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Since its appearance in 2004, Indeed has gradually established itself as a key player in the online recruitment market. Initially designed as a search engine meta, providing free access to job offers published on different jobboards, it has evolved towards an integrated and increasingly closed platform.
The deletion of the search bar and the connection obligation to access the announcements mark a break with its original model. This change, which has not yet been made in Europe, is part of a strategy aimed at maximizing the monetization of candidate data and strengthening the position of Indeed as an intermediary of recruitment.
A lock in order to use candidate data
By restricting access to job offers to registered users only, Indeed has a powerful lever to capture and use the data of its users.
Research history, location preferences, professional experiences, interactions with announcements or even applications made become as much useful information to refine its targeting and segment candidates according to their profile and behavior.
With this data, Indeed can market services to recruiters in different forms. The paid highlighting of certain profiles, the prioritization of CVs according to their conversion potential or the development of automated algorithmic solutions reinforce its control over access to talents.
Indeed: to a placement platform and no longer a search engine?
This gradual locking of access to employment opportunities is not limited to the monetization of profiles. It is part of a wider strategy aimed at transforming Indeed into an actor in the placement of talent.
From a simple tender platform, Indeed becomes an increasingly essential intermediary of recruitment. The introduction of automated recruitment services, including the management of interviews and the preselection of candidates, strengthens its control over the connection between employers and job seekers.
With the disappearance of the search bar, Indeed voluntarily limits the transparency of its offer to encourage recruiters to depend on its paid algorithms. Recruiters, forced to use its connection services, lose part of their autonomy in the selection of profiles.
A risky bet: market reaction to this closure
This radical change poses an essential question: will candidates and companies accept this new orientation?
The example of Monster and Careerbuilder shows that excessive closure of platforms can lead to their decline. As access barriers are increasing, users may be tempted to turn to other alternatives. Google for Jobs, which maintains a more open model, or LinkedIn, whose premium offer remains optional, could take advantage of the dissatisfaction of indeed users.
