
It was his daughter, Mazie, who got him thinking. Ever since she was little, she dreamed of working in the film industry. From high school, she spent every summer working at film festivals, on sets, reading scripts, and assisting executives. During her studies, she worked as a barista to save money for unpaid summer film-set internships. And so, in February 2020, after graduating, Mazie Hyams moved to Los Angeles full of optimism, where a film job awaited her at least until COVID-19 derailed her plans six weeks later.
‘Feel free to tell everyone that job searching is the absolute worst!’
‘For the next two years, she worked in a coffee shop again, until she found work in the film industry – only to be sidelined again in 2023 due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes,’ Indeed CEO Chris Hyams recently shared during the Indeed FutureWorks 2024 conference in Dallas. ‘She spent months searching, applying, and waiting for responses. I shared her job search story with the Indeed team, and when I recently asked if I could share her story during a company update, her response was: “Feel free to tell everyone that it’s the absolute worst! Thanks for asking ❤️”.’
Personal Talent Agent
Hyams used his daughter’s anecdote to announce Indeed’s new product, Pathfinder, an AI-powered “first step toward providing every worker with a personal talent agent.” Hyams said it wasn’t just Mazie’s experience and struggle to find a job that inspired Indeed to develop this product. There are many like her. Often, people want to leave a particular sector but don’t know what to do next.
‘Around 30% of global job searches are blank, as if they’re saying: just show me what you’ve got.’
‘The most common search on Indeed is a blank search,’ Hyams explained. ‘That’s when a job seeker fills out the “where” field for a city or location but leaves the “what” field blank, which is for the type of job. Globally, around 30% of all searches are blank, as if to say: show me what you’ve got.’
Talent Agent
For the new product, Hyams found inspiration in the film industry, where his daughter eagerly wanted to build her career. ‘At the highest level, professional athletes, movie stars, artists – all are individually represented by a talent agent,’ he said. ‘That’s someone who knows everything about you – your skills, your preferences. They know how to position and present that to an employer. They know everything happening in the industry. And they know all the recruiters, what they need, and work tirelessly on your behalf to pursue every new opportunity.’
That talent agent model is also Indeed’s vision for the future, Hyams emphasized. ‘What if this personalized support wasn’t just for mega stars? We want every worker worldwide to have their talent agent through Indeed. A few years ago, this might have sounded like science fiction, but thanks to the power of AI, it’s now possible.’ And the new Pathfinder product is here to prove that, he said.
First Test Subjects
His daughter Mazie served as one of the first test subjects. ‘Pathfinder helps someone discover a career path – either by growing in their current career or evolving into something new. Last week, I sat down with Mazie and tried it out. She had a lot of experience in hospitality but wanted to prioritize her administrative skills, so she re-ranked them in Pathfinder.’ After entering preferences, the tool provided a detailed plan for a career in office management at a creative organization.
‘Mazie was pretty impressed – and honestly, so was I,’ Hyams said of the result. ‘Using Pathfinder, she encountered career paths she had never considered or knew existed. Soon, we’ll help her create a tailored resume, write a cover letter highlighting her transferable skills, and even help her prepare for interviews in a new field. Now, she has a whole range of new possibilities – and a helping hand along the way.’
20th Anniversary
The tool doesn’t just look at what the candidate would like to do and what they can offer; it also analyzes the many job openings on the job board to see what employers are currently seeking. It also considers earning potential and outlines a possible future career trajectory. According to Hyams, the development of the tool fits perfectly with Indeed’s transformation from a straightforward job board and search engine to ‘an AI-driven two-sided marketplace that connects job seekers and employers with simplicity and speed.’
Looking ahead to Indeed’s 20th anniversary in November, Hyams also reiterated the company’s mission, which has remained the same since its founding: ‘We help people get jobs.’ And now, they do so for around 350 million job seekers and more than 3.5 million employers monthly. ‘Around the world, 23 job seekers find a job through Indeed every minute. That’s more than one every 3 seconds.’ And with Pathfinder, the goal is to ensure those jobs are ones candidates are truly excited about. Hyams concluded: ‘Looking at the incredible opportunities ahead, it’s fair to say we’re just getting started.’