At Indeed, there’s an orange chair in every meeting room. It’s always empty, but never ignored.
That chair represents the job seeker. It’s there to remind everyone in the room: “The person this decision affects the most isn’t here — so it’s our job to speak for them.”
That simple symbol has shaped how Indeed builds products, reviews job ads, and balances business goals with user trust. And it raises a powerful question for all of us in recruitment:
What if the candidate was always in the room? Would your process look different? Would your language change? Would you still make the same choices?
This checklist isn’t about process efficiency. It’s about integrity. Because when you ask someone to trust your company with their time and effort, the least you can do is make sure your process is worthy of that trust.
Your job ad
- Does it answer the questions candidates actually have — not just what you want to say?
- Is salary, location, and schedule upfront — or buried in the fine print?
- Is the tone human, clear, and specific? Or just “template-level safe”?
- Would you apply to this job based on what’s written?
Your apply flow
- How many steps does it take to apply — and how many are really necessary?
- Can a qualified candidate apply in under 5 minutes, from their phone, without frustration?
- Are you making people repeat information they’ve already given you?
- Is your process inclusive — or does it filter people out too early?
Your communication
- Does every candidate get a response — not just the ones you’re pursuing?
- Are your emails written with care, not copied from a system default?
- Do people know what’s coming next, and when?
- Would your rejection message leave someone feeling respected — or invisible?
Your interviews
- Is it a dialogue, or an interrogation?
- Are you assessing for fit — or testing for perfection?
- Do your questions create space, or create pressure?
- Do candidates leave the interview feeling seen — or judged?
Your feedback culture
- Do you ask candidates how the process felt — not just how it performed?
- Do you listen to feedback without defending yourself?
- Have you ever changed something because a candidate told you to?
Your priorities
- Are you optimising for conversions — or for connection?
- Do you ever make decisions that are better for the candidate than for your short-term metrics?
- When speed and quality collide, which one wins?
Your orange chair
- When you make hiring decisions, is the candidate in the conversation — even if not in the room?
- Do you have someone in the meeting who advocates for them?
- Would the candidate feel proud of how you talked about them, even if they never heard it?
Final thought: Your hiring process says more about your company than any career page ever will. It shows candidates who you are — and how you treat people when no one’s watching. So before you ask someone to invest their time, energy, and trust in you…
Ask yourself: Would I apply to my own job?
