The Do’s and Don’ts of Posting Your Job on Indeed

At Indeed, our mission is simple: we help jobseekers find the jobs that are the right fit for them. In order for a jobseeker to find the role that’s best suited to their interests and skills, it’s important that the jobs they’re searching for are accessible, clear and transparent.

At the same time, we know that writing a job listing isn’t always easy — which is why we want to help you understand the best practices for posting a job on Indeed. 

While we want our jobseekers to find the right roles for them, we also want recruiters to find the best candidates for their jobs. So, how can you create a job listing that’ll give you a successful hire? In a nutshell, successful job listings are accurate, original and up-to-date. Let’s break it down step by step. 

Start with strong job titles and job descriptions

When you were looking for your job, what did you search for? You likely searched for roles that aligned with your experiences, interests and needs, and ignored roles that seemed vague, misleading or were missing key information. 

Job titles likely played a big factor in your decision to learn more about a role. You might even have skipped some job postings based on their titles alone. Therefore, when coming up with titles for your jobs, make sure they reflect the roles you’re hiring for. Avoid additional symbols, punctuation or information in your job title, and avoid language that may sound spammy or be perceived as clickbait. 

A good rule of thumb for determining whether a job title is acceptable or not is to look at the job title and ask yourself if someone would include it on their business card. If not, refine your job titles as needed. For example, “Social Media Manager” or “Front Desk Receptionist” are high-quality job titles, while “Warehouse Worker HIRING IMMEDIATELY” or “Mechanic $12/hour” are low-quality job titles. 

Strong job titles are just one part of what makes a good job posting. Job descriptions are important, too. To attract top candidates, it’s best to be clear and detailed when writing a job description. 

Start by including information like your company’s name, job title and location. Once you’ve done this, include other details that are central to your role — like role expectations, desired experience, salary specifics and more.  When it comes down to it, whatever candidates need to know about the job, put it in there!

Learn more about our low-quality titles and low-quality job descriptions policies.  

Provide the best experience for jobseekers 

When posting a job on Indeed, put yourself in the shoes of jobseekers — they use Indeed to find real and current opportunities for consistent work. To provide a positive experience to jobseekers on Indeed, there are certain best practices to follow. 

First off, each job posting on Indeed should represent a single job opening. If you’re hiring for different roles, you should create an individual job posting and description for each role. One job posting advertising multiple job openings is discouraged and may mean you have to pay to have your job posted on Indeed. 

Likewise, each job application should be specific to one role. If the job posting is for a specific role, but it’s linked to a generic application that doesn’t refer to the original role the candidate applied for, this is not a good job posting practice and your job could require sponsorship to post. 

It’s important to also be considerate of candidate privacy when using Indeed. The job applicant’s personal information should be treated carefully in your company and never be made available to third parties. Make sure to never request sensitive information over direct messages. 

Learn more about general recruitment and product policies here. 

Be intentional in your job posting practices

We know that sometimes, reposting your jobs on Indeed is a necessary part of hiring, especially for jobs that have high turnover rates. However, it’s also important to repost jobs with care.  Excessive reposting will lead to lowered visibility for your jobs.

When the same job is posted across multiple locations, your job may require sponsorship. Location-blasting, or posting a job in locations aside from the primary location where the jobseeker would work is discouraged. 

For example, if you’re based in San Jose, California but you post a job in San Francisco because many people commute between the two cities, that would not be a good practice. Doing this can serve up irrelevant results to jobseekers looking for jobs in San Francisco. 

An example of when it’s okay to post in multiple locations is if, for example, a chain restaurant posts one job in each location where they have a restaurant and are hiring for that position. In that case, this is okay because a job is available in each of the locations where the job is posted.

Learn more about reposting and location blasting here. 

Your job posting should always be free for jobseekers 

Your job postings should always be free to apply to. Different jobseekers have different resources available at their fingertips. Often, awesome jobseekers miss out on job opportunities — and companies on awesome jobseekers — because they lack access to the resources needed to apply for a job. 

Indeed strives to break down this barrier by being an accessible and open resource that anyone can use for free. If a candidate needs to pay to apply or be hired for your job, your job isn’t accessible or open — and isn’t the best fit for Indeed. Any jobs requiring fees from jobseekers will be removed from Indeed.

Learn more about our job posting standards.

Ensure your application process is accessible, easy to navigate and inclusive 

How many times have you quit filling out a job application because it was too difficult to navigate? You don’t want to miss out on a great candidate because your application process is too complex or unclear. 

Having an application process that is accessible and open allows for a larger pool of talent to take a chance on your company — and for your company to take a chance on a larger pool of talent.

Jobs on Indeed must be made available to qualified candidates regardless of age, race, gender and sexual orientation. There may be specific exemptions for some jobs, but you will need to show you fall into those exemptions.

You can create a more inclusive application process simply by using inclusive language in your job descriptions. Always make sure you review your job description for language that could be perceived as biased or discriminatory. 

One good practice is to use gender-neutral job titles so everyone feels included. For example, use “chairperson” rather than “chairman”, or “property manager” rather than “landlord.” 

It’s also important to evaluate your job posting for terms that could exclude jobseekers of a certain age. For example, rather than requesting a “new graduate” candidate, say you’re looking for an “entry-level” candidate instead. 

Learn more about our guidelines on age discrimination and gender discrimination. 

Transparency and honesty are the best policies for recruiting terrific candidates

To fulfill our mission of helping people get jobs, it’s important that jobseekers can easily access the job opportunities that match their interests and needs. 

By openly posting a detailed, truthful job opportunity, you can successfully recruit candidates who are the best fit for your role and your company’s culture and needs — ultimately giving your company the talent it deserves.

Learn more about Indeed’s search quality standards here. Contact Us if you have questions about how these guidelines apply to your jobs.