologies like A.I. for efficient hiring. Buckle up, folks; it’s time to delve deep into the hidden gems of Indeed!

The Evolution of Indeed: Acquisitions, Partnerships, and Market Presence

Indeed, an American worldwide employment website was founded in November 2004 by Paul Forster and Rony Kahan. Indeed is Japan’s Recruit Holdings subsidiary with headquarters in Austin, Texas, and Stamford, Connecticut. It has become a dominant job search market player, available in over 60 countries and supporting 28 languages. Indeed, jobs surpassed Monster.com in 2010 to become the highest-traffic job website in the United States.

Acquisitions and Partnerships

Acquisitions Over the Years:

Hired (2016): Acquired by Recruit Holdings, Indeed’s parent company, Simply Hired’s assets were integrated into Indeed’s operations, expanding its job listing capabilities.

Glassdoor (2018): Acquired by Recruit Holdings, Glassdoor operates as a distinct entity but aligns with Indeed as a sister company. This acquisition added substantial company reviews and salary data to Indeed’s offerings.

Syft (2019): A leading recruiting platform in the U.K., now Indeed Flex, acquisition by Indeed strengthened its presence in the hospitality, event, and light industrial sectors.

ClickIQ (2019): An automated job advertising technology platform based in the UK, ClickIQ’s acquisition helped enhance Indeed’s advertising and recruitment technology.

These acquisitions held strategic benefits and diversified Indeed’s services. It added new dimensions like company reviews, salary data, and specialized recruitment solutions. This has helped Indeed enhance its platform capabilities, providing a more comprehensive service to job seekers and employers.

Sponsorship

Eintracht Frankfurt: Indeed’s sponsorship of Eintracht Frankfurt, a German soccer club, exemplifies a strategic marketing approach to enhance brand visibility. Since 2017, Indeed has been the club’s main sponsor, a partnership that extends beyond traditional sponsorship boundaries. The partnership, renewed until 2026, now includes support for Eintracht’s women’s teams, men’s U21 team, and esports division, reflecting shared values in diversity and inclusion.

Strategic Benefits: A vital aspect of this collaboration has been integrating Indeed into the fabric of the football community, as seen in campaigns like the E.F. 120th Jubilee. This engagement has fostered strong brand awareness and positive sentiment, capitalizing on football’s emotional appeal. The #PlatzfürVielfalt (‘Room for Diversity’) campaign against racism and discrimination further highlights the alignment of Indeed’s corporate values with Eintracht Frankfurt’s ethos. This partnership has increased Indeed’s brand presence in Germany and significantly supported Eintracht Frankfurt’s various initiatives and success.

Pivotal Developments

2023 Layoffs: In March 2023, Indeed faced a significant turning point when it announced layoffs of 2,200 employees, approximately 15% of its workforce. This decision responded to changing market conditions and strategic shifts within the company. The layoffs marked a notable moment in Indeed’s history, indicating a pivotal change in its business approach in response to evolving market dynamics.

The rationale behind the layoffs was primarily attributed to a decline in job market activity. Indeed’s revenue mainly comes from sponsored job listings, but there was a notable decrease in these volumes. Sponsored job volumes were down 33% year over year, and total job openings had fallen by 3.5%. With the expectation that future job openings would remain at or below pre-pandemic levels, the company acknowledged that its current workforce size was unsustainable for the anticipated market conditions.

Impact Analysis: The impact of these layoffs was comprehensive, affecting nearly every team, function, level, and region within the company. Indeed’s approach to the layoff process involved consulting H.R., legal, and diversity teams to ensure the action did not disproportionately impact underrepresented groups in the U.S. The company offered severance packages, including base salary pay for at least 16 weeks, compensation for accrued paid time off, and additional support such as career placement services and mental health resources. Indeed’s CEO, Chris Hyams, also took a personal step by reducing his base pay by 25%.

This event at Indeed reflected a broader trend in the tech industry, where several major companies have been implementing significant layoffs. The tech sector, in general, has been witnessing a wave of layoffs, with companies like Amazon and Meta also announcing substantial workforce reductions.

The Ultimate Guide to Indeed job postings decline graph

Core Features and Services

Job Posting and Promotion

Free Account Setup and Benefits

Creating a free employer account on Indeed is a straightforward process. Employers must sign up by providing company details such as email address, company name, and contact information. Once the account is verified, you can post jobs for free. The platform allows you to craft detailed job posts, emphasizing clear job titles, engaging descriptions, and showcasing your company culture. Key features include:

Employer Assist: This feature helps manage applications by automatically declining candidates who don’t fit the criteria.

Skills Assessment: Employers can include skills tests in job postings to evaluate candidates’ capabilities more effectively.

Job Matches: The platform matches your job post with qualified candidates, whom you can rate as Yes, Maybe, or No.

The free account offers significant benefits, such as access to a large pool of candidates and the ability to manage and evaluate applications efficiently.

