StaffAny Applicant Tracking System

Project scope
Research, concept & requirements, design, writing, quality assurance, and translation.

Introduction

As part of our acquisition hack initiative in Q4 2022, my team implemented and launched an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) with the aim of streamlining demand generation and increasing conversions of potential users to our workforce management (WFM) platform.

Research

Initial findings
Our market research has revealed that many F&B business owners in Singapore and Indonesia are struggling with consistent challenges in acquiring top talent, ranging from a shortage of skilled workers in Singapore to time-consuming manual efforts such as applicant filtering and tracking.

Furthermore, we have discovered that these businesses often employ various methods to share job vacancies due to limited reach. These methods include the use of chat apps, social media, websites, printed media, and even word-of-mouth advertising.

Our objective is to assist managers and business owners in streamlining the hiring process, enabling them to save time.

In addition, we conducted research on our competitors, analyzing their value propositions, unique features, and pricing plans to benchmark our own offerings later.

Technical assessments
During the initial stages of development, we deliberated whether to build the application entirely in-house or leverage third-party integrations to accelerate the process. Following extensive research and testing, we ultimately opted for the latter approach when building the minimum viable product (MVP), guided by the following criteria:

• Customization flexibility to meet unique business needs
• Access to jobseeker responses
• Subscription and maintenance cost
• Engineering efforts required for implementation
• Potential for future extensibility and scalability

The decision
After evaluating several options, we selected Typeform as our form builder due to its user-friendly interface, high flexibility, and strong performance. In addition, I curated a selection of questions tailored to our ATS, ensuring suitability and relevance. We then proceeded to develop our own tracking dashboard within our application.

Solution

In the first development phase (MVP), we outlined a general flow consisting of six steps, ranging from new account registration to management of incoming job applications. We have identified two distinct user categories for the platform: employers and job seekers.

Our WFM app provides employers with easy access to our hiring feature, where they can create multiple job openings, customize application forms, and manage the selection process. All job vacancy links are directed to a dedicated page on our website, where job seekers can easily access the job form. Successful applications are seamlessly integrated into the app for streamlined application management.

Moving forward
We have already identified several features for future expansion that will address additional user JTBDs and enhance the app’s functionality:

• Source tracking functionality to monitor job applicant sources (e.g. WhatsApp, Facebook, banner ads, etc.) for better insights and analysis.
• Further customizable forms to suit different job positions, including job-specific questions and requirements.
• Automated filtering through keyword checking to streamline the selection process and improve efficiency.
• Notification system to alert employers of new applications or updates to job postings.
• And many more to enhance the user experience and overall functionality.

Design: Jobseeker-side

Our research has shown that from the users’ perspective, the most important factors in successfully applying for a new job are speed, discoverability, and app reliability. We also found that strong company branding can positively impact a user’s decision to trust and proceed with the application process.

We utilized our branded website as a basis to provide users with a sense of security, ensuring the feeling they are not directed to a random or unreliable platform. As part of the design process, I engaged in a thorough exploration of multiple design options to ensure no stone was unturned.

User validation and learnings
In our user testing, we found that 75% of participants preferred option 3, citing ease of navigation, maximized screen space, and a sense of security from filling out the form on a ‘branded’ (we make use of StaffAny’s color palette) page. On the other hand, 50% of participants experienced frustration with option 2, as they had to reopen the dialog after accidentally tapping the edges of the screen. None of the participants chose option 1, as they encountered issues with the scroll area around the embedded job form, which had limited scrolling function on its edges.

Drawback
Upon further investigation, we discovered that it was not possible to include a URL to obtain users’ consent to our T&C and Privacy Policy within the Typeform settings. However, we found a solution by including these policies on our website (as demonstrated in the example below) and requiring job seekers to check a mandatory acknowledgment before proceeding to the application form.

Cherry on top
To expand our reach beyond our existing user base, the CEO proposed a promotional strategy targeting managers and business owners who visit our site. This involved placing an ad banner on top of the page that directs them to a dedicated feature or marketing page.

We ultimately selected the third option for our design with various enhancements. With this approach, every company that registers on our WFM app gets its own individualized job page on our website. To work within the current scope of the MVP, we have made all job openings and their information available below the CTA button. This design decision was made based on the understanding that job seekers are only able to select their preferred job position within the Typeform.

