Easing pain of post-apply feedback deficit
Easing pain of post-apply feedback deficit
The project is a set of solutions that we introduced in response to the largest pain point identified on all Stepstone product platforms - even more than 50% of job seekers don't get any feedback on their job applications
Human interface
Buisness
Apply Confirmation Screen Optimisation
Job board
Stepstone
Apply Tracking Concept
Redesign
Duration
Around 6 months
Team
PO
2 iOS Dev teams
Me - Product designer
How lack of feedback affects everyone
How lack of feedback affects everyone
User perspective
User perspective
Uncertainty and Anxiety - Users often experience anxiety and uncertainty when they don't receive feedback. Not knowing whether their application was received or reviewed adds stress to an already nerve-wracking process.
Lack of Closure - Without feedback, users feel a lack of closure. Knowing the outcome, even if it's a rejection, can help individuals move forward and focus on other opportunities
Negative Candidate Experience - The absence of communication can create a negative impression of the employer. Candidates may perceive a lack of feedback as a lack of respect for their time and effort in applying for the position.
Uncertainty and Anxiety - Users often experience anxiety and uncertainty when they don't receive feedback. Not knowing whether their application was received or reviewed adds stress to an already nerve-wracking process.
Lack of Closure - Without feedback, users feel a lack of closure. Knowing the outcome, even if it's a rejection, can help individuals move forward and focus on other opportunities
Negative Candidate Experience - The absence of communication can create a negative impression of the employer. Candidates may perceive a lack of feedback as a lack of respect for their time and effort in applying for the position.
Perception of stepstone as a whole
Perception of stepstone as a whole
Negative platform perception - A lack of feedback can lead users to perceive the platform as ineffective this may lead to seeking alternative job-search channels
Reduced User Engagement - Users may become disengaged if they feel their efforts in applying for jobs on the platform are going unnoticed. This can result in a decline in user activity.
Impact on Revenue Streams - A decline in user trust and engagement can ultimately affect the platform's revenue streams. If users are not actively participating, employers may be less willing to invest in job postings.
Negative platform perception - A lack of feedback can lead users to perceive the platform as ineffective this may lead to seeking alternative job-search channels
Reduced User Engagement - Users may become disengaged if they feel their efforts in applying for jobs on the platform are going unnoticed. This can result in a decline in user activity.
Impact on Revenue Streams - A decline in user trust and engagement can ultimately affect the platform's revenue streams. If users are not actively participating, employers may be less willing to invest in job postings.
Recruiters and B2B sites
Recruiters and B2B sites
Negative Impact on Company Reputation - In the age of online reviews and social media, candidates who have a poor experience due to a lack of feedback may share their negative experiences publicly, harming the company's reputation.
Shift for different contact points - Job seekers left with no response may start seeking recruiters' private accounts and emails for communication, including spam or even start the whole application process out of ATS.
Negative Impact on Company Reputation - In the age of online reviews and social media, candidates who have a poor experience due to a lack of feedback may share their negative experiences publicly, harming the company's reputation.
Shift for different contact points - Job seekers left with no response may start seeking recruiters' private accounts and emails for communication, including spam or even start the whole application process out of ATS.
Can we actually solve it?
Can we actually solve it?
We gathered together with agile teams to brainstorm a wide range of ideas. Later together with the product owner evaluates ideas based on their alignment with the product roadmap, business objectives, and user needs.
We gathered together with agile teams to brainstorm a wide range of ideas. Later together with the product owner evaluates ideas based on their alignment with the product roadmap, business objectives, and user needs.
Short and Long term strategy
Short and Long term strategy
Short term
Short term
Restructure the current apply confirmation screen - Prepare space for future experiments on-screen content and potential solutions
Work on copy that will sound in a reassuring tone. With a clear and strong message that the application has been delivered and is in the recruiter's system
Prove the value to the business in the form of full application tracking
Restructure the current apply confirmation screen - Prepare space for future experiments on-screen content and potential solutions
Work on copy that will sound in a reassuring tone. With a clear and strong message that the application has been delivered and is in the recruiter's system
Prove the value to the business in the form of full application tracking
Long term
Long term
Conduct a discovery about how app tracking can be implemented
Collaborate on a shared plan for tracking systems across B2C and B2B
Gather more data from initial apply confirmation screen
Conduct a discovery about how app tracking can be implemented
Collaborate on a shared plan for tracking systems across B2C and B2B
Gather more data from initial apply confirmation screen
Concept testing of Apply tracker
Concept testing of Apply tracker
Testing concepts along with a larger study of the mobile application
Testing concepts along with a larger study of the mobile application
We had the opportunity to show the idea to users as part of concept testing, along with 4 other ideas that were included in the study. The solution was shown raze with options such as employer matching, creating dynamic notes, comparing two offers,
We had the opportunity to show the idea to users as part of concept testing, along with 4 other ideas that were included in the study. The solution was shown raze with options such as employer matching, creating dynamic notes, comparing two offers,
User Group
User Group
The concept was shown in a group of 10 users from different age groups. 5 of them had never used the Stepstone application.
The concept was shown in a group of 10 users from different age groups. 5 of them had never used the Stepstone application.
Questions asked
Questions asked
The question was very general. We were asking you to evaluate the functionality shown in the screenshot and in your opinion what impact it would have on your job search in general.
The question was very general. We were asking you to evaluate the functionality shown in the screenshot and in your opinion what impact it would have on your job search in general.
