Hiring is one of the most consequential decisions in business. Treating it like a necessary inconvenience, posting something fast, hoping for the best, is a good way to miss out on great candidates. If you’re listing jobs with Indeed what you put in a listing up front is often what you get out of it. Here are a few tips to hire well with Indeed.
Start with the company description — and be honest
Before you write a job title, Indeed asks you to fill out a company profile. Don’t rush this. It carries forward into every listing you post. For many candidates this is the first impression they have of your business and they may decide whether they want to work for you or not before they even read the job requirements.
Write a real description of what your company does, who you serve, and what it’s like to work there. Not a press release — a genuine snapshot. How does your company make a difference for your clients? Do you prioritize promoting from within? If so, say that. If you offer extensive training, say that. What core values does your team actually operate by? Name them and describe how they show up in practice.
Don’t just throw out a bunch of buzz words or fluff. Think this through and use the critical test: could you back up every single thing you write if a candidate asked about it in an interview? If someone says, “Your listing mentioned that you prioritize moving employees upward — can you tell me about someone that happened for?” you need a real answer. If you don’t have one, take it out. Candidates notice when a company’s stated values and actual culture don’t match, and the ones you most want to hire will walk away from that gap.
When you write it honestly, it becomes a filter. The right candidates will be drawn in. The ones who aren’t a fit will self-select out.
Write a detailed job description, the more specific, the better
Vague listings attract vague candidates. A job description that says “must be a team player with strong communication skills” tells nobody anything. One that says “you’ll manage client onboarding calls, maintain project timelines in our project management system, and be the primary contact for a portfolio of 30+ clients” tells people exactly what their days will look like.
Be specific about:
- What the person will actually do — day-to-day tasks, not just outcomes
- Experience requirements — not just years, but what kind of experience matters (industry, software, scope of work)
- Education and training — what’s required vs. preferred, and whether the company offers additional training after hire
- Soft skills that are genuinely necessary — and be honest about why (a role that requires a lot of client conflict resolution needs someone who can stay calm under pressure; say that)
- What success looks like in the first 90 days
- Who they’ll work with and report to
Indeed’s algorithm uses your job description to match candidates — the richer your content, the better the match quality.
Set up screening questions and requirements
Indeed lets you add pre-screening questions that candidates answer before submitting their application. Use them. Think carefully about anything that would make someone immediately unqualified, and build that in. Nobody wants to waste time in an interview that’s doomed from the start.
You can set hard requirements (automatic disqualifiers if answered a certain way) or as informational. A question like “Do you have at least two years of experience in X?” set as a hard requirement will filter out unqualified candidates before they hit your inbox. That’s not harsh — that’s efficient for everyone.
You can also set minimum requirements for education, years of experience, certifications, and work authorization. Fill these out. The more you define the role, the more the algorithm has to work with.
Take sponsorship seriously, but you’re in control
Once your listing is live, Indeed will suggest a sponsorship level and a daily budget to get more visibility. You’re not locked into anything. You have tight control over the budget, you can set a daily cap, pause at any time, and adjust as you go.
The platform will also tell you how your listing is performing relative to similar jobs. Pay attention to that. If your listing is rating poorly against comparable postings, there’s usually a reason — compensation, job requirements that are out of line with the market, or a description that isn’t compelling.
Sponsorship isn’t always necessary. For some roles in some markets, an organic listing performs well. For harder-to-fill positions or when you need to move quickly, sponsored listings make a real difference. Consider starting with the recommended amount and adjusting based on results.
Talk to an Indeed rep if they reach out
I’ve spoken with Indeed reps on several occasions when they’ve called to walk through a listing. They’ve been professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely helpful. They knew the platform, understood what made listings perform, and weren’t just trying to sell me a more expensive package. Yes, they did sometimes recommend upgrades — that’s part of their job — but the focus was on helping me build a listing that performed. None of them have been pushy.
If a rep calls, I take the call. It’s been worth my time, and they were happy to schedule when was convenient.
Work the resume queue carefully to teach the algorithm
After your listing goes live you may have an opportunity to rate your interest in some resumes immediately. (Depending on your sponsorship rate.) Don’t rush this step. The choosier you are here, the choosier the algorithm will be with recommendations.
Go through the early resumes carefully. Mark candidates as “good fit,” “not a fit,” or “maybe” with intention. More precise and selective early reviews — paying attention to specific experience or credentials — surface better candidates going forward. It’s worth spending this time upfront.
A few more things worth doing
Respond promptly. Indeed tracks employer response rates and shows them to candidates. Strong candidates are often talking to multiple employers. If you let applications sit for a week, you’re losing the people you want. Commit to reviewing applications at least every day or two when a listing is active.
Be thoughtful about the job title. Candidates search by title. “Administrative Specialist” gets fewer views than “Administrative Assistant” or “Office Manager” depending on what the role is. Title for search visibility, then clarify the actual role in the description.
Write the salary range in. Pay transparency is increasingly the norm, and many states now require it. More practically: candidates filter by pay. If your range is competitive and you don’t show it, you’re invisible to people who would have applied. If your range isn’t competitive, that’s a separate conversation worth having before you post.
Don’t close the listing the moment you make an offer. Wait until the offer is accepted. Good candidates sometimes decline, and this saves you from starting over.
The bottom line
Indeed is a powerful hiring tool that naturally rewards effort. Employers who take time to write a genuine company description, build a specific and honest job listing, use the screening tools, engage carefully with early resumes, and stay responsive end up with candidates worth interviewing.
Hiring the right person is worth the front-end investment. Put the time in before you post, and the platform will work much harder for you.