Subject: Seeking Guidance on Indeed’s New Paid Listings Policy
Hi everyone,
I’m reaching out for some advice regarding Indeed’s recent decision to eliminate free listings for agencies. I work at a small agency that has relied on Indeed for several years, and we’ve just been informed by our ATS that starting next week, this change will take effect.
I’m at a crossroads on how to approach this situation. Currently, Indeed accounts for about 40% of our applicants and nearly 20% of our placements. While the volume is significant, we also receive a high number of unqualified applications through the platform. This makes it challenging to decide whether we should invest in paid listings or explore other options.
I’ve come across various accounts of budgets getting depleted without satisfactory results, and we’ve encountered similar issues with our Google and Facebook ads.
For context, we typically allocate around $20,000 annually to a local job board, which delivers a strong conversion rate and effectively supports our specialized roles. Most of our general roles are filled through a combination of free listings on Indeed, LinkedIn, and our own website. My concern is that if we shift to Indeed, we might end up consuming our entire budget without seeing a comparable return.
I would greatly appreciate any insights or experiences you could share regarding this situation. Thank you!
RCadmin
It sounds like you’re facing a tough decision with the changes to Indeed’s listing policy, especially given the significant role it plays in your applicant sourcing. Here are some thoughts and strategies you might consider:
Analyze Your Data: Since you mentioned that you receive a considerable percentage of applicants and placements from Indeed, it would be beneficial to dive deeper into the data. Look into the quality of applicants and placements—what percentage of your successful hires are coming from Indeed versus other platforms? This might help justify the cost if you decide to invest.
Trial and Monitor: Consider starting with a smaller budget on Indeed to test the waters. If you can run a few paid listings while monitoring your conversion rates and the quality of applicants, you can gauge whether the investment is worth it before committing more funds.
Complementary Strategies: Don’t rely solely on Indeed. You might want to allocate some of that budget to enhance your presence on LinkedIn or invest in improving your own website’s job listings. Since you have a positive experience with your local job board, continue to prioritize that and leverage it alongside Indeed.
Refine Job Descriptions and Targeting: Make sure your job postings are optimized for the right audience. Using specific keywords, clear job descriptions, and targeted messaging can help attract higher-quality candidates, potentially reducing the number of lower-quality applications you receive.
Consider Alternative Platforms: Research other job boards or recruiting platforms that align with your niche. Sometimes, specialized sites can yield better results for specific roles, especially if your agency focuses on particular industries.
Seek Feedback and Network: Reach out to other agencies who might have faced the same dilemma. Join forums, LinkedIn groups, or industry networks to gather insights on how they navigated this change and what platforms they found reliable.
Evaluate Your ATS Integration: Ensure that your applicant tracking system can effectively filter and manage the influx of applications from paid listings. This can help you sift through the volume of applications more efficiently.
Ultimately, striking the right balance between investing in platforms like Indeed while maintaining a diversified approach will be key. Good luck, and I hope you find a solution that works for your agency!