Responses
Responses
Users expressed excitement and found the application tracker to be incredibly helpful. Users from diverse backgrounds, including those new job search, shared positive sentiments. The potential feature was repeatedly described as Innovative, Insightful, Helpful and valuable
Users expressed excitement and found the application tracker to be incredibly helpful. Users from diverse backgrounds, including those new job search, shared positive sentiments. The potential feature was repeatedly described as Innovative, Insightful, Helpful and valuable
Why, despite positive reception, the idea has been postponed
Why, despite positive reception, the idea has been postponed
Varied Job Application Forms - Different ATSI forms across platforms.
Diverse Recruiters Systems - Integrating a consistent application tracker requires coordination with different systems, each with its architecture and APIs.
Other technical issues - Integration problems that we were unable to solve at the time without the support of the overall platform.
Varied Job Application Forms - Different ATSI forms across platforms.
Diverse Recruiters Systems - Integrating a consistent application tracker requires coordination with different systems, each with its architecture and APIs.
Other technical issues - Integration problems that we were unable to solve at the time without the support of the overall platform.
Short term improvements
Short term improvements
Work on process Transparency
Work on process Transparency
Give users a projected date to receive a response based on previous recruitments at this company
Give at least a substitute of a human image of this process, for example in the form of a specific person who conducts it
Give users a projected date to receive a response based on previous recruitments at this company
Give at least a substitute of a human image of this process, for example in the form of a specific person who conducts it
Reassurance
Reassurance
Confidence building in the form of better confirmation that the application went straight to the recruiter
Moving part of the confirmation to a place that, once closed, can be returned to at any time
Confidence building in the form of better confirmation that the application went straight to the recruiter
Moving part of the confirmation to a place that, once closed, can be returned to at any time
Suggest an alternative
Suggest an alternative
Although this does not solve the root of the problem the only alternative for users to reach the goal is to continue to apply for other offers
Notify about future offers that meet the criteria
Although this does not solve the root of the problem the only alternative for users to reach the goal is to continue to apply for other offers
Notify about future offers that meet the criteria
Keep the user motivated
Keep the user motivated
Motivation involves redirecting actions to those that guarantee the best results for the user himself at the moment he is most engaged - that is after he has applied for the offer
It is also possible here to show the scale of application that is required to get an invitation to an interview to show the user that they are not alone in this and it is just the way it is in today's market
Motivation involves redirecting actions to those that guarantee the best results for the user himself at the moment he is most engaged - that is after he has applied for the offer
It is also possible here to show the scale of application that is required to get an invitation to an interview to show the user that they are not alone in this and it is just the way it is in today's market
Iterations
Iterations
Starting point
Starting point
1st iteration - Improve reasurrance
1st iteration - Improve reasurrance
Goals: Improve communication by providing assurance information about success. Get rid of the auto-screen transition until the user closes it. Confirmation in a permanent form via email
Validation: AB Test - Tracking observation
Result: We noticed that people who saw the new screen were about 37% more likely to apply again with Stepstone. It contributed to around a 5% increase in all application sent
Goals: Improve communication by providing assurance information about success. Get rid of the auto-screen transition until the user closes it. Confirmation in a permanent form via email
Validation: AB Test - Tracking observation
Result: We noticed that people who saw the new screen were about 37% more likely to apply again with Stepstone. It contributed to around a 5% increase in all application sent
2nd iteration - Improve transparency
2nd iteration - Improve transparency
Goals: Improve trust and transparency by showing the recruiter and the contact information that the company provided
Validation: Track on expandable element
Result: Gentle swings in the level of total applications - around +3%. Around one-third of users expanded at least once information about the recruiter
Goals: Improve trust and transparency by showing the recruiter and the contact information that the company provided
Validation: Track on expandable element
Result: Gentle swings in the level of total applications - around +3%. Around one-third of users expanded at least once information about the recruiter
3rd iteration - Suggest an alternative
3rd iteration - Suggest an alternative
Goals: We wanted to give another source of possible match finding because, from the data collected so far, it appeared that the offers we were proposing were converting poorly and only the first two had the most enters
Validation: Existing tracking
Result: As this is one of the places where the user is most engaged, change increased the number of push alerts sent by around 6% and also increased the total number of alerts created by 11%.
Goals: We wanted to give another source of possible match finding because, from the data collected so far, it appeared that the offers we were proposing were converting poorly and only the first two had the most enters
Validation: Existing tracking
Result: As this is one of the places where the user is most engaged, change increased the number of push alerts sent by around 6% and also increased the total number of alerts created by 11%.
4rd iteration - Tweaks based on collected data
4rd iteration - Tweaks based on collected data
Goals: Improve the provided alternative. Shorten the number of proposed alternatives as they did not perform well and try to replace them with a single but better-described job offer
Validation: AB Test
Result: About 16% more users switched to the proposed single offer than to the set of 10 offers combined.
Goals: Improve the provided alternative. Shorten the number of proposed alternatives as they did not perform well and try to replace them with a single but better-described job offer
Validation: AB Test
Result: About 16% more users switched to the proposed single offer than to the set of 10 offers combined.
Where to go from here
Where to go from here
ATSI Harmonization
ATSI Harmonization
Begin the process that will enable the start of the work on the full tracking system of applications
Begin the process that will enable the start of the work on the full tracking system of applications
Application confirmation emails
Application confirmation emails
Start the discovery process as users receive emails confirming the application. To what extent it meet their expectations
Start the discovery process as users receive emails confirming the application. To what extent it meet their expectations
Measure satisfaction
Measure satisfaction
It would become much simpler to measure the effect of future work if, at the end of the process, the user could fill out something like a short survey based on which we could measure the CSAT score during subsequent tests
It would become much simpler to measure the effect of future work if, at the end of the process, the user could fill out something like a short survey based on which we could measure the CSAT score during subsequent tests