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For the past five months, CareerXroads has been facilitating discussions with talent acquisition leaders and senior recruiting solutions partners to compare notes on changes underway at Indeed - particularly around job visibility, integrations, and data expectations. These conversations are designed to be practical, neutral, and grounded in the realities TA leaders are accountable for inside their organizations.

What continues to surface in these discussions

Guidance varies depending on product and account team

TA leaders report receiving inconsistent messaging from Indeed, especially around disposition data, integrations, and posting requirements. In some conversations, items are described as required; in others, as optional or preferred. A consistent peer recommendation has been to confirm expectations directly and document them.

AI-driven sourcing is influencing job visibility

Across recent conversations, many TA leaders have noted that Indeed is talking more about its long-term direction beyond a traditional job board, with increased emphasis on AI-enabled sourcing and matching.  At the same time, the primary call to action remains “post a job,” which has led to some understandable questions about what is changing now versus what may be coming later.

Rather than debating labels, community discussions have focused on the practical implications leaders are trying to understand.  Several call participants have raised that models framed more like marketplaces often rely on tighter connections to employers’ systems of record, which can introduce both potential benefits and new considerations around data access, governance, and internal review.

As a result, most of the discussion has centered less on whether any single transition is “complete,” and more on how these signals might influence job visibility, performance, and risk over time - and of course how peers are choosing to respond as things continue to evolve.

Organic feeds and Indeed Connect remain distinct decisions

A recurring theme has been the importance of not conflating organic job feeds (XML, scraping, or direct career site feeds) with Indeed Connect. They are separate products with different technical and data implications. Many organizations are choosing to manage organic visibility first while deferring deeper integrations unless there is a clear business need.

Data access and governance questions are front and center

Deeper ATS integrations can provide Indeed access to candidate-level data, (status updates, background results, steps in the process, etc.) that Indeed could potentially then tie back to account users (the applicants) on their own platform, prompting reviews by InfoSec, Legal, and Privacy teams. Leaders consistently note that integration timelines alone can take several months, even before, or if, governance considerations are resolved.

Why these conversations matter

Regardless of how individual organizations feel about marketplace models, AI adoption, or product expansion, one reality is consistent: Indeed remains the largest source of candidates for many employers.  That makes understanding what’s changing - and what may change next - table stakes for TA leaders.

These conversations exist to help leaders compare experiences, sanity-check assumptions, and learn how peers are managing the tradeoffs as Indeed continues to evolve toward being both a software platform and a job marketplace.

Timing around April 1

Several TA leaders have shared that they were given an April 1 deadline by Indeed to make certain integration or data-sharing decisions, while others report receiving extensions. We are holding another community call before that date and we moved our April session to occur immediately after the deadline so leaders can compare what actually happened, what changed, and what did not.

If you'd like to attend that call, keep reading.

A measured, impartial conversation

While there has been clear frustration expressed, the tone of these discussions has remained constructive. There have been no disparaging remarks about Indeed, nor has anyone advised peers to disengage or “stop spending.” The focus has been on understanding options, risks, timelines, and trade-offs - not on reacting emotionally or prescribing one-size-fits-all answers.

To date, we’ve not had success securing a representative from Indeed to join these calls, though our outreach continues and the invitation remains open - either for one of the upcoming community sessions or a smaller, more informal conversation with me and my team.

CareerXroads does not take money from Indeed, and we are not aligned to any vendor outcome. Our role, as it has been for 30 years, is to provide a trusted, neutral space where TA leaders and partners can share experiences and help one another make informed decisions aligned with their responsibilities and constraints.

For directors and above who are interested in participating in the next two community calls that bookend the upcoming “deadline” from Indeed, registration details are available here: http://cxr.works/indeedcommunitycall

CXR members and alumni can find a more detailed summary of the most recent call here in a community member’s-only forum post, where the conversation continues and peers can actively compare notes and ask follow-up questions.