The future of work. How recruitment can be reimagined. (A Revisit )

7 min readJul 22, 2022

In 2019, I worked on a case study that explored the chinks in a typical recruitment process for design jobs. It would be an understatement to say that a lot has changed since then.

Working styles are not as rigid as they once were. Companies have started to adopt newer, more flexible models of work to navigate the ocean of uncertainty that the pandemic brought in. Hybrid and remote working has become a norm and the concept of global teams is steadily gaining popularity.

While this allows companies broader access to talent, job hunting and recruiting have become more challenging than ever.

How can we re-imagine the recruiting experience for jobs today?

Recruitment these days happens almost entirely online.

Companies and candidates save on time and energy but end up being unsure about the compatibility.

Product Idea: A hiring platform that prioritizes compatibility to help companies find candidates and vice versa.

Help candidates understand hidden attributes like team culture, company values, inclusiveness, openness, etc.
Help companies understand aspects like cultural fit, soft skills, social intelligence, knowledge drive, emotional quotient, etc.

Feature Exploration.

1. Job assistant

An in-app AI assistant that helps candidates with queries regarding their applications and recommends roles at companies that match them based on a personality quiz. The assistant will direct candidates towards the resources they need, to upskill themselves for the job roles they want.

Directing candidates toward personalized resources gives them added value to stay on the platform even after getting a job.

A similar live example: (Left) Cut short, is a hiring platform that has an AI assistant to help with job searches.

Voila, is an email AI assistant that helps with job searches.

What I like:

You get personalized job recommendations.
It helps schedule interviews.

Improvements:

Better UX Writing to make the bot sound personable and helpful.
Have this be an in-app chatbot.

2. Gamification.

People don’t like to feel like they’re forced to do something. A gamified experience creates a sense of control over the process. The process from applying to getting the job offer can be shown in a gamified format.

Research has found that adopting game thinking in non-game contexts can assist in completing certain tasks, encourage personal development, and improve engagement levels.

Rewards: Users collect rewards as they cross crucial stages of the recruitment process which they can use to redeem in-app offerings such as access to paid workshops & webinars, personalized resume feedback, and profile boost options. Users can also earn rewards by helping other users with feedback, advice, or mentoring sessions.

Gamification of the actual journey creates a sense of control over the process.

Users can effectively be in the moment while also getting an idea of the next steps. My sample visualization is based on the design I did for my Design Dock case study. 👇🏽

A similar live example: BYJUs, is an ed-tech app that uses gamification to show the user how much they’ve progressed in a lesson.

Users can monitor their growth by checking their scoreboard and level up by acting on the feedback and suggestions given to them by companies, other users, and by the job assistant.

This engages users and motivates them to continue using the platform even after the primary purpose is served.

A similar live example: Habitica, is a productivity app that uses a gamified experience to users help users create and stick to their habits.

Habitica is a productivity app that uses gamification.

A similar live example: Ambitionbox, is a hiring platform that has recently introduced the concept of rewards.

What I like:

A reward system that benefits candidates and employees.

Improvements:

I would want a reward system that would facilitate conversations between candidates and companies. This can help them understand each other and thereby the compatibility levels.

3. Interactive quiz — Fit & Role

The Company profile should have a quiz to help candidates assess their fit with the company and suggest the most suitable roles. This could help the candidate understand the company's values and goals. It could also help communicate the expectations for the open roles at the company.

A similar live example: Angel-one, is a stockbroking firm that uses a chatbot to help candidates find jobs on its careers page.

What I like:

You have the option to get job recommendations by uploading your resume OR by answering questions.
If you don’t match with any jobs you are given straightforward suggestions on the next course of action. (great UX Writing here)

Improvements:

The roles are suggested based on the designation and location. To get tailor-made suggestions more factors need to be taken into account. eg: job level, skills, personality, etc.

4. Team Introduction

It would be helpful for candidates to understand the team they would be joining for a particular role. This helps them get acquainted with the team structure and understand their responsibilities better. They can also reach out to the team directly if they need any clarifications about the role.

My visualization of the team intro in a job description.

5. FAQs

The company’s career page on the app can list frequently asked questions about working there. eg:

Are remote/hybrid working options available?
Does the company offer maternity/paternity leaves?
Will the company sponsor re-location if necessary?

Questions related to specific job roles can also be added.

6. Company webinars & workshops:

The company can conduct live webinars & workshops through the platform. These can include paid and free events. This helps in two main ways.

Candidates can better understand the people and culture at the company. They also can familiarise themselves with the working style.
This also facilitates conversations between candidates and companies in a friendlier context.

A similar live example: Airmeet, is a hybrid event platform that lets you host interactive online webinars. People attending the webinar can seat themselves in lounges where they can interact with other participants.

What I like:

Lounges are depicted as tables where participants can literally ‘take a seat’. This makes it immersive.
People can create separate discussion forums to interact in.

7. Vote on skills

Users can vote on the soft skills displayed in other users’ profiles. This helps a user get valuable insight into their attributes. It also helps companies understand the candidate better as a person.

The skills with the votes will only be visible to the user. Users can then choose to display three or more of their top skills on their profile.

8. Multi-format profile:

A user’s profile should encompass more than just a portfolio and work experience. Companies should get an understanding of the candidate as a person — their strengths, skills, interests, working style, personality, etc.

Candidates can have a multi-format profile where they can express themselves in a way that best aligns with them. Eg: including a video for the bio or a written piece or even a voice note.

The profile will also have prompts in form of questions or sentences that the user can choose from and answer.

My sample visualization.👇🏽

A similar live example: Hinge, is a dating app where you can create a personable profile to express yourself and your interests.

What I like:

The prompts are designed to make people think about themselves. It helps other people checking the profile understand certain hidden attributes about the person which they may not have been able to express otherwise.