The battle for global recruitment domination: Indeed vs LinkedIn
With over 300 million profiles and presence in 200 countries, LinkedIn seems to be the dominant player for global recruitment. But there is competition of a ‘new kid’ on the block. Indeed. With presences in 50 countries, 28 languages, millions of CV’s and at least 140 million job seekers monthly, Indeed seems to be the biggest competitor and the first player that really gives access to the complete global market.
Developments at Indeed and LinkedIn
Indeed and LinkedIn can be seen as two recruitment channels that have changed the status quo in the market through providing new effective routes in the recruitment industry. Indeed who, as the biggest job aggregator, recently entered the stock market, is not focusing on a single service anymore. Besides aggregating as many jobs as possible they move to a global organization that focuses on providing advice, resumes and recruitment data. A salary survey where you can search and compare salaries from over 5 million functions, a resume database which contains over millions of resumes, a job trend page, an employer referrals section and blogs where Indeed shares trendy recruitment information.
After LinkedIn announced that companies can create showcase pages to ‘promote’ their business, it is now time for the job seekers themselves. From half October premium users of LinkedIn can create a more personal tone profile by adjusting their header above their profile picture. Is LinkedIn moving from the largest social business network where people can source, refer, connect and interact with each other to the largest job board with a lots of other features as well? Mid 2014 LinkedIn has decided to extend its recruitment channel by aggregating job listings from other sources. LinkedIn is self-conscious: to stay the dominant player it already is a job board and is also acting as a job aggregator: A move to boost its value proposition and attract more users. But is this actually happening or is LinkedIn moving past its own core business and will it therefore loose the hearts of the global workforce?
In this article we use data from Intelligence Group, Similarweb.com and globalrecruitmentchannels.com to make a comparison between the strengths of Indeed and LinkedIn, in core of the global workforce. A total comparison is made. Let the battle begin.
Indeed vs LinkedIn: What is the status?
Both are frontrunners, pioneers and innovators in developing services that are a new way of doing (international) recruitment. Both evolved into global recruitment channels that are more extended and complete than ever before. In which countries do they have the largest market share? Who of the two shows the strongest growth? Who beats who in the battle for global recruitment domination?
**87% chooses LinkedIn over Indeed as preferred recruitment channel **
According to the Global Talent Acquisition Monitor (GTAM), a large scale international research executed by Intelligence Group in 45 countries, 87% of the labor force in the measured countries would prefer LinkedIn over Indeed as their preferred recruitment channel.
Indeed grows strong in the ‘homelands’ of LinkedIn
Originally, LinkedIn has a strong founding ground in the Western world, especially in the United States, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
Top-10 of the countries where LinkedIn is the most preferred by the total labor force and the part of the labor force that applies LinkedIn when looking for a job
- Singapore (28%)
- Netherlands (26%)
- Canada (25%)
- United States (24%)
- Spain (22%)
- Australia (19%)
- South Africa (19%)
- United Kingdom (15%)
- India (14%)
- Ireland/Mexico (13%)
Interesting is the development that Indeed is gaining fast market share in these home markets of LinkedIn. According to data of Intelligence Group, Indeed is positioned on the second position in the USA, and fourth in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands as the most preferred job board.
In addition, comparing LinkedIn to Indeed, the findings show that on ratio[1] LinkedIn scores better in 87 % of the 45 countries that were part of the survey. But the difference between the channels LinkedIn and Indeed with regards to the scores on the question ‘preferable recruitment channel’ is small. Especially, in comparison with their rankings in the United Kingdom and United states (see the three ratio figures illustrated below).
The figures illustrate the relationship that LinkedIn stands to Indeed based on the scores on the question ‘most preferable recruitment channel’. Worldwide LinkedIn scores 2,5 times better than Indeed. In the Netherlands LinkedIn scores 2 times better than Indeed, in the United Kingdom 1,1 times and in the United States LinkedIn scores 1,4 times better than Indeed. So LinkedIn is still dominant over Indeed but the gap with Indeed in closing (fast) in their most dominate markets. For a total view of the scores of both recruitment channels in all 45 countries take a look at this file
In addition, when we take a look at the data provided by similarweb.com of both recruitment channels (linkedin.com and indeed.com), there is a big difference in the traffic towards LinkedIn versus Indeed. From the 607,5 million visitors of LinkedIn 38% of the traffic comes from the United States (230,7 mln). From the 132,5 million visitors of Indeed 60% comes from the Unites States (790,6 k). Furthermore, following the paths of both sites and analyzing web traffic, the starting points of the user journeys as well as where this journey leads the users too, it can be concluded that 21% of the total Linkedin.com traffic comes from referrals versus 25% of the total Indeed.com traffic. Interesting is that both are not sending traffic to each other therefore Indeed and LinkedIn are not each other’s referring or destination sites.
