On September 10-11, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana, Indeed hosted "Indeed FutureWorks 2025," its annual client event that explores the future of work. Indeed leaders, including CEO Hisayuki “Deko” Idekoba, presented about how AI is transforming the hiring process and how Indeed is helping to lead this change. Thousands of HR professionals attended, both in-person and virtually. Here are key takeaways from the event.

Better Hiring Starts Together — CEO Deko's Vision

In the opening keynote, Indeed CEO Deko shared his vision for how Indeed’s evolving AI capabilities are helping achieve its mission to help people get jobs.

Deko recalled the event's humble beginning 12 years ago, when only 24 employers were invited, and emphasized the company's subsequent dramatic growth. He noted that 27 people are now hired every minute on Indeed, and that scale has created a rich foundation of data that now fuels Indeed’s AI innovations.

At the same time, Deko emphasized that as automation advances, trust becomes more critical than ever. Using the analogy of a self-driving car, he clearly defined Indeed's role in the client partnership: "You set the destination and trust the vehicle to get you there safely. The same is true with hiring technology, you’re always in the driver’s seat," he said, "and our job is to build the tools that help you get there quickly and easily."

He concluded his message to the attending companies: "So, please, please keep sharing what works and what doesn't. I really believe your feedback is what helps us, and the entire HR industry, get better."

Learn more about what Indeed leaders shared at FutureWorks on Indeed’s /LEAD.

Indeed CEO Hisayuki “Deko” Idekoba

Partnering for the Next Wave of Hiring Innovation

Chief Revenue Officer Maggie Hulce then took the stage to explain Indeed’s product strategy for navigating the AI transformation ahead.

Maggie stated that we are facing a "once-in-a-generation technological wave" with generative AI, unprecedented in both size and speed. “This is not a wave we’ve handled before, and the winners will be the ones who learn to surf it quickly,” she noted.

She offered a positive perspective, noting that while AI is often spoken of as a threat to jobs, it is actually an opportunity to unlock human productivity and creativity on an unprecedented scale.

However, she pointed out that the hiring market still faces persistent challenges: employers are often overwhelmed by unqualified applications, while job seekers are frustrated by the lack of response after applying. Maggie noted that Indeed is “uniquely qualified” to help address this two-sided problem.

To overcome this challenge, Indeed announced the launch of two new AI agents in the U.S.: Career Scout for job seekers and Talent Scout for employers. In addition, Indeed shared launch of Premium Sponsored Jobs and the forthcoming Indeed Connect to further help employers connect with the right talent faster. Maggie explained that Indeed will "accelerate job placement and company hiring faster and more effectively than ever before" by leveraging its advantage as the world's leading two-sided hiring platform.

Maggie expressed strong anticipation about the potential of these new products for both job seekers and employers, saying she hopes "our clients will like the future we are creating" and reaffirming her commitment to shaping the future of hiring together with customers.

Learn more about what Indeed leaders shared at FutureWorks on Indeed’s /LEAD.

Indeed Chief Revenue Officer Maggie Hulce

Adapting to Uncertainty: How Shifting Economic Trends Are Reshaping Work

Dr. Svenja Gudell, Chief Economist at Indeed's Hiring Lab, presented an objective data-driven view of the current and future state of the labor market drawn from millions of job postings and billions of searches to reveal the current and future state of the labor market. Svenja stated that while the U.S. economy has not yet entered a full recession, the labor market remains sluggish. However, she also pointed to a looming structural labor shortage driven in part by the retirement of the Baby Boomer generation.

Although AI is expected to play a crucial role in addressing this labor shortage, Svenja noted that AI-related job postings only represent a small fraction of overall postings. However, based on the Hiring Lab's skill analysis, she presented the view that "there's not a single job that doesn't have some sort of impact from AI," even though "no job is yet fully replaceable by AI."

Svenja recommended that, in this situation, companies should view AI as an "opportunity multiplier." “Focus on building teams that can use and supervise AI effectively — not to replace employees, but to augment them.”

To read more about the insights shared by Svenja, visit Indeed’s blog.

Indeed Chief Revenue OfficerのMaggie Hulce