JobFlex Platform: Streamlining Staffing Management
A complete redesign of the staffing platform focused on streamlining workforce management and enhancing user experience, making operations more efficient and intuitive for both employers and employees.
* The client's original name has been replaced with ‘JobFlex’ for portfolio presentation purposes.
Role
Lead UX/UI Designer – (worked with Director of Product, UX Researcher, Engineering Lead, Business Analyst)
Timeline
Oct 2023 - March 2024 (6 months)
Business impact
Enabled over 3,000+ employees to seamlessly onboard and select shifts independently within the first month, while allowing employers to post and manage opportunities effortlessly, resulting in a 60% reduction in manual processes and a significant increase in user satisfaction and operational efficiency.
+11% NPS and +30% CSAT
INTRODUCTION
Existing Process Overview
JobFlex, a professional recruitment service, traditionally relied on a manual and time-consuming process for onboarding both employees and employers. This involved several steps, including building employee profiles, conducting one-on-one sessions with recruiters, understanding candidates' skills and needs, and then matching them with suitable job opportunities. For employers, onboarding was also complex and outdated, which made the overall process inefficient and not scalable.
Project Overview
By focusing on user-centered design, the new JobFlex app transformed their recruitment and onboarding processes, making them more efficient, scalable, and user-friendly. This case study demonstrates how thoughtful design and collaboration with clients can drive meaningful improvements in business operations and user experience.
Target Users
Employees
Hourly workers, including part-time staff, freelancers, and shift-based employees
Employers
Small-to-medium-sized businesses in industries like retail, hospitality, and healthcare, etc
PROCESS
Created prototypes and refined them through iterative user testing to ensure the final design met all needs.
PROBLEM
Deep Dive into Current State
Conducted an in-depth analysis of JobFlex's existing employee app and the technologies they were using. This involved extensive discussions with various stakeholders, including product owners, executives, recruitment teams, and end users, to fully understand the current state of their processes and systems.
Existing Mobile App
Existing Web App
Challenges Identified
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Time-Consuming Onboarding: The employee onboarding process was labor-intensive, requiring substantial recruiter involvement for each candidate, which significantly slowed down the hiring process.
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Manual Matching: Recruiters had to manually assess candidates and match them with job opportunities, which was both time-consuming and prone to errors.
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Outdated Employer Onboarding: The employer onboarding process was not user-friendly and required a significant amount of manual input, making it cumbersome and inefficient.
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Lack of Scalability: The existing workflow was not scalable to accommodate growth, limiting JobFlex's ability to handle a larger volume of candidates and employers.
Business goals
In response to these challenges, JobFlex's leadership made a strategic decision to update their workflows and redesign their app. The goal was to create a more efficient, scalable, and automated process that would:
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Enable employees to have a self-service experience, reducing the need for constant recruiter involvement.
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Simplify employer onboarding, allowing for easier job posting and candidate management.
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Continuously test and adapt the new processes based on user feedback to ensure they meet the needs of both employees and employers.
RESEARCH FINDINGS
User Interviews
Conducted interviews with employees who were using the current app to learn about their experiences and gather firsthand insights into the challenges they faced. This helped us identify several critical issues that were not initially apparent.
Employee User Pain Points
Clock-In/Clock-Out Difficulties
Users (employees) found the clock-in/out system confusing due to a lack of visual feedback.
Limited Job Discovery
Users (employees) couldn't actively search for jobs, only applying when notified by a recruiter, reducing engagement and control.
Lack of Self-Service
Users (employees) couldn't request timesheet edits or shift changes within the app, leading to offline processes and frustration.
Complex Shift Cancellation
The process to cancel shifts was complex, lowering overall satisfaction with the platform.
Focus Group Research
After initial stakeholder interviews and user research, we conducted focus group sessions with potential end users of the employee app to gain deeper insights, understand the real-life challenges they face daily, identify their needs, preferences, and suggestions for the app.
Employee User Insights: Need Statements
Employer and Recruitment Team Workshop
Following the employee focus groups, we engaged with the employers and JobFlex recruitment team to refine the onboarding and job posting processes.
