How Indeed Hire Makes Recruiting Easier for Time-Strapped Businesses | Human Resources

We’ve all been there, asking, “Where did the time go?” Well, chances are it disappeared into that stack of resumes piling up in your inbox. Probably a chunk of it went into your email, too. After all, hiring is a complex process with many, many steps. Sourcing and screening in particular can gobble up huge parts of your day with tasks that are repetitive and time-consuming.

When staring at a pile of resumes or a long list of open requisitions, you’re left with two options: keep at it yourself, or let a third party do some of the work for you. Problem is, outside recruiting agencies typically charge 20% of the candidate’s starting salary, which doesn’t make it a viable option in many cases.

So, a couple years ago, Indeed set out to see if we could leverage our scale and technology to create a more accessible pay-per-hire recruiting service. The result, Indeed Hire, balances the human and the technological aspects of recruitment to make the work of hiring not only easier, but more affordable — charging only 10% of a candidate’s starting salary.

In this post, I want to talk a little about what Indeed Hire does, how it helps recruiters and some of the discoveries we’ve made about hiring along the way.

There are over a hundred discrete steps in the hiring process

Up above I suggested that hiring is a complex process. The most vital parts — the importance of empathy, intuition and relationships — are things that machines just can’t do. They are profoundly human and require professionals with excellent soft skills.

But what about the other stuff?

When we started working on Indeed Hire, we wanted to know precisely how many steps there are in the hiring journey, what they are and which of them could be automated so recruiters can work smarter, not harder.

Here’s what we found: there are over a hundred discrete steps between receipt of the resume and the moment the candidate starts work.

We’re talking about reviewing piles of resumes, candidate screening, candidate outreach, interview scheduling, candidate rejection communications, offer negotiations … and a whole lot more.

And the thing is, it’s not even as if all these steps proceed in a straight line. It’s more like a winding maze that has you turning corners and bumping into dead ends before you arrive at the exit.

Using automation to take the grind out of hiring

But if so much of that work is highly repetitive, is it something recruiters should be spending their time on? We think not. So with Indeed Hire, technology is applied to separate the repetitive chores from the empathic work that only humans can do.

The first big time-saver for us was automating the way we found candidates. Key to identifying candidates are two questions: are they ready to make a move, and do they match? So we built tools to find candidates who are applying to similar jobs in similar locations to those we’re recruiting for. Then we use machine learning models to screen resumes for key credentials. After identifying active candidates who fit most of the criteria we’re looking for, we invite them to apply.

Once a candidate applies, we use Indeed Assessments, our skills-based screening platform, to have applicants answer customized questions to find out whether they fit the role. Once we get the okay from a client to move forward with a candidate, we offer other tools to keep the recruiting process moving — like a shareable calendar to make interview scheduling easy.

The all-important human touch

Of course, making the decision to take a new job or bring someone into a company is hugely important and requires trust on both sides.

That’s why we’ve built a team of experienced hiring specialists to be honest brokers and handle what a computer cannot — building client and candidate relationships, preparing candidates for interviews and assisting with offer negotiations and onboarding.

Our goal is for each hiring specialist to be tuned in to their client’s processes and idiosyncrasies so that it feels as though they’re an extension of the team. And like everything we do at Indeed, we’re focused on doing what’s right for the job seeker by advocating on their behalf and matching them with the right roles.

Work smarter, not harder

Any talent-strapped business knows there is a steep cost when positions go unfilled for too long. And when we’re stretched thin, the last thing we want to do is spend our time and effort on tasks that may not show results. So Indeed Hire is here to do the legwork and help businesses grow.

We are very proud of how far Indeed Hire has come since we started out on this journey two years ago, and we are excited about where we’re headed.

Give it a try and let us know what you think. Happy hiring!

Graham Davis is GM of Indeed Hire.