What does this information tell us? Is LinkedIn the strongest channel and the overall winner? No! That would be too easy: more insights are needed. The battle of global recruitment goes further and is bigger than The Netherlands, UK and USA alone.
**LinkedIn loses its credits in Asia, East Europe and Oceania **
According to the data of Intelligence Group and Similarweb.com, LinkedIn is in some parts of the world very strong, but in others parts less so.
The figure below illustrates that only 3% of the labor market in Germany, Poland and Austria and 4% of the labor market in Czech Republic evaluates LinkedIn as preferred social media recruitment channel. In Germany and Austria Xing.com rules over LinkedIn. 31% of the German labor market and in Austria 1 out of 4 rates Xing.com as most favorite recruitment channel.
As illustrated in the figure, outside of the European borders, in countries like South Africa, Brazil, Canada, Argentina and the U.S., LinkedIn is a popular recruitment channel. Further to Oceania and Asia (except of Singapore and India) there is a real different view of LinkedIn. In New Zealand 8% evaluate LinkedIn as a preferred recruitment channel. Moreover in Japan and Taiwan LinkedIn is preferred even less (2%).
How does Indeed score in the rest of the world?
Indeed highly ranked as favorite job board
Indeed is highly ranked in the US, UK and the Netherlands. Other countries where Indeed scores well as job site, are France (second position) South Africa, New Zealand (both fourth position) and Australia (fifth position) (see ranking figure below). In addition, based on globalrecruitmentchannels.com, Japan can be added as country were Indeed is seen as a preferred job board. With 12% Indeed is after job.rikunabi.com (17%) evaluated as the second most important job board in Japan (results are illustrated in the table: Indeed the second most important job board in Japan).
*The countries where Indeed is it highest ranked as favorite job board (2, 4, 5 & 6 positioned) *
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Indeed the second most important job board in Japan
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As LinkedIn does not have much credits in Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Poland and Austria (and probably more countries), the question rises if Indeed beats LinkedIn in these countries.
Indeed wins on traffic numbers in parts of Asia, Oceania and Europe
Which job board, Indeed or Linkedin, has receives traffic? It turns out that on global level in 23 of the 45 measured countries Indeed had more traffic than LinkedIn. So Indeed beats LinkedIn by local traffic. In addition to the findings that are highlighted in the section before, it seems that especially from Western to Eastern Europe and in countries that are part of Oceania and Asia, Indeed has more traffic than LinkedIn. The figure below illustrates for a selection of countries the relative numbers of visitors that came to both websites in the last six months.
Grow perspective
Since September 2012 Indeed is part of the Japanese company Recruit Holdings Co. Ltd. This already resulted in a more prominent position of Indeed in Japan but is even more important for the growth of Indeed in the near future. It opens doors in other Asian countries. More interesting for Indeed is that LinkedIn has, except for Singapore and India where 28% and 14% rates LinkedIn as a preferred recruitment channel, no further founding grounded in the Asia market, like in other parts of the world (see figure at the section LinkedIn loses its credits in Asia, East Europe and Oceania). As Indeed is already (strongly) represented in the Asian market it is very unlikely that LinkedIn can win the Asian market now the first moving advantage is gone. This means that Indeed has an open play field in winning the hearts of the Asian labor force.
The battle continues
Overall LinkedIn and Indeed are both strong recruitment channels with each their own characteristics. LinkedIn wins this battle, but it is very uncertain that they win ‘the war’. In the markets where LinkedIn is strong, Indeed is closing the gap. In countries where LinkedIn is not strong or not present at all, Indeed wins. And Indeed has the opportunity of the Asian market. A market that is already lost for LinkedIn, without the exception of Singapore and India. But LinkedIn is a strong player, still the global dominator and adapts the aggregator strategy of Indeed to reduce the distance between both. If this is a game changer on the long run, is the one million dollar question. Indeed wins in the rising markets of Asia and in the more western mature labor markets. It only seems a matter of time that Indeed wins this race to win the hearts of more job seekers. On the other hand LinkedIn has the power and financial advantage to develop more new technologies and tools that improve their current recruitment services.
Therefore it is hard to conclude who will be the overall winner and global dominator. It all depends on the developments that will take place in the very near future….
Sources:
Global Recruitment Channels
Global Talent Acquistion Monitor (GTAM)
similarweb.com
[1]The ratio highlights the relationship of the percentage of the workforce in a country that evaluates LinkedIn as a preferred recruitment channel versus the percentage of the workforce in that same country that evaluates Indeed as a preferred recruitment channel.