Do I need an applicant tracking system if I hire on Indeed?

Not for one or two roles a year. Once you run several jobs at once, or more than one person is reviewing applicants, an inbox and spreadsheet start to lose people, duplicate effort and make it hard to see where each job stands.

How long can an employer keep applicant data in Ireland?

GDPR does not set a fixed period, but data must be kept no longer than needed. Many employers keep unsuccessful applicants for a set period, often around 12 months, so they can respond to queries or consider them for other roles, then erase them.

What should an employer record for each applicant?

The job applied for, where they applied from, their CV, the stage they are at, notes from each conversation, interview times, and any documents the role needs, such as Safe Pass, manual handling or a licence, with expiry dates.

Can candidates still apply through Indeed if I use an applicant tracker?

Yes. Candidates apply on Indeed as normal. The applications are passed to the tracker instead of only landing in an email inbox.

How to Keep Track of Indeed Applicants Without Losing Them in Your Inbox

For many Irish employers, hiring on Indeed means an inbox full of application emails and a spreadsheet someone updates when they remember. It works for one role. With six jobs open across two sites and three people reviewing, applicants start to slip through. This is where they get lost and what to track instead.

Where applicants get lost

The inbox. Applications for every job land in one place, mixed with everything else. A good candidate on Tuesday is buried by Friday.
The spreadsheet. It is only as current as the last person to update it, and nobody is sure which copy is the latest.
Two people, one candidate. Without a shared record, two managers ring the same person, or each assumes the other did.
No reason recorded. When someone is turned down, the reason lives in one person's head, so the same applicant is considered again for the next job.
Expired documents. A Safe Pass or manual handling certificate that was valid at interview has lapsed by the start date.

What to track for every applicant

Job and source

Which role they applied for, and whether from Indeed, a referral or a walk-in.

Stage

New, reviewing, interview, offer, hired, or not progressing with a reason.

Notes and interviews

What was discussed, who they are meeting, when and where.

Documents

Safe Pass, manual handling, licences, ID, visa or IRP, with expiry dates.

Each job should have its own pipeline with counts at each stage, so a manager can see at a glance that a role has twelve new applicants and nobody at interview.

Get applications in without re-typing

Candidates should keep applying on Indeed as they do now. What changes is where the application goes: straight into the right job, with the CV attached, instead of into an inbox. Older applicants in Indeed's candidate export or your current spreadsheet can be imported once, with duplicates skipped.

Get the data side right

Applicant CVs are personal data, and Irish employers are responsible for them under GDPR. In practice:

Only the people who need to see applicants should have access, each with their own login
CVs and documents should be stored privately, not forwarded around by email
Set a retention period and erase applicants with no activity after it
Be able to export or delete everything held on an applicant when they ask
Keep a person making every hiring decision

If you are recording manual handling certificates, see how long a manual handling certificate lasts in Ireland.

Tracking Indeed applicants — summary

Inboxes and spreadsheets lose applicants once several jobs run at once
Give each job its own pipeline, and record a reason when someone doesn't progress
Keep compliance documents on the applicant, with expiry warnings
Candidates keep applying on Indeed; only the destination changes
Limit access, set a retention period and keep a person making every decision