Why is a positive candidate experience a hiring advantage?

Candidate experience begins before the application. It includes how job seekers discover your role, what they learn from your job post and how easily they can determine if your opportunity fits their preferences and goals.

When job seekers can quickly understand what a role involves and how their qualifications align with your requirements, they can make more informed decisions about whether to apply. This can help you attract a more relevant applicant pool and spend more time focusing on candidates who may be a strong fit.

Indeed’s search and application experience is designed to help job seekers identify relevant opportunities throughout their search. For employers, that means applicants can self-select before applying, which could save your hiring team time.

How to reduce time to hire with a better candidate experience

On Indeed, your job post and hiring settings affect the information candidates use to evaluate your opportunity. You could reduce time to hire by encouraging more informed decisions from job seekers earlier in the process.

Help the right candidates discover your roles

Start with a recognizable job title and describe the role using terms candidates are likely to understand. Internal titles may accurately reflect your company’s structure but can make it harder for job seekers to recognize the type of work involved as they search for roles and browse opportunities.

Include specific responsibilities and requirements rather than relying on broad descriptions. Details about the work, pay, schedule, experience, credentials and skills involved give job seekers a clearer understanding of the opportunity and its relevance to their background as they encounter it through search and other personalized experiences.

Help candidates determine if they’re a fit for your role before they apply

On Indeed, information from your job listing informs labels displayed on a job card. Job cards are the shortened preview of a job listing on the search results page. Noted by check marks, these labels can indicate when details of a job align with preferences a job seeker has set, such as minimum pay, location or schedule.

The match overview on a job listing also compares a candidate’s profile information with requirements included in your post, such as skills, experience, licenses or certifications. Candidates may review areas of alignment and potential gaps before deciding how to proceed.

Candidates who identify a mismatch may choose not to apply, while those who see stronger alignment can move forward with a clearer understanding of the role. Applications that meet all qualifications listed in the match overview are 45% more likely to result in a hire.^[1]

Show you’re active and responsive to applicants

Job seekers may also consider signals about an employer’s hiring activity when deciding where to spend their time. Depending on eligibility and the type of job posting, Indeed can display information that indicates your hiring activity and how you engage with applications on Indeed.

For example, the “urgently hiring” label indicates that you’re actively seeking to fill a specific role.

Note that some job card labels and features may require an eligible Sponsored Jobs plan or depend on the information and integrations associated with the posting.

Including these kinds of signals on your job posting helps job seekers feel confident that they’re engaging with an employer who is actively seeking to fill the role and ready to move forward in the hiring process.

Make applying fast and relevant

When candidates decide a role is a good match, a simple application process can make it easier for them to take the next step. Focus on requesting the information you need to evaluate candidates while keeping the application clear and efficient.

Indeed Apply, also known as Apply with Indeed, allows candidates to apply directly on Indeed for eligible jobs. Depending on the application setup, candidates may use information from their Indeed profile and previous responses instead of repeatedly entering the same details for each new application.

Jobs using Indeed Apply may display an “Easily apply” label to job seekers. The experience can create a more efficient path from evaluating a relevant opportunity to submitting an application. When it’s easier for well-matched candidates to submit information, you’re able to receive detailed, comprehensive applications that help you more easily evaluate fit.

Indeed features that help job seekers evaluate fit

Job seekers may encounter a range of information about your organization and open roles at different points in their search. Explore how each feature appears to job seekers as they find and engage with your open roles.

Before job seekers begin searching

Indeed Company Pages give job seekers information about your organization as they research potential employers. Claiming and maintaining your Company Page gives you greater control over information such as your company description, logo, mission and more.

Branded job postings* can include your organization’s branding on eligible job listings, helping candidates quickly recognize your company when viewing jobs. This feature may also be accessible via a Sponsored Jobs plan. 84% of users agree that branded jobs help elevate their company’s brand perception among job seekers and help shorten their interview-to-hire process.^[2]

In search and on the homepage

Personalized job grouping organizes listings based on a job seeker’s activity, preferences and qualifications, which helps well-matched candidates find your role more efficiently.

Search categories give job seekers another way to find your opportunity even when they don’t have a specific job title in mind. Categories can include factors such as work environment, schedule type and industry.

On the job card preview, before opening the listing

Job card badges provide information about a job and your hiring activity before a candidate opens your full listing. Depending on eligibility or if you’re using Sponsored Jobs, badges may indicate if you have multiple openings or offer relocation assistance.

