LinkedIn vs Indeed: Which platform is the best job search engine?
Once upon a time, people who were on a job hunt would go around from door to door to see if help was needed. Now the best way to find a job requires you just to have a device with access to the internet. There are many free job posting sites you can choose from or use simultaneously until the job hunt is over. However, nowadays job posting sites are not just for finding a workplace – they are also used for professional networking. And this is where Indeed vs LinkedIn comes into place.
In the tops for the best job search engines, you will always find two job search sites – LinkedIn and Indeed. Not only can job seekers find and apply to various jobs and recruiters post openings but these websites serve as social networking platforms as well. When looking for a job which one is better? On which platform can you connect better with your employer? Which job search engine offers better features? Indeed vs LinkedIn? If you were wondering any of these things and were looking for answers, look no further – we are here to provide answers to any questions regarding LinkedIn and Indeed you might have.
What is LinkedIn?
Will LinkedIn be the best way to find a job? Well, among social platforms that have professional networking and job search capabilities, LinkedIn is by far the most popular and used one. Over 1 billion people are using LinkedIn from 200 countries and regions! The biggest focus of LinkedIn is enabling users to build long-lasting and meaningful professional connections. Even though LinkedIn is mostly known for being one of the best job search engines out there, the platform doesn’t aim to help just job seekers. LinkedIn provides the ideal space for businesses and entrepreneurs to make their companies more visible and grow their influence.
On LinkedIn, everyone can create a professional profile that encompasses everything related to their professional life and beyond. From education to previous job experiences, LinkedIn users can add every achievement related to their career path. Basically, your LinkedIn profile is your resume. Employers or potential partners can find you by searching the skills or education that you added to your profile.
Similar to social media platforms, on LinkedIn you can engage with content. Companies and individuals alike can share links, start conversations, or post updates that other people can react to and comment on. Another way to use LinkedIn for social reasons is by joining groups. You can find people with similar interests and backgrounds with whom you can share insights and exchange opinions. If you like a certain company that you would want to work for in the future, you can keep up with its activity by following its LinkedIn profile – almost every company uses LinkedIn these days.
LinkedIn’s Key Features
- Job Postings
LinkedIn allows employers to use their platform to post job openings in their companies. When recruiting new employees, one thing is vital – reaching highly qualified candidates. To turn this into a certainty, LinkedIn came up with a new job posting feature. Employers can now automatically share job openings as page posts. To enable this feature, you just have to go to the job settings and turn it on. This feature allows potential candidates to see the open positions in your company as soon as they are posted.
- Resume Sharing
To increase your chances of getting hired, LinkedIn offers a resume-sharing feature. By enabling this feature, recruiters can find your LinkedIn profile when they are searching for certain skills or education. In order to be able to use this feature you need to have at least one resume saved on the platform. Through this feature, LinkedIn shares only matching aspects between the recruiter’s searches and your resume, not your whole resume. For employers to have full access to it, you have to send it to them yourself or apply for a job at their company.
- Showcase Pages
If you want to reach more easily a segment of your audience, LinkedIn lets you create showcase pages. These pages are dedicated to a certain aspect of your business, like a product or service. By taking advantage of this feature, you can focus on posting content tailored to that specific product and engage long-term with audiences that are interested in that. LinkedIn users can follow a showcase page without needing to follow the main page or other showcase pages.
- Audio Events
Another new feature of LinkedIn is LinkedIn Audio Events. The purpose of this feature is to create and strengthen the connection between your company or you as an individual and your community. This feature allows users to either host or participate in live conversations that are audio-only. Launching and hosting such an online meeting doesn’t require a third party – you can do it directly from the LinkedIn interface. Even though these types of events imply connecting on a professional level, the environment is meant to be informal and pressure-free.
- Integrations
In terms of integration with other apps, LinkedIn is very permissive. LinkedIn users can link LinkedIn with other platforms such as customer relationship management (CRM) and applicant tracking systems (ATS). By using these platforms together, it is easier for employers and recruiters to manage efficiently and remain organized during the recruitment process.
What is Indeed?