User flow:

1. Scan the QR code or tap on the job URL to access the job application.
2. Visit the company’s job page to view available positions.
3. Confirm your acceptance of the T&C and Privacy Policy.
4. Tap the CTA button to open the job application form.
5. Complete all questions and submit the form to finish the application.
6. The system will capture the application and notify the company

Design: Employer-side

Our goal was to boost the signup rate by promoting the Hiring feature and enhancing the value of our product for existing customers.

1. New account sign up

New users can access the Hiring feature immediately upon registration, without any setup requirements. We used feature gating via a modal to balance visibility of other features (like Scheduling or Timesheet) with limited access. This approach prompts users to take action while providing a preview. To access them, we provided two existing scenarios based on the user’s stated headcount during sign-up.:

1. 1-25 = Eligible for Freemium access (unlock via CTA button)
2. More than 25 = Need to Book a Demo (via CTA button)

2. Job Opening

Use cases & flow

1. Create job opening(s)
2. View job list and details
3. Edit job details (change title, open/ close status, description, requirement)

Before proceeding, hiring managers are required to create their initial job opening. A help article link is also available to guide users through the process of using this sub-feature.

Having proper placeholder texts is important to provide clear context and prevent confusion or guesswork.

The decision to use a data table view over a card-based UI was based on the need to display numerous job openings in a clear, linear format that most users prefer. Additionally, color coding was integrated to aid in visual differentiation, inspired by our Scheduling feature used to manage shifts. To streamline the job status update process, a switch button was added for quick changes, while the edit button remains available for more detailed modifications.

In addition to editing basic information, we also implemented a tracker on each job to count the number of applicants.

To ensure a comprehensive experience, all possible scenarios were considered, which greatly aided the engineers during the handoff process.

3. Application Form

Use cases & flow

1. Generate a default job application form
2. Customize & add new question(s)
3. Edit question(s)
4. Show/ hide some question(s)
5. Delete some question(s)
6. Preview application form
7. Share application form

Once the application form is generated, the company’s job page (on the web) will be automatically created.

The form includes several commonly used questions by default to streamline the form creation process. New questions can be inserted at any point among the mandatory ones, and the sequence number is automatically adjusted as the list of questions grows or shrinks.

Hiring managers can preview or share the application form with a single click using either a QR code or a URL. The use of these two methods provides greater flexibility. The QR code is also branded with StaffAny’s identity to promote the platform and increase brand awareness.

To ensure compatibility with our ATS needs, we carefully curated all question details from the available options in Typeform.

To simplify the process of adding new questions, we provided six templates presented in a user-friendly visual format.

When tackling complex items or interactions, we often prioritize simplicity and ease of development, particularly given our limited capacity. As illustrated in the above example, we opted to streamline the process for editing dropdown content.

To ensure a comprehensive experience, all possible scenarios were considered, which greatly aided the engineers during the handoff process.

4. Manage job application

Use cases & flow

1. View job applications
2. Filter applicants
3. Update hiring stage

Concise and detailed placeholder texts have proven to be beneficial, providing clear context and minimizing misunderstandings.

We have implemented a count tracker for each hiring stage, complemented by color-coding, to enhance the hiring managers’ ability to quickly scan through job openings.

In response to requests from managers, we have implemented the ability to edit data to facilitate the correction or updating of information.

To ensure a comprehensive experience, all possible scenarios were considered, which greatly aided the engineers during the handoff process.

User acceptance test

I contributed to the QA process by developing comprehensive test cases and performing rigorous testing alongside the team.

Through the implementation of the new BDD-based test case format, we were able to significantly minimize the occurrence of missing cases that had been problematic in previous projects. This approach enabled us to anticipate almost all edge cases during the testing process.

Translation

As a contributor to the localization process, I aided in translating the ATS feature to Bahasa Indonesia using Locize with meticulous consideration of the local context to ensure better acceptance of the product in the market.

Closing

To conclude the case study, I express my gratitude for the privilege to have contributed to this outstanding project, collaborating with a supportive team from both countries. Moreover, the end-to-end process of this project has provided invaluable learning opportunities.