Posted by Posting jobs to online job boards like Indeed is an essential part of recruiting in today’s digital world. With millions of active job seekers regularly browsing Indeed, it’s a great way to attract quality candidates for your open positions. However, crafting an effective job posting and navigating a site like Indeed can seem daunting if you’ve never done it before.
Setting Up Your Indeed Employer Profile
The first step is to set up an Indeed employer profile, which allows you to post jobs, manage listings, and track metrics. Here’s how to do that:
1. Go to www.indeed.com and click “Employers”
This will take you to the employer dashboard page where you can get started.
2. Click “Create Account”
You’ll be prompted to enter your company name, website, address, and other basic info to verify your business.
3. Complete the Employer Verification Process
Indeed will send a verification code or link to the email you provided. Follow the instructions to verify your company profile.
4. Set Up Your Employer Profile Details
On this page, include things like your company description, perks & benefits offered, industries served, and employee size. Take the time to thoroughly fill this out.
5. Connect Your Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
You have the option to connect your ATS like Greenhouse or Lever to streamline applications. This step is optional.
Once complete, your Indeed employer profile and dashboard will be ready to go. Now you can start posting jobs.
Writing an Effective Job Posting
With your Indeed profile set up, it’s time to start writing individual job postings. Your listing is essentially an advertisement, so it’s important to craft it well. Here are some tips:
Use a Clear, Enticing Headline
Your job title alone won’t cut it – be specific yet intriguing in 1-2 sentences max.
Give an Overview of Roles and Responsibilities
In 2-3 concise paragraphs, outline the job functions at a high level without getting into too much detail. Focus on value to company and opportunity.
List Necessary Skills and Qualifications
Be realistic but not too limiting. List “Preferred” qualifications separately from “Required”. This allows flexibility.
Highlight Benefits and Perks
In addition to standard benefits, emphasize career growth potential, fun culture, flexible schedule, etc. Sell the opportunity.
Add Relevant Skills and Industries
Indeed allows tagging jobs with skills (e.g. marketing, social media) and industries (e.g. technology) for better matching and discoverability.
Provide Company and Location Details
Include your company name, website, city/state location, and any other relevant details about your organization.
Proofread Thoroughly Before Publishing
Have at least two people proofread for any errors, unclear points, or areas for improvement before hitting “Post”. First impressions matter!
Taking the time upfront to thoughtfully write your posting will pay off in higher-quality applicants down the line. Keep reading for more tips on optimizing your listing.
Optimizing Your Job Listing
Once your job post is written, it’s time to optimize it for search engines and hiring platforms like Indeed. Here are some best practices:
Use Targeted Keywords
Analyze the job duties and desired experience. Include relevant keywords 2-3 times naturally in the title and description without sounding spammy.
Keep Text Concise Yet Thorough
Aim for 3-5 well-written paragraphs max (3 is ideal). Too much text won’t be read. Too little and it’s incomplete. Strike a balance.
Add Rich Content Like Images
Pictures of your office, employees, products – anything visual to bring the role to life. Videos are even better for engagement if applicable.
Refine Objective Job Categories
Indeed allows tagging jobs with detailed categories. Choose at least 3 that closely match what the role entails vs vague, general tags.
Set a Competitive Salary Range
While optional on Indeed, including a salary range establishes your company as transparent while remaining competitive.
Allow Applications on Mobile
Check the box so job seekers can easily apply from their phones via Indeed’s mobile site and app for maximum reach.
Publish Active for 30 Days Minimum
Longer postings have more time to be seen and will appear in more search results over time. Refresh or republish if unfilled after 30 days.
Taking the time with optimization helps quality candidates discover your listing among millions of other postings on Indeed. Now let’s publish!
Publishing Your Job Post
Once written and optimized, you’re ready to publish your Indeed job listing:
Log Into Your Indeed Employer Dashboard
Go to www.indeed.com and click “Employers” to access your profile.
Click “Post a Job”
Select the location, job title, and industry that matches what you outlined in the description.
Copy Over Job Details
Paste or manually enter the optimized job description, requirements, and any other content you’ve prepared.
Review and Edit As Needed
Proofread one final time before publishing your new listing to the world.
Set the Active Date Range
Ideally, allow a minimum of 30 days for candidate applications. You can always repost or refresh later if unfilled.
Click “Publish”
Your posting is now live! Sit back and watch applications start rolling in through Indeed’s platform.
Publishing your job takes just minutes. From there, Indeed’s advanced tools make managing applications simple. Let’s explore how it all works.
Managing Applications on Indeed
Once your job is published, candidates will start applying right from Indeed:
View and Sort New Applications
Applicants are organized by date or you can filter by status, position or custom fields if configured.
Review Resumes and Cover Letters
Candidates can attach these directly to their applications on Indeed for convenience.
Email Applicants for Next Steps
Directly contact those you’re interested in through Indeed’s messaging system without leaving the platform.
Accept, Reject, or Archive Applications
Update statuses directly to keep your process organized and notify candidates of your decision.
Download Resumes in Batch
Great for when you want to share with internal hiring teams or if you normally use a separate ATS.
View Comprehensive Reporting
Keep tabs on metrics like application trends over time, top locations, and sharing insights.
Managing on Indeed means your entire recruiting flow is contained in one intuitive dashboard. But how do you track results?
Measuring Performance and ROI
While hiring is an investment, it’s important to measure the return on your Indeed activity:
Track Unique Visitors and Applicants
Gauge how many people are seeing your jobs and applying each month from Indeed compared to other channels.
Calculate Cost Per Hire
Factor in expenses like posting fees versus salary rates to understand your true hiring costs on Indeed versus alternatives.
Monitor Time to Fill Positions
Have Indeed jobs been filling more quickly? Getting higher quality candidates with less effort overall?
Conduct Business Impact Analysis
Look at metrics like sales, productivity, or retention from hires found on Indeed versus elsewhere to quantify its influence.
Survey Candidates On Discovery Channels
Gauge what percent attribute Indeed versus other factors for knowing about your company/jobs to focus energy accordingly.
With some analysis, you can optimize further and make the strongest business case for your Indeed investment and talent strategy over time.
By now, you should have a solid understanding of how to craft effective job postings, optimize listings, manage applications, and measure success on Indeed. But no doubt you still have questions – so let’s dive into some frequently asked ones.
FAQ Section
How much does it cost to post a job on Indeed?
Indeed offers both free and paid job posting options. Free postings are supported by advertising but have limited features and exposure. Premium options that enhance promotions and applications start around $300/month.
What is the difference between sponsored and organic job posts?
Sponsored or “promoted” posts pay to be featured more prominently in search results and on more Indeed pages for better visibility. Organic or “free” posts still appear in searches but are intermixed with sponsored ads.
How long should a job description be on Indeed?
3-5 well-written paragraphs are ideal. Too short and it’s incomplete, too long and readers lose interest. Focus on highlighting the role, qualifications, company, and culture concisely without unnecessary fluff.
Can you recruit passive candidates on Indeed?
Yes, Indeed has a sizable database of passive candidates who may not be actively job searching but are open to new opportunities. Employers can search for candidates by name, current company, former companies, skills, and other criteria to identify and directly reach out even if the candidates have not applied to your posting itself. These “Candidate searches” allow recruiting beyond just those actively applying and help fill roles through an active sourcing approach on Indeed’s platform.
How long do postings remain active on Indeed?
Jobs are typically active for 30 days minimum before expiring, though employers can choose longer durations. It’s a best practice to refresh postings that remain unfilled after 30 days to boost them in search results again. There is no limit to how many times a posting can be refreshed.