Will Indeed be the best way to find a job? Well, Indeed is one of the best job websites that experiences great popularity among free job posting sites. Everyone who was looking for a job at some point has surely encountered Indeed. More than 350 million people are accessing Indeed monthly from over 60 countries all over the world. Indeed’s main focus is providing job seekers with as many job opportunities as possible from a wide range of companies and sources.
The way Indeed works is by gathering job openings from a wide variety of sources. These sources include job boards, company websites that have a careers section, and different agencies. By using Indeed, people who are looking for a new workplace don’t have to surf different websites on the internet to find jobs to apply to. With Indeed you save time and effort by having everything in one place.
Applying for jobs on Indeed is quick and easy. There are two ways in which one can apply for a job. It all depends on the company that has that specific job opening, whether it allows easy application or not. If on the application button, you see “Apply Now”, then the application process takes only one click. If on the application button, you see “Apply on the Company Site”, then after clicking on it, you will be redirected to the website of that respective company. Some companies require you to provide more information or answer additional questions so the easy application is not a possibility.
Indeed’s Key Features
- Job Postings
Employers can post job openings for free on Indeed. However, to increase visibility the majority of them opt for sponsored job postings. Another advantage of sponsored job postings is that they appear as top results when people are searching for jobs. Even more so, to narrow down the number of applications received and to make sure that only quality applications come through, employers can set specific criteria. When applying for such job posts, applicants are required to provide valid answers regarding education, skills, or work experience.
- Search Filters
A great feature that Indeed provides to its users is advanced search filtering. This feature allows job seekers to find a suitable job in a shorter period of time. By filtering the search results, you can narrow down the jobs Indeed suggests to you. You can filter results based on location, job type, job title, salary, and more.
- Application Tracking
When applying for jobs, one of the most frustrating and stressful parts is waiting for an answer and not knowing whether your application has been received or viewed by the recruiter. Luckily Indeed allows applicants to see whether the recruiter viewed or took action regarding your application. To check its status you need to go to the My Jobs page and click on the folder called “Applied”. In that folder, you will find all the jobs you applied for, and next to them, you can see the updates.
- Job Alerts
To make sure you are one of the first applicants for a job, you can choose to receive instant job alerts from Indeed. This feature enables you to receive real-time notifications every time a job opening is posted on Indeed. You can choose what job title or location you are interested in and edit it later in case your preferences have changed. These alerts are sent via email and you decide the frequency at which you want to receive them.
- Integrations
ATS integrations with Indeed are offered to employers to ensure faster and more qualitative hires. Indeed supports integrations with over 300 ATS platforms and even lets you automate data transfer between your ATS and Indeed. Making use of this feature allows you to streamline hiring processes.
Indeed vs LinkedIn
Even though both LinkedIn and Indeed are often used as job search sites, their core functionalities are different. LinkedIn is more of a social networking platform that combines job postings with characteristics specific to social media platforms. Indeed is a job search engine that focuses on helping job seekers find a workplace as quickly as possible.
Payment Plans
When it comes to accessing the platforms, both can be used for free. Indeed requires payments only when opting for sponsored job postings – the budgets start at $5/day or $150/month. However, LinkedIn offers more types of premium plans at different price points:
- LinkedIn Premium Career – $30/month
- LinkedIn Premium Business – $60/month
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator Core – $100/month
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced – $150/month
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced Plus – custom pricing
- LinkedIn Recruiter Lite – $170/month
- LinkedIn Recruiter – $835/month
- LinkedIn Learnings – $20/month
LinkedIn’s Pros
- Job searching combined with professional networking
- Updates and industry news for professionals
- Business growth possibilities
Indeed’s Pros
- Filters for tailoring job search results
- Easy-to-use interface and simple application process
- Easy to access company reviews
While both LinkedIn and Indeed seem like the same thing to the average job seeker, the platforms pose significant differences. Each platform has its strengths and weaknesses and can be used for different purposes. LinkedIn is more focused on networking and creating bonds that can help grow and promote your business. Indeed, on the other hand, is solely a job search engine that focuses on providing various job openings. So in terms of purpose, LinkedIn has a broader one. It depends on what you are looking for when choosing one of the two. However, if you are on a job hunt, we advise you to just use both as they are the best job search engines.
