Is Indeed Safe?

If you use or plan to use Indeed, you need to know: Is Indeed safe? 

Below, we explain whether Indeed is: 

• Safe to use. 
• Good for privacy. 

We also look at some steps you can take to improve both your safety and privacy when using this job search engine. 

What Is Indeed?

Indeed is one of the largest and most popular job search engines globally. 

It aggregates job listings from various sources, including company websites, job boards, and staffing agencies, and allows job seekers to search for jobs based on criteria like location, industry, job title, and salary. 

Employers can post job listings directly on Indeed to attract potential candidates.

In addition to job search functionality, Indeed offers several other features. Job seekers can upload their resumes, making it easier to apply for jobs and allowing employers to find them based on their qualifications. 

Companies are reviewed and rated, helping job seekers research potential employers and get a sense of the company culture. Indeed also offers insights into salary ranges for various positions, giving users an idea of what to expect in terms of compensation.

Is Indeed Safe?

Indeed is generally considered a safe and reputable platform for job searching. 

It is widely recognized and trusted by millions of users worldwide, including job seekers and employers. Its security measures include regular vulnerability assessments and suspicious login notifications. 

As with any job board, there is a risk of encountering fraudulent job postings. Scammers may post fake jobs to collect personal information or money.

The security company UpGuard gives Indeed a score of 817 out of 950, with the top concerns being that no valid Content Security Policy is implemented and potential vulnerability to MIME confusion attacks.

No major data breaches have been associated with Indeed at the time of writing.

Is Indeed safe remote?

Indeed can be a safe platform for finding remote jobs. However, as with any job board, users should exercise caution. 

In general, scammers often go after remote job seekers, promising easy work-from-home jobs with high pay. Be wary of any job that involves “reshipping” packages, cashing checks, or making payments on behalf of a company.

Always research the company before applying. 

Be cautious of job postings that seem too good to be true, offer high pay for little work, or ask for personal information or payment upfront. Legitimate employers will never ask you to pay for job applications, training, or equipment.

Is Indeed safe to upload a resume?

Yes, uploading your resume to Indeed is generally considered safe, though some internet users worry about how much data Indeed collects.

Something to note is that Indeed allows you to choose between making your resume public or private. If your resume is public, employers can find it and reach out to you, but it may also be visible to others. If it’s private, you can still apply to jobs using your resume, but it won’t be searchable by employers.

If you decide to make your resume public, consider carefully what information you include. You may want to limit personal details like your address and phone number to protect your privacy.

Is it Indeed safe, according to Reddit?

Redditors generally seem to think that Indeed is safe, though most are wary about the platform’s privacy practices. 

Some users have even called Indeed a “data mining tool.” Others mentioned incidents where their current employer was able to find out that they were looking for another job based on their Indeed activity. 

Is Indeed Private?

Depends on who you ask. 

According to Indeed, it “values each of its users’ privacy.” 

It allows users to: 

• Control the information displayed on their profiles.
• Manage who can see their activity. 
• Adjust settings related to email notifications, job recommendations, and resume visibility to suit their privacy preferences.

However, some internet users are worried about the amount of data Indeed collects and what it does with it. Some users have also said their current employer found out they were looking for other jobs due to their Indeed activity. 

Indeed’s privacy policy isn’t the easiest to read. Still, it provides information on what kind of data the service collects about users, what it does with it, and whom it shares it with. 

The Common Sense Privacy Program, which evaluates popular services with kids’ safety in mind, gives Indeed Job Search a score of 59% (out of 100%). This is a “Warning,” meaning the service “does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.” 

Some of the concerns highlighted include Indeed selling or renting personal information to third parties, sharing personal information for third-party marketing, and displaying personal ads. 

How to Improve Your Safety and Privacy On Indeed

Follow the steps below for a more private and secure experience while using Indeed. 

• Set your resume to private. Go to your resume settings on Indeed and select the option to make your resume private. This way, your resume will only be visible to employers you directly apply to, preventing it from being searchable by others on the platform.
• Use a separate email address. Create a dedicated email account specifically for job searching. This helps you keep your personal or work email addresses private.
• Limit personal information. When filling out your Indeed profile or resume, only include necessary information such as your name, general location (city and state), and contact details. Avoid listing your full address or personal phone number.
• Review and adjust privacy settings. Visit your account settings on Indeed and review the privacy options. You can control who sees your job application history, job preferences, and more.
• Turn off job alerts and notifications. If you don’t want Indeed to send job alerts or notifications, you can turn these off under the email preferences section of your account settings. 
• Avoid uploading sensitive documents. Instead of uploading sensitive documents (like ID copies, diplomas, or certificates) directly to Indeed, consider offering them only when absolutely necessary and directly to employers during the advanced stages of the hiring process.
• Be cautious with third-party integrations. Avoid linking your Indeed account with social media or other third-party services unless absolutely necessary. This reduces the risk of cross-platform data sharing, which could expose more of your personal information.
• Regularly review your account activity. Periodically check your account activity for any unusual logins or actions. Indeed allows you to view and manage your recent activity to ensure that no unauthorized changes have been made.
• Use strong, unique passwords. Create a strong, unique password for your Indeed account, and consider using a password manager to keep track of it.