Project Details
Project focuses on LinkedIn mobile application which is a social networking platform that connects professionals and helps them find opportunities, learn new skills, and share insights.
My Role
User Research, UI Design, User Testing
Duration
March 2023 - November 2023
Tools Used
Background
A while back, my friend and I was discussing each of our job hunting styles and how we approach all the job applications on LinkedIn. We discovered that LinkedIn doesn’t have a much transparency.
Problem
To manage and track any job application, users only receives a very small feedback in a single line statement “Applied 1yr ago” under one of the hidden Saved sections. .
Goal
To understand job application workflow between recruiter and applicant on LinkedIn's mobile platform. Identify problems that applicant faces throughout their application process and provide purposeful solutions to all the identified problem.
Discover
Product Analysis & Business Objectives
Beyond the mission statement of LinkedIn, “To connect the world's professionals to make them more productive and successful,” the main objective of the LinkedIn application is for the business to make a profit based on user’s usage of the application. They make money from subscriptions, advertisements and selling aggregated data. In regards to the users, the main objectives of LinkedIn is to develop a professional network by building a professional profile, nurturing your growing network and generating a professional reputation.
Professional Networking
LinkedIn's primary goal is to provide a platform for professionals to connect, share insights, and expand their networks globally.
Job Recruitment
LinkedIn serves as a hub for employers and recruiters to post job openings, search for potential candidates, and engage in talent acquisition.
Content Sharing
LinkedIn encourages users to share thought leadership, industry news, and updates, contributing to the growth of user-generated content.
Learning & Skill Development
The platform offers learning resources and courses to help users enhance their skills and stay competitive in their fields.
Feature Analysis
LinkedIn has a unique market position and the main differentiator is being as a Social networking site + Job board.
Usability Study
Since our main goal was to enhance the job seeking experience, we conducted a qualitative usability study.
We recruited 5 participants who represented the target audience and created scenarios & tasks that reflected typical use cases for this usability study. Each participant was then asked to perform the tasks while I observed and recorded their interactions and feedback.
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To open LinkedIn and Look out for job vacancies that suits your requirement. How would you go about doing that?
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Now, let's just save 2-3 best of all. How would you do that?
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What happens next after you have applied for a job? What do you expect to happen next?
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If I say “there’s a feature called Applied & Archived Jobs”, have you happen to use it? What do you think this feature does? or used for?
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Do you ever go back and check “Applied” Tab. Was this particular feature and functionality useful? Why or why not?
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Is there anything that you do to check out your applied job’s status?
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What was easy and what was challenging? How do you think we can improve the flow?
Key Findings from Direct Users
To our surprise, we identified multiple unnecessary steps and potential drop-off points in the flow. Jobs section is one of the key starting point for job applicants and also has maximum competitors.
#1
Difficult mobile navigation.
Applicants find it difficult to navigate through app. Desktop app felt more easy and convenient to use. However they still use mobile for saving jobs when they are on run.
#3
Feedback on application/interview not transparent & lack visibility.
Applicants desired clear feedback on their applications and interview progress. None of my participants used this section for tracking job’s status. They find Job activity useless.
#2
No longer accepting application.
Participants also feels abandoned when they check and find number of saved jobs have been closed or are no longer accepting applications.
#4
Applicant seldom checks Applied/ Archived.
Saved feature is loved & used by all. However, to look back at “saved jobs” takes time as requires multiple clicks. Moreover, applicant never go to applied/archived job applications as it lacked visibility into application progress.
Competitive Analysis
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All job boards offers some level of "Job Application Status" feature that asks applicants with updates on their application progress. This also depends on whether application is applied in-app or though company portal.
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Indeed incorporates an integrated messaging system with an option to schedule interviews.
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Glassdoor, Indeed & Naukri offers employer rating and reviews insights helping applicants gain transparency into company.
Define
Reframing the Problem Statement
“Gap in Job application transparency and Mobile usability cause downstream usage problem & dissatisfaction among users”
LinkedIn currently faces two critical challenges affecting job seekers: a lack of transparency in the application process and a disparity in user experience between desktop and mobile platforms. Job applicants are seeking a more transparent and engaging dialogue with recruiters, particularly in terms of application tracking and progress updates. Simultaneously, the navigation hurdles within the mobile application have led to users favouring the desktop version for job applications. This begged the question of,
“...how might we create a unified solution that enhances transparency, simplifies navigation, and encourages job seekers to seamlessly use the mobile app for applying and tracking job opportunities.”
User Persona
Yamini
24 years, Data Analyst @Deloitte
She's currently seeking a new opportunity that aligns with her career goals and offers room for growth. Yamin is tech-savvy and values transparency and efficiency in her job search process.
Goals:
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Find a role that allows her to leverage her business expertise & contribute strategically to a company's growth.
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Identify companies with positive company culture and opportunities for professional development.
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Streamline her job search process & keep track of applications and interview progress.
Challenges:
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Overwhelmed by the volume of job postings and platforms available.
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Uncertain about the status of her applications and interview feedback.
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Seeks opportunities that provide work-life balance and align with her values
Information Architecture
The research highlighted that we needed to polish mobile navigation flow and make it easier for users to click through content. Thus, we re-organized some of the features under different sections to make navigation smoother and make information easier to find.
Coming soon...