Can AI land you a job before you even apply? Indeed thinks so | The Drum

We caught up with Warren, global brand marketing and creative lead at Indeed, at a Fast Company event during SXSW where she was speaking about how AI is reshaping the hiring process. From matching candidates with company cultures to optimizing résumés and automating recruiter searches, AI is quietly taking over job hunting.

Indeed’s latest move? A new feature that uses partly insights from Glassdoor that, when launched, will help job seekers gauge company culture before they even hit “apply.” It’s part of a bigger shift toward using AI not just to find jobs but to personalize the job search experience entirely.

“AI is taking the guesswork out of job hunting,” Warren says. “We’re moving toward a world where every search, every recommendation, is tailored to what matters to you.”

Of course, that raises a bigger question: If AI is writing applications, screening candidates and even suggesting where people should work – how much of the hiring process is still human?

Warren laughs. “There will always be a human element. But AI is taking the guesswork out of the process – for both sides.”

Making the job hunt less painful – with a laugh

AI might be changing the hiring game, but some things never change – like how frustrating and downright absurd job hunting can be. That’s something Warren and her team lean into in The World Can Work Better 2.0, a campaign designed to highlight (and fix) common pain points in the hiring process.

Take one of its latest ads. A woman walks into a hotel for an interview. She has years of hospitality experience. The interviewer nods along, impressed – until he spots something on her résumé.

“Do you have a degree?” he asks.

She hesitates. No, she doesn’t.

The interviewer sighs. “Well, I have a degree… in dance.”

It’s classic Indeed: humor that entertains but also lands a serious point.

“People love these ads because they see themselves in them,” Warren says. “We’re not mocking job seekers – we’re acknowledging the ridiculous hoops they have to jump through. And then we show how Indeed is helping to fix it.”

In this case, that means advocating for skills-first hiring and encouraging employers to drop unnecessary degree requirements.

“There’s so much bias in hiring that’s just habit,” she adds. “Employers copy and paste job descriptions without questioning them. We’re using AI to nudge them toward smarter, fairer hiring decisions.”

AI: the job seeker’s best (or worst) friend?

Indeed is pushing hard into AI, but so is the rest of the industry. Already, AI tools are helping job seekers craft résumés while employers use algorithms to scan thousands of applications in seconds.

“Right now, Gen AI is mentioned in about 3% of job postings,” Warren says. “In marketing and advertising, it’s nearly 8%. In accounting, it’s 25–30%. AI is changing how jobs are done, so it only makes sense that it’s changing how people get jobs too.”

But while automation is streamlining hiring, it’s also raising new questions. If AI is crafting applications and AI is filtering them, who’s really making the decisions?

“The challenge is making sure AI works for job seekers, not just employers,” Warren says. “That’s why we’re using AI to give people more control – helping them find jobs that actually fit their skills and their values.”

What CMOs can learn from Indeed’s playbook

For marketing leaders, Indeed’s approach offers some sharp lessons.

1. Purpose That Actually Drives the Business: Many brands slap a “purpose” on their marketing and hope it sticks. Indeed’s mission – helping all people get jobs – is built into the company’s DNA. “We don’t have to manufacture purpose,” Warren says. “Our job is to bring it to life in a way that connects.”

2. Humor Can Be a Weapon: Job hunting is stressful. Indeed’s marketing turns that frustration into engagement by making people laugh with them, not at them. “We highlight the absurdities, then show how we can help,” Warren says. “That’s how you build trust.”

3. AI Isn’t the Future – It’s the Now: AI is already reshaping marketing, just as it’s reshaping hiring. “A year ago, we were just trying to keep up,” Warren says. “Now, we’re using AI for media optimization, content scaling and creative production. CMOs who aren’t embracing it now will be playing catch-up later.”

The bigger picture

Indeed’s AI-powered transformation isn’t just about making hiring easier – it’s about making work better.

“People don’t just want a job,” Warren says. “They want to know they’re in the right job, at the right company.”

And if AI can help with that? Maybe it’s not such a bad boss after all.