This policy applies to employers using Indeed products to target candidates for a specific job role or to personalize a product. “Personalization and targeting” occurs when employers target candidates based on user data that they are able to access via Indeed’s platform. This policy is in place to promote transparency and outline the appropriate use of data or information that employers can use in personalization and targeting.
When an employer uses personalized or targeted advertising within Indeed’s products, it may be perceived by the job seeker that this content comes directly from Indeed. If an employer abuses our products, it could potentially appear to a job seeker that Indeed is the abuser. This creates a negative perception of Indeed amongst our job seekers in addition to creating a poor user experience. Personalization and targeting features should only be used for their intended purpose and not for manipulative motives.
Advertisements that use any of the “Prohibited Data Categories” as part of their personalization or targeting campaign are harmful to the job seeker. Additionally, using sensitive or other prohibited categories to target users is not permitted in certain countries and could be considered inappropriate or offensive by the targeted audience. The following is a list of prohibited data and information* that cannot be used to personalize a product or target a job seeker.
- Job Seeker Personal Information
- Race
- Color
- Religion or creed
- Gender identity
- Sex
- Sexual orientation
- Inferred or actual information about health
- National origin
- Age
- Disability
- Genetic information
- Alleged or actual commission of a crime
- Inferred or actual information about financial status
- Pregnancy or childbirth
- Physical or mental disability
- Veteran status
- Neurodiversity
- Citizenship
- Honorably discharged military status
- Marital or family status
- Domestic violence victim status
- Sexual and reproductive health decisions
- Receipt of public assistance or source of income
- Results of previous Indeed job applications
- Inferred or actual language ability to indirectly target protected classes
- Messages sent by a job seeker through Indeed
- Political opinions
- Trade union membership
*Job seeker personal information and usage data should only be used for communicating information relevant to the product being used.
Data Usage
Keyword-related Targeting
Keyword targeting must be relevant to a specific job advertisement and to the profile of the targeted job seeker, and is subject to multiple conditions.
Employers cannot target irrelevant job seeker information and may only target skills that are directly related to the open position.
- For example, an employer cannot target job seekers with babysitting experience for an attorney role. “Related experience” (or skills) in this example would be a job seeker that has previous attorney experience or a history of searching for attorney roles.
Intentionally targeting irrelevant job seekers in order to present an opportunity to change careers or present a job option the jobs seeker may have not considered, is not allowed. However, you may target job seekers that do not have relevant experience if the job seeker has demonstrated an interest in your opportunity and would be eligible for hiring.
- For example, an employer hiring for an entry-level call center position in Delaware can target a job seeker that does not have call center experience, if the job seeker has recently used the search terms “call center agent” and searched for jobs in the Delaware area.
Additionally, keyword targeting based on job search history must be used in combination with either location information, job search behavior, or Indeed Resume. This will increase the relevancy of the targeted content and maintain a high-quality user experience.
- For example, an employer targeting Data Scientists, in general, would match job seekers across all of Indeed. However, the job might be based in Chicago, IL, USA. Therefore, to increase the relevancy of the targeted content, the employer should use keyword targeting to find Data Scientists in combination with a location-based targeting method to find job seekers located in or searching within the Chicago metropolitan area.
- Another example is an employer who is generally targeting accountants. One way to increase the relevancy is to narrow the targeted job seekers to those with relevant certifications noted in Indeed Resume.
Targeting Overqualified Candidates
Employers are not allowed to target overqualified candidates. The targeting of overqualified candidates promotes an undesirable user experience for the job seeker.
- For example, an employer cannot target Surgeons for a Certified Nursing Assistant role.
Location-Related Targeting
Location-based targeting is subject to multiple conditions. Employers may only target geographic areas where business is being conducted, or where the business has a physical presence. Employers may only target job seekers that live in a specific location or have historically shown interest in positions in a location. Job seekers should not be targeted geographically based on demographic factors (e.g. political, economic, or social).
The above examples of behavior and usage of Indeed’s personalization and targeting features are not inclusive of all possibilities. Indeed may reject or remove content and may disable any Company's account, for any or no reason. We always retain the right to remove any content, or disable any account, if we feel it is in our interest or our users’ interest, and we cannot give every reason why we made this decision. Additionally, personalization and targeting features are subject to Indeed’s Terms of Service.