Indeed is an online job board with over 10,000 employees around the world. With Indeed accounting for 65% of all new hires from online job boards, it is clear that it is the platform of choice for many employers. However, there is still a potential for a job listing to be a scam as anyone can post a job on the platform. So while Indeed may be a legitimate platform, some of the job ads might not be. In this article, we are going to explore Indeed as a company covering its pros and cons, as well as looking at possible alternatives. 

Indeed Company Information

Official Website:https://indeed.com/
Headquarters Location:Austin, Texas, United States
Founded:2004
Industry:Professional Services
Ownership:Recruit
Contact:(800) 462-5842 socialcare@indeed.com
Trust Score:High
Social Media:Facebook Instagram Twitter LinkedIn

What is Indeed?

Indeed is an online job board founded in 2004 by Paul Forster and Rony Kahan. With 10,000 employees and 250 million unique visits every month, Indeed is the largest job board by quite a considerable margin. Anyone can post a job ad on their website, and it is entirely free to do so. Therefore when looking through the job ads on the website, you will find a mix of big and small corporations looking for employees. The business makes money through advertisements and additional features employers can use to get their job listings seen by more people. 

In addition to allowing employers to post their job ads directly on the website, Indeed also aggregates job postings from other job boards online, including Jobbank.ca, LinkedIn, Acces, and Glassdoor. Finally, Indeed also provides assessments potential employees can take to streamline the hiring process for employers. These assessments allow employers to pre-screen applicants based on their skills, aptitude, and personality.

Is Indeed legal and safe or a scam?

As we have already seen, Indeed is the largest job board worldwide and is generally safe to use. However, because they allow anyone to post job ads on their site, there are still some risks associated with applying to jobs. Indeed itself as a company is safe to trust and employs people around the world dedicated to verifying the authenticity of jobs. However, some scam listings will still slip through the cracks. Indeed does an excellent job at informing users on what they should look out for when applying to jobs. 

Generally, scams indeed fall into three categories:

  1. Harvesting Personal Information (Names, Email Addresses, Addresses, Phone Numbers, etc.)
  2. Harvesting Financial Information (Bank info, Social Security/Insurance Numbers, etc.)
  3. Stealing Money

There are a few tell-tale signs to know whether or not a job ad or employer is attempting to scam you. The majority of scam jobs on Indeed come in the form of Personal Assistant or Receptionist job offerings. They claim to offer the ability for people to work remotely while earning an above-average wage. This alone is not enough to identify a job listing as a scam, but if the recruiter contacts you immediately after (or even before) applying, it is most likely a job. In short, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. 

Is Indeed reliable and trustworthy?

The short answer is yes. Indeed is a reliable and trustworthy site to use for employees and employers alike. For job seekers and employers they provide a help center at indeed.com/help which can be used to answer a lot of common questions. For employers, you can also call them at (800) 462-5842 and you will generally be put through to an agent right away. Both job seekers and employers can also email them at socialcare@indeed.com to get support on their specific issue. 

Looking through the reviews posted on their Better Business Bureau profile (found here), there are a lot of 1-star reviews left by employers who believe they were overcharged for their services. Generally, however, if there was an issue with billing, Indeed will promptly issue a refund. 

The pros and cons of Indeed

Pros:

  • An average of 10 jobs are posted every second
  • 250 million unique visitors every month
  • Easy-to-use interface
  • Single-click Applications

Cons:

  • Job postings sometimes remain listed even after the position has been filled
  • It can be expensive for small business owners 
  • Unqualified candidates can apply to jobs
  • Job suggestions received via email are not always in line with the candidates’ skills

How does Indeed make money?

Anyone can apply to jobs and post jobs on Indeed for free. Indeed makes its money through two different sources. The first way that Indeed makes money is through the process of advertisements. Targeted ads are placed on the home page for mobile users after they apply for a job and on the recommended jobs page.

In addition to advertising, Indeed also offers a few different services to employers to aid their search for a qualified candidate. Employers can sponsor their job ads to be seen by more people and pay for each click they receive. Employers can also utilize Indeed’s database of Resumes to directly find qualified candidates in exchange for a monthly subscription fee. 

Best Indeed Alternatives

While Indeed maybe the largest job board in the world, you will occasionally be able to find job ads posted on other sites that won’t be available on Indeed. Here is a list of some other sites you should check out if you’re looking for a job, or are trying to find someone to fill a job opening at your company. 

FAQ

How does Indeed Work?

Employers – With Indeed employers can post an ad for their company’s job opening within 5 minutes. Employers can then choose to sponsor their job ads to get them seen by more people. As potential candidates apply for the job, recruiters will begin to receive emails with the applicant’s details.

Employees – Employees can get started on Indeed very quickly. After creating an account, job seekers can then upload their resume and specify their desired job title, job type (full-time, part-time, contract, etc), and their desired salary. 

Will Indeed text you?

Indeed will occasionally send you emails with jobs they think are a good fit. Additionally, recruiters can also send their job listings to you if they feel you’re a good candidate. However, Indeed will never text you, and job seekers should automatically be wary of any unprompted communication they receive from employers.

Who Owns Indeed?

Indeed is owned by Recruit, a Japanese human resources company that also owns Glassdoor. Recruit went public in 2012 under their holding company Recruit Holdings Co LTD.

Who is the CEO of Indeed?

The CEO, President, and Representative Director of the Board of Recruit are Hisayuki Idekoba. Hisayuki Idekoba replaced Masumi Minegishi as CEO of Recruit in April of 2021. 

Can Indeed blacklist you?

While Indeed themselves may not blacklist you unless you’re found to be scamming on their website, individual employers may blacklist candidates if they apply for a job they aren’t qualified for. 

Are Indeed reviews anonymous?

Yes. Indeed reviews are entirely anonymous, and employee information is not shared with employers. However, if it is a legal matter, Indeed will respond to subpoenas, search warrants, or other requests by law enforcement should they come up.

Are Indeed salaries accurate?

Salaries on Indeed are reported by employers and are generally considered accurate.

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