UX Project
APPREC (Helping solve the challenges in job search and talent hiring with AI advantages)
APPREC is all about our story. a story of me and my friends. About how we identified a common pain point of searching "Jobs" or "Candidates" that matters a lot to everyone. We connected with a lot of users who had similar experiences and took this as an opportunity to help in solving the problems and providing solutions.
Problem statement
In the bustling landscape of India's talent market, employers face a lot of challenges in sourcing skilled candidates and at the same time, job seekers encounter hurdles in finding the right opportunities. Both bundled with a lot of other challenges like significant time-to-hire, talent shortage, skills shortage, relevant jobs, and right talent alignment is plaguing Indian organizations and job seekers.
The Journey Began with defining our goals...
Taking our own experiences and pain points, we started on a mission to help our users hire qualified candidates effortlessly and apply for a job in the most simplest and easiest way. We had a goal to revolutionize the hiring experience through a cutting-edge digital platform equipped with AI technology. Which could transform it to a seamless and delightful experience for all of us.
Objective
We kept it very simple and straight forward.
Identifying pain points in the current hiring and job search process
We started our qualitative research by talking to a lot of my friends, cousins, and strangers, striking conversations on how was their experience of either finding a job or hiring a staff and what challenges they faced. We got to know a lot of interesting experiences and their struggle stories that we captured in our notepads. That was not all, We spent working some late nights on the online research and data facts that added our own findings. We now had a better picture of problems.
Empathize and analyze.
We started understanding our users in more details and figuring out how we could help in solving their problems.
We started asking a few questions ourselves like: Who is our target audience? What are their needs and wants? What do they want to achieve? Why do they have to use your application? What Problems we are solving with this application? and
How can we make an application that is easy for them to use and navigate.
We made a note of all the pain points from the answers to get started with card sorting and mind mapping.
Job seekers
Lack of visibility: Job seekers may have difficulty getting their resumes seen by potential employers.
Competition: Job seekers may face stiff competition from other qualified candidates.
Rejection: Job seekers may experience rejection from potential employers.
Lack of relevant experience: Job seekers may not have the relevant experience that employers are looking for.
Limited time: Job seekers may have a limited amount of time to find a job.
Repeated Tasks: Job seekers have to fill out all personal and experience details every time the apply for any new job posting.
Not having professional resume writing knowledge: Many of the experienced and fresher applicants did not know how to write relevant and professional resumes which could attract the hiring managers attention.
Hiring managers
Talent shortage: Hiring managers may have difficulty finding qualified candidates.
Attracting the right candidates: Hiring managers may have difficulty to find out and attracting the right candidates to their open positions.
Targeting Active candidates: Hiring managers may have difficulty targeting active candidates, who are actively looking for a new job.
Engaging with qualified candidates: Hiring managers may have difficulty engaging with qualified candidates.
Assessing experience: Hiring managers may not be able to figure out if the candidates are showing false experience.
Background checks: Hiring managers will not have access to background checks and not able to Verify qualifications, experience and prevent frauds.
Reducing time-to-hire: Hiring managers may want to reduce the amount of time it takes to hire a new candidate.
Building a strong employer brand: Hiring managers may want to build a strong employer brand to attract top talent.
Creating an efficient recruiting process: Hiring managers may want to create an efficient recruiting process to save time and money.
Eliminating bias in hiring: Hiring managers may want to eliminate bias in their hiring process to make sure that they are hiring the best candidates for the job.
Define tasks and user flows
Recording all the pain points helped us in creating personas, designing task flows, and user journeys. (e.g., reducing time-to-hire, finding right candidates, finding right opportunities, applying for jobs easily, avoiding hectic situations, cutting down repeated tasks and improving users experience).
Do a lot of user testing and improving
We started testing the user journeys and tasks which we wireframed. to support this we noted all the actions and emotions of our friends followed with a simple questionnaire. This helped us in refining some of the tasks and test it again with other users until the final test.
When we started with our online research on the existing industry methods of hiring, processes, closures on open positions. We also researched and understood from existing industry products, their methods and pain points. From this we got a lot of important points and findings.
Some of the findings listed below.
- Our research uncovered startling facts - employers spent somewhere between INR 25K to INR 2.5 lakhs per hire due to inefficient processes
- A staggering 43% struggled to fill open positions due to skill gaps in the market — To address these issues, we embraced advanced AI integration akin to global leaders like Workday and SAP SuccessFactors. WHY? Because the AI-driven resume screening can scan through hundreds of CVs in no time and drastically reduced the tedious process to identify suitable candidates, while predictive analytics provided insights into future talent needs, aligning hiring strategies with business objectives. This not only saves time but also ensured that businesses found the right talent swiftly.
- Searching relevant jobs is a very difficult and tedious task — So our adventure didn't end there. We wanted to make job hunting as easy as ordering food online. So, we crafted a user-friendly platform that spoke the language of mobile phones, with smooth navigation and a friendly chatbot always ready to help—think of it as having a personal assistant guiding you through the job application maze!
- Information and Data security is a critical concern in India's growing landscape — To protect the treasure trove of data exchanged in the hiring process and ensuring security and integrity from thefts and frauds, we decided adding futuristic blockchain technology. This shielded sensitive information like resumes, certificates, verifications, and safeguarding sensitive candidate information.
- Relevant candidate evaluations is very difficult and time consuming — Leveraging AI for behavioral analytics during interviews and personality insights from online profiles, we provided employers with holistic candidate evaluations. Real-time background checks, facilitated by AI's data processing capabilities, fortified trust and transparency within the hiring process.
- Achieving a user friendly, efficient and satisfying user experience — Good UX was central to our platform's design. Understanding that mobile job searches were common in India, with over 85% of internet users accessing content via smartphones, we chose a responsive interface with mobile-first navigation. Chatbot assistance akin to Mya Systems empowered users with instant support, ensuring a seamless application journey. Furthermore, we introduced voice-activated commands inspired by Textio, enhancing accessibility for users with varying digital literacy levels.
- Managing continuous improvements and matching latest technology trends. — Upgrading was embedded in our platform's DNA. Dynamic skill mapping using AI enabled candidates to stay abreast of industry trends, while real-time feedback mechanisms enhanced user engagement. This holistic approach not only transformed hiring practices but also elevated the platform's value proposition, ensuring a satisfying experience for both employers and job seekers in India's dynamic talent ecosystem. Our journey epitomized the convergence of technology, empathy, and innovation, setting new standards in the realm of HR technology and user-centric design.
The climax of our tale was the transformation of the hiring journey. With AI analyzing candidates' behavior and personalities, employers got a full picture of who they were hiring, making decisions more informed and reliable. Real-time background checks added an extra layer of trust, sealing the deal on what was now a truly transparent and efficient hiring experience.
Our story ended with businesses finding their perfect matches and job seekers landing their dream roles—thanks to a blend of technology, empathy, and a touch of magic. Together, we had rewritten the narrative of hiring, turning what was once a daunting task into a joyful adventure for everyone involved in India's vibrant job market. And so, the tale of our innovative journey continued, inspiring new chapters in the realm of HR technology and user-centric design.
