Breaking Down Online Job Platforms: Indeed vs. Monster
Jolene Pilgrim
So, you’re a candidate in need of a job, career change or are simply interested in testing the job market waters. Or maybe you’re an employer in desperate need of a quality candidate to fit a new, niche role at your up and coming company. After quickly dismissing the idea of perusing the classifieds section of your local newspaper over your morning coffee, you hop online and find that times have certainly changed when it comes to matching quality candidates with open positions.
While the easy access to job boards has certainly been a boon in the employment field, the easy access to build out a simple website or search platform has also increased the number of websites, blogs, email lists and other search platforms. Candidates and companies alike may be scratching their head over which choice would best suit their individual job search needs. Take for example two of the biggest names in the job hunting game: Indeed.com vs. Monster.com. Each has a snazzy website and plenty of press coverage but which one wins out when it comes to the tools, job listings and quality that you need? Let’s find out…
Greater Exposure and Choices
While we all hope to be able to hop online, type in a few target keywords and find the job of our dreams, the reality is that most career seekers will need to sort through several to several dozen job listings to find one that’s a good fit from a salary, experience and fulfillment perspective. It only makes sense, then, that the more options the better when it comes to an online job board.
Indeed.com hands down has the largest selection of active and relevant job postings of any other hiring platform. On our most recent search, Indeed had added nearly 750,000 job listings within a 7 day period. Indeed’s approach to matching candidates with open positions is also dynamic, acting as both a job posting board where companies can list positions and interact directly with candidates, as well as a job aggregator. The latter means that Indeed.com also goes out searching the web, from major company websites to other job listing boards, in order to bring back the largest variety and greatest scope of open positions of any other service.
A perusal of Monster.com’s website yielded no data on recent job additions. Also, while Monster is a well known and respected site for listing jobs direct, its aggregation function is a much newer addition, shrinking the pool of available jobs for candidates to sort through.
All Types of Jobs for All Types of Candidates
Speaking of job pools, many job sites focus on filling full-time positions, often specializing in a certain area such as openings that require a college degree, are in a set range of fields, or that offer traditional, in office career paths.
Indeed.com has consistently strived to be the platform for all types of job candidates. Part-time, freelance and remote positions receive equal billing. Better yet, indeed.com allows people using their platform to streamline their searches, filtering results for part or full-time or a host of other non-traditional work scenarios.
Websites such as Monster have a distinct preference for traditional job routes. This approach to supplying information on open positions may work for a subset of potential employees, but also excludes a large swath of those in need of quality positions to fit the needs of their individual lifestyles.
The Bottom Line on Indeed.com vs. Monster.com
When it comes to the battle for job search supremacy between Indeed vs. Monster, Indeed handily wins in the number, and range of job listings available. From sourcing jobs both internally and from other career sites to be inclusive of a variety of candidate types and working styles, Indeed wins out in our book. While bigger isn’t always better in many areas, when it comes to matching prospective employees with the career of their dreams, having options is never a bad thing.
