For Employers (who like free)
I have yet to meet a business that hasn’t listed, at least, one of their job openings on Indeed. Now, what surprises me is just how many companies underutilize Indeed – especially the free options. Indeed offers some powerful tools that, when harnessed correctly, have an incredible impact and fast results on hiring.
I feel it’s always important to emphasize here that TART is not a recruiting company – we are like an in-house talent team. We empower companies by amping up the platforms available for attraction and retention. So when I say I have seen what companies do with their Indeed, I feel I can stand from a place of confidence when I say that after reading this, you should walk away with actionable and easy-to-implement advice.
For the purpose of this article, we are focusing solely on the tools Indeed has. With that in mind, we are going to assume you have a kick-ass job advertising ready to rock and know what you are seeking from a candidate profile perspective. (More info on either is here for your reading pleasure).
Let’s Begin
Start with you – not your job posting. Fill out the employer information to the best of your ability. This is your place to shine – your place to tell your potential future employees a little about you. Let’s be frank – this is free advertising – use it or lose it as they say.
Next, make sure you have your logo on your company page – include your social media and company website. Make it as easy as possible for future employees to stalk your company. Yes. stalk! The more information you give the better!
Now that is done, time to post a job!
We will assume you’re using a job title that is common and not just an internal company name. Even if it is – go for common. Now sometimes we think a job title IS common – an easy way to figure this out is Google trends. Hop on over there and put in your job title and compare it with another one that is commonly used for nearly the same thing. For example: ”Server” compared to a “Waiter”. There is a lot more to google trends, but this is about Indeed and getting you to the hiring part faster.
When you fill out the fields that Indeed asks of you, it’s best to answer as much of it as possible. Use their qualification questions – these save time for everyone! If you require very specific skills and years of experience this section is key. Make it know what you’re looking for. You will have applicants that may not qualify but you have the option of being able to view or auto-reject. The biggest part of Indeed success is when you communicate in a timely manner with your applicants. They reward this behaviour by putting a “responsive employer” tag on your job ad. Again – free advertising of your good works – and we like free.
When you do get to the part where you have the option to automatically send your potential candidates tests do take a pause and answer this: is the job you are posting in high demand with a low supply of candidates? If yes, no test. If you have an avalanche of applicants every time you post but not many are qualified (and it’s not the job ad) yes send tests.
Plainly and simply, this is where you begin to save time.
You have the option to pay to be sponsored – and there are times when this is not just effective but the best option – however for the purpose of this article we are staying on the free train.
Now that your job is posted what happens next is beyond important – this is THE most important part. When you do receive your first resume – and you wish to reach out to them – use the Indeed messaging, and their internal applicant tracking system that is FREE TO USE and also key to you gaining that special “responsive employer” badge.
When you view a candidate that has applied to your job ad you will notice you can plop them into different buckets. This is going to depend on you and what works for you in terms of flow, but this is a generalized how-to to make the hiring process faster and use the most of Indeed.
When you identify a candidate you believe has the skills you like, put them under “Reviewed”. After reviewing the batch of candidates go back in and contact those you feel are best for the role. Indeed will automatically place those candidates under “Contacting” for you. For the candidates that do not meet muster – hit “Rejected”. Now you will be asked if you want to auto-send a rejection to candidates within 3 business days of you hitting that reject button. Do that. Closing the loop only helps you and your image to those applying and prevents candidates from not knowing and messaging for updates.
Plus, It’s the human thing to do. let the people know.
When you message an individual on Indeed you can save the email as a template. We always recommend sending an email to those qualified and ask them for a phone interview time frame. Provide some time slots and ask for them to give you 2 – 3 different times they would be available, and advise you will send a calendar invite with one of the times they provide. (it’s always important to offer alternative time frame accommodation as well).
Why? Part of this is organizing the chaos that recruiting can be – you have a job and maybe they do too – keep it real for everyone and schedule this step. People are more apt to pick up the phone for an organized appointment time frame scheduled ahead of time than when someone randomly calls them – even when job hunting.
Do NOT reply via your email. This is a barrier many companies do not realize prevents them from fully using the platform. When you use the messaging on Indeed you can see the candidate’s resume when the candidate applied, and to what alternative roles they have applied to in your company. No more head-scratchers because you truly can track everything. Tracking is key because it can assist in your retention of candidates (which does matter- time to hire is key to securing your top candidates, along with communication during the process.)gr
Once you get your reply you need to go back to their candidate profile and set up an interview. Indeed again makes this super simple and it integrates with most calendars as well. Utilize this for their internal interviews as well.
When you start using the platform it may feel a bit awkward at first – especially if you are a paper-oriented person. However, being able to complete nearly every aspect of the hire outside of actually interviewing, in one spot, is essential to the candidate management process.
Did these tips help you out? Are you already using the platform to the fullest potential? Let us know by leaving a comment.