To uncover challenges and create a more self-service and scalable process, we began by mapping out existing workflows, revealing inefficiencies that needed addressing. Employers and the recruitment team shared their needs for a more intuitive and automated system. Using these insights, we designed and iterated on new user flows that streamlined both onboarding and job posting, significantly enhancing efficiency.
The result was a simplified, scalable process that aligned perfectly with JobFlex’s business goals.
Whiteboard from Workshop
IDEATION AND DESIGN PROCESS
User Flows
Sitemap Creation
To establish a clear structure for both the Employee Mobile App and the Employer Web App, created detailed sitemaps for each application, which served as blueprints for the design and development phases.
Sitemap for Employee Mobile App
Sitemap for Employer Web App
Early Concepts
In the wireframe stage, we focused on key screens that would significantly impact the user experience for both employees and employers. Developed several initial concepts and used the low-fidelity designs to ensure that our design solutions effectively met user needs and align with stakeholder expectations.
Partial View of Employee App Wireframes
Designed intuitive screens for onboarding, shift management, job discovery, and clock-in/clock-out functionality, ensuring smooth navigation and easy access to essential features.
Partial View of Employer Web Wireframes
The employer web app wireframes emphasized job posting, candidate management, and a self-service onboarding process, streamlining operations and improving efficiency.
USER TESTING AND VALIDATION
Employer App
Conducted user testing with actual users to evaluate the effectiveness of the wireframes. This testing aimed to understand user satisfaction, identify any usability issues, and assess whether the design met their needs.
Weekly Overview Visibility
Users loved the weekly overview section for managing time and schedules.
Shift Filtering Options
Users missed the notification-muting feature. It’s now more prominent in the settings, with clear explanations.
Status Tracking Improvements
Users needed better visual indicators for shift and timesheet statuses.
Quick Clock-In/Out Access
Users appreciated the streamlined clock-in/out from the dashboard.
Onboarding Confusion
Users were unsure about the sequence of steps in the new automated onboarding process.
Remaining Hours Display
Users wanted to track their available hours when accepting new shifts.
Timesheet Transparency
Users valued the clear timesheet status for reviewing and approvals.
Profile Steps Clarity
Users requested clearer communication on onboarding and recruiter roles.
Employee Web App
Wizard Format and Progress Bars
Users found the step-by-step wizard and progress bars helpful but needed better draft management options.
Recurring Shift Templates
Users needed a way to save and reuse shift details for recurring events.
Selective Worker Invitation
Users wanted to invite specific workers for shifts rather than making them available to everyone.
Parking Instructions
Users faced challenges with parking information.
Technical Constraints and Stakeholder Alignment
Technical constraints limited the implementation of the full template feature in the first release. We engaged the product owner and client team through multiple wireframe reviews, integrating their feedback to ensure alignment with business goals. We addressed this by planning the feature for future updates and introduced a temporary duplication solution to meet immediate needs.
FINAL DESIGN SOLUTION
Style Guide
Employee App - Design Improvements
Guided Onboarding
First-time user slides that clarify the self-service onboarding process, easing the transition from existing methods.
Comprehensive Dashboard
Visual representation of shift statuses and timesheet progress, providing clarity on upcoming and completed tasks.
Shift Availability and Acceptance
Displays remaining available hours for the week, helping employees make informed decisions about accepting new shifts.
Employer Web - Design Improvements
Shift Posting Wizard
A step-by-step wizard that guides employers through posting shifts, complete with a progress bar and save-as-draft functionality for convenience.
Select Workers
Allows employers to handpick workers from their roster, ensuring the right team for each shift.
CONCLUSION
Results & Reflection
The redesign of the JobFlex platform significantly improved the user experience for both employees and employers. The enhanced clock-in/clock-out process led to a 40% decrease in user errors, improving overall satisfaction.
Design effectiveness was measured through usability testing, user feedback surveys, and analytics tracking. Iterative testing during the design phase ensured that the final product met user needs and addressed all key pain points identified in the research phase. Post-launch, continuous monitoring and user feedback validated the success of the redesign.
Takeaways
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Ensuring clarity in user flows is essential for reducing confusion and increasing user adoption.
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Incorporating features like self-service options and customizable templates allowed for greater user control and adaptability, which were highly valued by users.