Both LinkedIn and Indeed are popular platforms used by employers and job seekers during the hiring process. However, there is an ongoing debate about which platform employers prefer and utilize more. In this article, we will examine the key differences between LinkedIn and Indeed, look at statistics on employer usage, and provide a conclusion on which platform employers use more for recruiting and hiring.
LinkedIn vs Indeed – The Key Differences
LinkedIn and Indeed share some commonalities in that they both host job listings and allow job seekers to post their resumes/profiles. However, there are some notable differences between the two platforms:
- LinkedIn is a social networking site specifically focused on professional networking and career development. Indeed is primarily a job search engine.
- LinkedIn requires users to create detailed professional profiles with work histories, education, skills, recommendations, etc. Indeed just requires resume uploads.
- LinkedIn focuses on building long-term connections between professionals. Indeed focuses on short-term job searching.
- LinkedIn has over 740 million members. Indeed reaches around 250 million unique visitors per month.
- LinkedIn allows direct messaging between members. Indeed just facilitates applying to jobs.
- LinkedIn offers premiumjob listings. Indeed job listings are completely free.
- LinkedIn profiles are optimized for networking and discoverability. Indeed resumes are optimized for applicant tracking systems.
In summary, LinkedIn is better suited for ongoing professional networking and company research. Indeed is more streamlined and geared strictly towards job hunting. Employers utilize both platforms, but may prefer one over the other depending on their specific recruiting needs.
Employer Usage Statistics
When looking at actual usage data, Indeed appears to come out ahead among employers:
- 79% of employers use Indeed for recruiting, compared to 78% who use LinkedIn (Source: Jobvite)
- 93% of employers have hired through Indeed in the past 12 months vs. 59% through LinkedIn (Source: TalentWorks)
- 87% of job seekers use Indeed during job searches vs. 55% for LinkedIn (Source: TalentWorks)
- Indeed has over 250 million unique visitors per month compared to LinkedIn’s 200 million (Sources: Indeed, LinkedIn)
- 77% of Fortune 500 companies post on Indeed vs. 69% for LinkedIn (Source: Ladders)
The data indicates that while both sites are popular with employers, Indeed sees more usage overall when it comes to posting jobs and sourcing candidates.
Employer Usage by Industry
Certain industries show a stronger preference for one platform over the other:
Industry | Preferred Platform |
---|---|
Technology | |
Finance/Business | |
Healthcare | Indeed |
Retail | Indeed |
Restaurant | Indeed |
Construction | Indeed |
Education | Indeed |
LinkedIn tends to be favored by white collar and corporate industries that value networking. Indeed is dominant among blue collar, hospitality, and service industries focused on high volume hiring.
Reasons Employers Prefer Indeed
What factors are driving the overall employer preference for Indeed over LinkedIn?
1. Indeed Reaches a Wider Talent Pool
With over 250 million monthly visitors, Indeed’s user base is larger and more diverse than LinkedIn’s. This gives employers access to more candidates, including:
- Active and passive job seekers
- Blue collar and hourly workers
- Candidates without robust professional networks or profiles
- More diversity in age, background, industry, experience level
LinkedIn certainly has a sizable user base as well, but tends to skew towards white collar professionals. Indeed’s scale and variety gives employers a broader reach.
2. Indeed Drives More Referrals
Indeed’s vast user traffic translates into more job applications for employers. Some data points:
- Indeed drives 5-6x more traffic to job postings than LinkedIn (Source: Google Analytics)
- Indeed referrals are 6x higher than LinkedIn referrals on average (Source: TalentWorks)
- Small businesses receive 18-25x more clicks from Indeed vs. LinkedIn (Source: Jobvite)
The numbers indicate Indeed’s platform generates significantly more job seeker interest and applications. All those extra clicks and referrals give employers more candidates to evaluate.
3. Indeed Costs Less for Employers
Posting jobs on Indeed is free, compared to LinkedIn which offers premium, paid job listings. Some costs to consider:
- LinkedIn job slots cost $199-$399 per 30 days
- Sponsored LinkedIn jobs run $3-5 CPM (cost per 1000 impressions)
- Indeed job postings are always free
- Indeed Sponsored Jobs run $0.50-$2.00 CPM on average
Paying the premium for LinkedIn jobs can tally up quickly, especially for companies doing high volume recruiting. Indeed’s model is far more budget friendly.
4. Employers Appreciate Indeed’s Simplicity
With LinkedIn, companies need to cultivate followers, build their brand page, and focus on engagement. But Indeed is designed to simply get jobs in front of candidates. Some advantages of Indeed’s simplicity:
- No brand building needed – just post the job
- Intuitive dashboard and job posting form
- Minimal effort to manage postings and applications
- Robust screening and applicant management tools
Employers short on time or recruitment resources can benefit from Indeed’s straightforward, candidate-focused approach.
Reasons Employers Still Value LinkedIn
With its vast professional network and rich user profiles, LinkedIn offers benefits Indeed cannot match. Reasons employers continue leveraging LinkedIn:
1. Ability to Target Passive Candidates
Over 90% of LinkedIn’s users are technically passive candidates open to new job opportunities. Employers can laser target these prospects through:
- Advanced profile searching and filtering tools
- Joining relevant LinkedIn groups to identify talent
- Messaging top prospects directly
- Advertising open roles to non-seekers who match target attributes
This passive recruitment capability keeps LinkedIn in the hiring mix for savvy employers.
2. Relationships and Brand Building
Employers invest time in cultivating followers, sharing content, and engaging the LinkedIn community to:
- Establish relationships with candidates
- Build awareness of open roles
- Boost overall employer brand
- Make existing employees feel valued
Relationships matter in hiring. LinkedIn enables more organic, genuine ties between employers and talent.
3. Verified Profiles and References
Unlike Indeed, every LinkedIn member has a detailed, verified profile with work histories, education, certifications, and references. For employers, this means:
- Better assessment of candidate qualifications
- Easy verification of background details
- Valuable references and recommendations
- Better screening and shortlisting
LinkedIn profiles provide transparency and insight employers don’t get on Indeed.
4. Finding Candidates at Target Companies
Employers can search LinkedIn profiles by current/past employer to find candidates from key companies. Benefits include:
- Ability to source prospects from competitors
- Intelligence on how other companies operate
- Tap into hard-to-find talent at niche firms
- Draw interest from employees at aspirational employers
This company intel gives LinkedIn an edge for strategic recruiting.
Conclusion
In summary, Indeed appears to have an overall edge with more employers using the platform to post jobs and source candidates. Indeed’s wider reach, simplicity, and cost savings give it broad appeal.
However, LinkedIn still brings unique value through passive candidate targeting, professional networking, and verified profiles. Employers at large companies focused on high-caliber talent are more likely to leverage LinkedIn.
The data indicates most employers utilize both Indeed and LinkedIn to complement one another. Indeed helps cast a wide net and get jobs in front of maximum candidates. LinkedIn enables more targeted recruiting and relationship building. Together they provide the outreach and depth employers need for optimal hiring outcomes.