- Who owns SimplyHired
- How SimplyHired makes jobs available
- Where SimplyHired's money comes from
- Is SimplyHired the employer?
- Job scams to watch for on any job board
- How to check an employer you found through SimplyHired
- What to keep in mind with your resume
- So, is SimplyHired legit?
- Frequently asked questions
SimplyHired is a real job search site, owned since 2016 by Recruit Holdings, the Japanese group that also owns Indeed and Glassdoor. It's a job search site that gathers listings from other sites, so SimplyHired isn't your employer. The catch is the same on any job board: a real employer never asks you to pay to get a job.
SimplyHired is one of those job sites you may have seen in search results without ever being sure who's behind it. If you're about to upload a resume and apply for roles, it's smart to ask whether it's legit first. Here's what the public record says about who owns it, how it works and how to spot the scam listings that turn up on every job board.
Who owns SimplyHired
Recruit Holdings announced on 1 July that it had acquired the assets of Simply Hired, and said the site would continue as a job search destination and be a publishing partner of Indeed. TechCrunch reported that the deal terms weren't disclosed.
According to Wikipedia, Recruit Holdings is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, and owns Indeed, acquired in 2012, and Glassdoor. Wikipedia lists SimplyHired itself as based in Sunnyvale, California. So this is a long-standing site with a large corporate owner, not a mystery website.
How SimplyHired makes jobs available
Wikipedia describes SimplyHired as an employment website with an online recruitment advertising network. It says the site gathers job listings from thousands of websites and job boards and posts them on its website and app. TechCrunch described it in 2016 as a job search site that lets employers post listings and also searches for jobs listed across the web.
That has a practical consequence. Many listings are gathered from elsewhere, so when you click apply you may land on a company's careers page or another site. The employer is the one deciding, not SimplyHired.
Where SimplyHired's money comes from
Wikipedia says employers can pay for premium placement on SimplyHired on a pay-per-click basis. In plain terms, an advertising model is common on job sites, and it usually means the employer is the paying customer. I haven't confirmed from SimplyHired's own pages what, if anything, it charges job seekers, so check its terms and any upgrade screen before you enter payment details.
| What I checked | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Owner | Recruit Holdings, which announced the purchase of Simply Hired's assets on 1 July |
| Sister sites | Indeed and Glassdoor, per Wikipedia |
| Business model | Aggregates listings; employers can pay for premium placement per click |
| Base | Sunnyvale, California, per Wikipedia |
| Deal terms | Not disclosed, per TechCrunch |
Is SimplyHired the employer?
No. A job search site is a middleman between you and the company hiring. The employer writes the role, sets the pay and runs the hiring. If something about an offer looks wrong, you're dealing with whoever posted it, so research that company rather than assuming the website vouches for them.
It also helps to remember how aggregated listings behave. A role can appear on several sites at once, and an old listing may linger after the job is filled. If a posting looks out of date, or the company's own careers page doesn't mention it, that's a reason to pause before you send your details.
My checklist on how to tell if a remote job posting is legit walks through the checks I'd run on any listing before I apply.
Job scams to watch for on any job board
The FTC puts the core rule clearly: "Honest employers, including the federal government, will never ask you to pay to get a job. Anyone who does is a scammer." It also says offers claiming you can earn a lot quickly with minimal effort are almost certainly a scam, and that reshipping goods is never a real job.
- A request to pay for a starter kit, training, a certificate or a background check before you start.
- A cheque sent to you with instructions to keep part and return the rest.
- A job that involves receiving and forwarding parcels.
- High pay for easy work with barely any interview.
- An interview held only through a chat app, with no company email address.
Data entry roles attract a lot of this. I've covered the warning signs in my guide to spotting a fake data entry job listing, and the same habits help with work from home job scams aimed at new graduates.
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How to check an employer you found through SimplyHired
- Search the company name together with the words scam, review or complaint, as the FTC advises.
- Find the company's own careers page and see whether the role is listed there.
- Check that the interviewer uses a company email address, not a free webmail address.
- Talk to someone you trust before you accept an offer.
- Report job scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or to your state attorney general.
None of these steps are specific to SimplyHired. They work because the listing, not the search site, is where the scam usually sits.
What to keep in mind with your resume
When you upload a resume to any job site, you're sharing your contact details and work history. I haven't read SimplyHired's privacy policy for this page, so read it yourself before uploading. Use an email address you're happy to receive job messages on, and avoid including sensitive personal numbers on a resume.
So, is SimplyHired legit?
Going by Recruit's own announcement, TechCrunch and Wikipedia, yes: it's an established job search site with a major corporate owner. The risk comes from individual listings and from anyone who asks you for money. Check the employer, keep your guard up and treat any request to pay for a job as a stop sign.
Frequently asked questions
Is SimplyHired legit?
Yes. Recruit Holdings, which also owns Indeed and Glassdoor, announced it acquired the assets of Simply Hired on 1 July. It's a job search site, not an employer.
Who owns SimplyHired?
Recruit Holdings, a Japanese company headquartered in Tokyo, according to Wikipedia. Recruit said SimplyHired would remain a job search destination and a publishing partner of Indeed.
Does SimplyHired hire people itself?
No. It gathers job listings from other websites and job boards, according to Wikipedia, so the employer who posted the role does the hiring.
How does SimplyHired make money?
Wikipedia says employers can pay for premium placement on a pay-per-click basis. Check SimplyHired's own terms for anything it charges job seekers.
Should I ever pay to get a job?
No. The FTC says honest employers will never ask you to pay to get a job, and that anyone who does is a scammer.
How do I report a job scam?
The FTC says to report job scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or to your state attorney general.