Sponsored Job Listings

Sponsored job listings are a paid feature that increases the visibility of your job posts. They appear higher in search results and can target specific criteria such as location and industry. This targeted approach helps in attracting more qualified candidates. Pricing for sponsored jobs is determined by the type of position and the budget set by the employer. You can sponsor a job post anytime and have the flexibility to stop the promotion as per your requirements.

Pricing

Indeed offers a variety of pricing options designed to cater to diverse hiring needs. From free account setups for primary job postings to more sophisticated Professional packages, Indeed provides employers with tools to enhance their recruitment process effectively.

Standard Subscription: Employers can opt for a Standard plan that costs around $120 per month, which includes up to 30 contacts, unlimited searches, and candidate matching capabilities.

Professional Subscription: This more advanced plan costs about $300 monthly and provides up to 100 contact credits, bulk contact options, advanced candidate filters, and SMS notifications (with candidate approval). This package includes more advanced analytics for deeper insights into recruitment metrics. It suits businesses looking for a more robust solution to their hiring needs.

Pay-per-Application: Instead of a flat fee, employers can pay a fixed price per qualified application they receive. This cost varies based on the job title, location, and the number of active seekers.

Sponsored Job Listings: Employers can sponsor job listings where they set their budget and only pay for applications they accept for consideration within a set period, like 72 hours after receiving an application.

ROI Analysis

Analyzing the return on investment (ROI) for using Indeed’s paid services involves considering the effectiveness of the platform in attracting qualified candidates and the efficiency of the hiring process. Employers need to weigh the costs against the benefits, such as time saved, quality of hires, and improvement in the hiring process.

Performance Dashboard: Provides analytics on job posting performance, including views, applications, and hires, allowing employers to see which listings perform best.

Cost-per-Hire Calculator: This helps employers calculate the cost of hiring a new employee through Indeed, factoring in advertising expenses and recruiter time.

Candidate Source Report: Tracks where the most qualified candidates are coming from, helping to optimize recruitment advertising spend.

Quality of Hire Metrics: Analyzes post-hire performance indicators to assess the long-term effectiveness of hires sourced from Indeed.

Pre-Employment Testing

Indeed Assessments offers a robust pre-employment testing platform that allows employers to select from a wide range of ready-to-use assessments or create customized ones to meet specific hiring needs. These assessments help evaluate candidates’ aptitudes, cognitive abilities, and particular skills relevant to the job, ensuring employers can make informed, data-driven decisions about whom to hire. This flexible and scalable service suits various industries and job levels, providing a good fit between the job requirements and the candidate’s abilities.

Some of the most popular pre-employment assessments offered by Indeed include tests for:

Cognitive Abilities: Assessing problem-solving skills, memory, reasoning, and information processing.

Technical Skills: Specific to industries like I.T., engineering, or coding, evaluating technical knowledge and proficiency.

Personality Tests: Evaluating candidates’ workplace behavior and suitability for team dynamics.

Communication Skills: Assessing verbal and written communication abilities, crucial for roles requiring frequent interaction or negotiation.

Resume Search

Database and Filters

Indeed allows employers to search their extensive resume database for candidates. The resume search feature is now even more powerful, with over 245 million resumes available and advanced filtering options to pinpoint suitable candidates more effectively.

Keyword Searches: Employers can use keywords matching the skills or experiences necessary for the open position. For instance, searching “Java developer” will bring up candidates with Java programming skills.

Advanced Filters: Filters such as location, years of experience, and previous job titles to narrow down the search to the most relevant candidates. For example, you can filter to find candidates within a 50-mile radius with at least five years of experience.

Saved Searches: After setting up a search with specific criteria, you can save these searches to revisit later. This feature is handy for positions frequently recruited in your company.

Resume Alerts: Set up alerts to receive notifications when new resumes matching your criteria are added to the database. This ensures you quickly engage with potential candidates.

Direct Contact: Once you find suitable candidates, you can contact them directly through Indeed’s platform to discuss the job opportunity or invite them for an interview.

Advanced Technologies

AI-Powered Technology

Indeed has integrated AI-powered matching technology into its job search and recruitment features, aiming to reduce friction in the hiring process. This approach addresses the common challenges in the labor market, such as job seekers applying for positions and not hearing back or the hiring process being too slow. The goal is to make hiring as effortless as possible, enhancing the platform’s efficiency for employers and job seekers.

AI-Driven Job Matching: Indeed uses machine learning algorithms to analyze job seekers’ profiles and past application patterns to recommend the most relevant job opportunities. This A.I. system dynamically adjusts recommendations based on user feedback and interaction.

Automated Candidate Screening: A.I. tools automatically screen resumes and applications to match job requirements, filtering out less relevant candidates based on employer criteria, significantly speeding up the initial stages of recruitment.

Enhanced Job Advertising: A.I. optimizes job ad placements to target the most suitable candidates by analyzing user behavior and preferences data. This ensures that ads are shown to potential candidates who are more likely to be interested in and qualified for the position.

