Indeed is limiting your free job posts

Indeed is a tool, like everything else. The decision to use it or not is completely up to the user.

That said, let me gripe for a moment.

At the end of December, Indeed revised its terms so companies can now post only three free jobs per month. I get it. Indeed is a business, and limiting free postings is a logical way to drive revenue.

Here’s my issue with it: all of the financial risk falls on the job poster. That daily budget gets spent whether you receive 100 applicants or zero.

In practice, many of my jobs already get scraped from my website and posted on Indeed for free. Historically, I’ve filled very few roles through those postings, and I don’t expect that to change. The scraped jobs will remain free, but the results haven’t been compelling. Spending money on job postings alone is not what I consider a recruiting best practice.

As a recruiting agency, I’m also not eligible for the three free postings. Every job I post directly must be sponsored.

Rather than spending guaranteed money on unguaranteed results, I think now is the time to seriously evaluate alternative sourcing strategies.

If I were running an internal recruiting team, I would start gradually shifting budget away from job boards and toward targeted social media campaigns that highlight your employer value proposition. Focus on why someone should work for you. “This is why you should apply here.” Drive traffic to your careers page. Create engagement. Recruiting and marketing should be working together to answer questions, respond to interest, and guide candidates through the process.

I would also invest heavily in an employee referral program. Great people know great people. But this can’t just be an email that goes out once a quarter. It has to be cultural. The message should be simple and genuine: we care about your wellbeing and the wellbeing of the people around you. If you know someone who needs a job, one of our recruiters will talk to them. If we hire them, you get a bonus.

Post on LinkedIn. Often. Post in groups where the people you want to hire already spend time. Engage with them. Comment on their posts. Build relationships, even if they’re virtual. That way, when you finally have a role they might be a fit for, it’s not the first time they’re hearing from you.

And finally, build a school outreach program. Get to know your local universities and training programs. Partner with them to offer internships, clinical rotations, and opportunities to speak with students. Participate in job fairs. Build brand awareness early. Be a partner, not just when you need to fill a role, but always.

If you need help building any of these programs, reach out. We can help you identify and manage the right subcontractors, or help you hire and build the internal team to own it long term.

Recruiting doesn’t have to be reactive. With the right structure, it becomes a competitive advantage.