Indeed or Stepstone: More reach for your job ads

Online job boards are now a dime a dozen. For a human resources manager, keeping track of where job advertisements are most effective can take a lot of time.

In times of inflation, the shortage of skilled workers, and global crises, it is more important than ever to use existing recruiting resources as efficiently as possible. We’ll help you decide on the right job board so you can save time (and money, too).

Comparing Indeed and Stepstone

“Which one is bigger, Stepstone or Indeed?”

This is a question that not only the employers are asking themselves. Also job seekers would like to use the platform containing the largest selection with the best job offers. Below, we’ll answer this and other questions.

Indeed, since its inception in 2004, has positioned itself as a titan among online job boards. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Indeed offers a comprehensive platform equally valuable for job seekers and employers.

Indeed’s uniqueness lies in its aggregator model: Instead of requiring employers to post their job ads directly on the platform, Indeed searches the Internet and collects offers from thousands of job boards, company sites, and other sources.

Stepstone, with roots dating back to 1996 in Norway, has established itself as one of the leading online job boards in Europe. This platform not only specializes in aggregating job advertisements, but also enables companies to advertise jobs directly. This leads to high-quality and up-to-date job offers, which is of great importance for job seekers.

Stepstone has established itself as a top central for companies looking for qualified specialists and managers. The user-friendly interface, targeted communication, and comprehensive corporate services make this job board a valuable resource in the European recruiting market.

The differences between Indeed and Stepstone

	Indeed	Stepstone
Reach:	Global reach in over 60 countries with 350 million+ users per month	Job board focused on the European market with around 10 million monthly users
Target group:	International audience, a wider target group spanning from beginners to top managers	Primarily specialists and managers
Costs:	With pay per click option, employers only pay for actual clicks on their ads	Fixed prices for job advertisements
Ease of use:	Easy and quick job search without registration	Detailed search filters and an extensive career page for employers
Benefits for companies:	Particularly wide reach, integrated with many other job boards	Boosting employer branding

Publishing and managing job ads and applications using the recruiting software from JOIN is easy. Benefit from exclusive bundles and packages and post your jobs for free either on 15+ or on 250+ premium job boards.

Use our job board overview to find out on which job boards and platforms you can place your job advertisements with JOIN — including Google for Jobs, Monster, and the like.

Stepstone vs. Indeed: Where can you find potential applicants?

The digitisation of the recruitment process has revolutionised the search for talent. Both portals have helped to shape this development and offer extensive opportunities to find and address potential applicants. Let’s take a look at the two job boards and find out which features will make your search for candidates easier.

How Indeed simplifies talent search

In the search to attract top talent, Indeed offers employers a key advantage: Access to an extensive and detailed CV database.

Using their targeted search functions, employers can use keywords, desired location, work experience, and numerous other parameters to find exactly the applicants that match the requirements of the position they want to fill.

Contacting potential candidates is also seamless and direct; you can get in touch with a talent directly and without any detours.

By marking their ads as Sponsored Jobs via Indeed, employers appear more prominent and are placed at the top of potential applicants’ search results. This increased visibility can improve the number of applications and thus lead to more efficient and successful filling of positions.

Suggest read: 5 best recruiting software for small business

How to find top applicants with Stepstone

Stepstone stands out as a central platform for targeted recruiting, especially when it comes to recruiting specialists and executives.

With the “DirectSearch” database, Stepstone offers a tool that is specifically tailored to qualified and experienced professional profiles to refine the search for the ideal candidate profile.

Using this function, companies can not only search according to specific criteria, but also initiate personal and targeted communication with potential candidates. This allows talents to be addressed directly and effectively.

Stepstone also supports employers with Active Sourcing (also called passive candidate sourcing), a proactive talent acquisition strategy that encourages them to actively search for suitable applicants instead of passively waiting for candidate applications.

Suggested read: 7 key talent acquisition metrics to keep an eye on

Indeed and Stepstone: Which is the best online job board for your company

Both platforms are investing in technologies to improve matching between companies and candidates. They use algorithms and artificial intelligence to deliver ads to the most relevant candidates.

To attract the attention of potential candidates more efficiently and get the most out of your recruiting budget, using a multi-posting tool, such as JOIN, is the ideal solution.

In addition to Stepstone and Indeed, publish your job ads on 250+ global and regional job boards and platforms simultaneously and manage all incoming applications centrally in one tool.

With JOIN’s user-friendly, free recruiting software, you not only maximise the reach of your job advertisements, but also benefit from the free placement of two job ads on 15+ job boards and exclusive offers for premium job advertisements.

Recommended reading for the best job boards:

• Best free job boards
• Best niche job boards
• Best paid job boards