Headline numbers
Across 8,400 hires placed through our ATS in the last twelve months, Naukri produced the lowest cost-per-applicant, LinkedIn the highest quality (measured by offer-accept rate), and Indeed the fastest time-to-shortlist. Each channel is best at one thing; none is best at all three.
The split changes by role family. For engineering roles in tier-one cities, LinkedIn dominates on quality. For non-tech roles in tier-two cities, Naukri is unmatched on cost. Indeed sits in the middle, useful as a third channel rather than a primary.
What works for engineering hiring
LinkedIn first, Naukri as backup. Recruiter outreach on LinkedIn with a strong message, followed by Naukri job posting for the inbound funnel. Time-to-shortlist on LinkedIn is longer but the offer-accept rate is meaningfully higher.
Avoid the trap of running all three channels at full intensity. The funnel gets noisy and the recruiting team spends more time triaging than evaluating. Pick a primary.
What works for non-tech hiring
Naukri primary, Indeed secondary. The cost-per-applicant on Naukri for non-tech roles is roughly half of LinkedIn's. The quality is comparable for roles up to mid-management.
Take-home assignments matter more here than channel choice; the channel is the funnel, the assignment is the filter.
What we ship by default
One-click posting to LinkedIn, Naukri, and Indeed lives in our ATS. The applies flow back into pPULSE for source-of-hire reporting. Customers see channel-level cost and quality side by side, which is the right level for the next decision.