Predictive Analytics: Indeed employs predictive analytics to forecast job market trends and the likelihood of a candidate’s job fit and success, helping employers make more informed hiring decisions.

Natural Language Processing (NLP): NLP is used to enhance the search functionality, allowing job seekers to make more natural language queries and improving the relevance of search results based on the context of their searches.

Job Seeking Strategies

Some job seekers have found creative ways to utilize Indeed to enhance their job search and have taken proactive steps beyond just submitting online applications. Such as directly contacting hiring managers via email with a tailored resume and cover letter and expressing enthusiasm for the position. Others have focused on optimizing their applications for applicant tracking systems by incorporating relevant keywords from job descriptions into their resumes and cover letters. Additionally, attending local networking events has proven beneficial for uncovering unadvertised job opportunities and establishing personal connections with potential employers. Some other ways to get the most out of your Indeed experience:

Indeed’s Company Reviews: Job seekers can research potential employers through Indeed’s extensive company reviews. This can provide insights into company culture, salary benchmarks, and employee satisfaction, helping you decide where to apply.

Salary Tools: Job seekers can use Indeed’s salary comparison tools to understand typical compensation for their role and location. This can aid in negotiating salaries and identifying job opportunities that meet their financial expectations.

Job Alerts: Advise readers to set up customized job alerts to receive notifications about new job postings that match their specific criteria. This ensures you can apply promptly and increases your chances of early consideration by employers.

The Ultimate Guide to Indeed satisfaction time graph

User Experiences and Reviews

Indeed’s user experiences and reviews present a mixed picture. Users highlight several strengths and weaknesses:

General User Feedback

Positive Aspects: Employers value Indeed for its high volume of candidates and the user-friendly interface that simplifies job postings and applicant tracking. Job seekers appreciate the ease of applying and the broad range of job opportunities available. The platform’s application process is efficient and praised for its ease of use for job seekers and employers.

Negative Aspects: Concerns are frequently raised about the quality of candidates, particularly for entry-level positions, where the volume of applications can lead to a lower average quality. Users also express frustration with customer service responsiveness and fake resumes. Additionally, some users find the applicant dashboard lacks detailed information, complicating the recruitment process. Also, job seekers have noted that the local job search function can sometimes show positions that are not geographically relevant.

In-Depth Analysis

Job Seekers: Job seekers praise Indeed for its vast job postings covering various industries and geographic locations. The platform is appreciated for its regular updates and personalized job alerts, which help candidates stay informed of relevant opportunities. Indeed is designed to be intuitive, assisting users in quickly exploring job searches and applications.

Employers: While Indeed is lauded for providing access to a large candidate pool, some employers find the costs associated with resume search products high, especially when the return on investment is considered. The quality of applicants, particularly international candidates, is sometimes questioned, reflecting the challenges of maintaining consistent quality across a global platform. However, the platform offers pre-employment testing and a variety of subscription plans to enhance candidate filtering and outreach.

Indeed, it stands out in the competitive job board market for its comprehensive offerings and global reach. It is especially beneficial for businesses with limited recruiting budgets who need access to many resumes. Sorting through numerous irrelevant resumes remains time-consuming, but the platform’s filtering tools are continually improving to address this issue. However, concerns about the cost-effectiveness of resume search tools and the overall quality of applicants persist. Despite its drawbacks, Indeed is widely acclaimed for democratizing job search and recruitment. Consequently, it has become the preferred choice for many businesses and job seekers.

FAQs

What is Indeed’s primary function?

Indeed is a job search platform that facilitates job postings and searches, leveraging extensive listings and advanced features to connect employers with potential candidates.

How has Indeed expanded its services over the years?

Indeed has expanded through strategic acquisitions, such as Hired and Glassdoor, enhancing job listing capabilities and integrating valuable data like company reviews and salary information.

What were the reasons behind Indeed’s layoffs in 2023?

The layoffs were due to decreased job market activity and the need to adjust workforce size to the anticipated market conditions, with a significant drop in sponsored job volumes.

How does Indeed use A.I. technology?

Indeed integrates AI-powered technology to streamline the hiring process, enhancing job matching and candidate screening, which helps reduce hiring delays and improve overall recruitment efficiency.

What are some of the benefits of using Indeed for employers?

Employers benefit from Indeed’s vast candidate pool, the ability to post jobs for free or sponsor listings for increased visibility, and tools like pre-employment testing to assess candidate skills.

Conclusion

Indeed stands as a powerhouse in the job search market, offering extensive resources, advanced technological tools, and a vast network of opportunities that cater to job seekers and employers alike. Its commitment to simplifying the hiring process and enhancing career prospects has made it a top choice for many.

However, Diversity Employment is an equally compelling platform for those specifically looking to champion diversity in the workplace. Focused on promoting inclusivity and providing equal opportunities, it is an excellent alternative or complement to Indeed for those dedicated to advancing diversity in their professional environments. Join Diversity Employment and discover where diversity and talent thrive together. Post your resume today and explore opportunities that celebrate equality in all forms!