Preference labels indicate when information in your job listing aligns with preferences a job seeker has set, such as minimum pay, location or schedule. These labels can help candidates quickly assess if your role is a fit while reviewing search results or feeds and without having to apply.

Featured job cards* show additional detailed information when your job appears in search results. Applicants may interact with your job posting more if they see how many hires you’ve made in the past 30 days or where they could be an early applicant. This feature may also be accessible via a Sponsored Jobs plan.

Estimated commute provides candidates with an estimate of travel time to the role.

On the job listing

Match overview helps candidates compare their qualifications with the requirements you’ve listed for the role, such as skills, experience, licenses or certifications, right on the job listing and before they apply.

The clearer and more structured your job listing is, the easier it is for candidates to recognize their fit using match overview, helping them make more informed decisions about whether to apply.

*Some branding features and branding tools may require a paid Employer Branding Suite subscription. Feature availability can vary by market. Contact Indeed for current product availability and pricing.

What employers can do to support a better candidate experience

The following actions could make it easier for job seekers to determine whether your opportunity fits before they apply.

Write complete job descriptions. Specific requirements can allow applicants to understand your role better before they apply and power Indeed features like match overview.

Include pay and schedule details. Including details like compensation, location and working hours helps candidates determine earlier in the process whether the role meets their needs and preferences.

Keep your company information current. Candidates may research your organization before or after finding a job post. Current information about your organization, culture and benefits gives them additional context as they compare opportunities.

Accept applications on Indeed when it fits your hiring process. Indeed Apply reduces repeated data entry for job seekers applying to eligible roles while allowing you to seamlessly collect and compare the candidate information needed for your hiring process.

Respond promptly to applications. Timely communication can affect a candidate’s perception of the process and help you maintain momentum with people you’re interested in hiring.

Create a clear interview experience. Provide candidates with practical information about interview timing, format and preparation expectations.

Keep candidates updated. Indeed’s messaging tools can help you communicate with candidates about updates and next steps.

A better candidate experience can lead to a more relevant applicant pool

For employers, a positive candidate experience can reduce time to hire. By starting with a clear, detailed job description, simplifying the application process and engaging with quality candidates quickly, you help candidates make more informed decisions before applying and help build a stronger candidate pool before you even begin reviewing applications.

That can make your entire hiring process more efficient, ensuring you spend more time engaging with people whose experience and preferences align with your hiring needs.

Frequently asked questions about how to create a positive candidate experience

What site or platform should I use to reduce time-to-hire?

Indeed gives candidates enough information to evaluate fit before they apply. When people can compare a job’s requirements, pay, location and schedule with their own experience and preferences, they can assess whether the role is a strong fit before deciding to apply.

On Indeed, features such as match overview, preference labels and job card details help candidates assess an opportunity before applying. This helps your team focus on candidates who have already determined the opportunity aligns with their qualifications.

How does a better job seeker experience lead to better applicants for my openings?

Job seekers base their decisions on the information available to them. Specific responsibilities, requirements, pay, schedule and location give candidates clearer criteria for deciding whether to apply.

When job seekers understand the role and how it aligns with their qualifications and preferences, they can make more informed decisions about whether to apply. This can help you attract candidates whose experience and needs align with the opportunity.

How can I improve the quality of my applicant pool?

Start with your job post. Clearly distinguish required qualifications from preferred experience and describe the responsibilities candidates would actually perform.

Include practical details such as pay, location, schedule, job type and remote-work expectations when applicable. These details give candidates more information to assess fit before applying and can directly inform the information displayed across relevant Indeed job search features prospective candidates may engage with.

How does candidate experience affect my job post’s visibility to the right people?

Indeed uses information like a job seeker’s activity, profile, and preferences to surface relevant opportunities to them. By posting a complete, well-structured job listing with details like pay, location, schedule and remote status, Indeed can help your role reach the candidates it fits best by surfacing it to candidates whose profile and preferences align with the details and benefits you’ve outlined in your opportunity.

Does my Indeed Company Page affect who applies to my jobs?

Job seekers may research employers while comparing opportunities and company information provides additional context beyond the responsibilities and requirements listed in a job post.

Keeping your Company Page current can help candidates review information about your organization, culture and available benefits as they decide whether the opportunity aligns with what they’re looking for. Candidate decisions also depend on factors such as the job itself, individual preferences and the broader hiring market.

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