Upgrad · Edtech · 2021

A redesign of upGrad’s Career Centre across job discovery, job details, resume building and application tracking.

Company
upGrad
Year
2021
Sector
Higher edtech
Product
Career Centre
Learner transition at the start
Below 12%

The brief

The mission for UpGrad was to help learner’s achieve their desired outcomes. Although our transition was well below 12% and we needed to fundamentally change the this. To do that we had to first understand where we were going wrong. This problem started with discovery and stretched across the product funnel making it difficult for different persona’s to help achieve their goal of desired outcomes.

Research

User deep dive

1 / 4

Desperate

I want to start working at an org as soon as possible.
  • applies to almost every job that as
  • wants to be updated about what’s happening at each stage

Diffident

I’m not sure where I should work. I’m looking for someone/ something that can guide me
  • keeps exploring & applying to jobs hoping something will stick
  • seeks recommendations

Passive Browser

I want to be up to date with the current trends and where the job openings are
  • Not looking for a job currently
  • Wants to be prepared for when the right opportunity comes

Hustler

I want to work at an organisation that respects me and pays me what I’m worth!
  • Applied to multiple jobs
  • Tries to get the best offer possible

Brand conscious

I want to work at an organisation that enhances my overall value as an individual
  • only looks at specific orgs
  • organisation should have a good culture & reputation

Visionary

I want to work at an organisation that provides me opportunities to learn & grow
  • Plans in advance
  • Looks at the long term impact on the career

Persona’s of the users were in a way representative of the Maslow's hierarchy from desperate to visionary. Illustration: Icons8

MethodBehavioural interviews with users from different regions and levels of work experience, mapped into personas, a jobs funnel and storyboards.

We had to relook at who we are trying to solve the problem for? When and where do they need us? why do we really need to build this? What are the anxieties and motivations of the users? and how are we best placed to fill the gaps?

We worked with users from different regions and work experience to zoom out and understand their career motivations across life spans and also zoom in to their current ways in which they would go about fulfilling the task. The users were in a way representative of the Maslow's hierarchy - it is surprising in how it relates back to the way one looks towards the purpose of their work.

We saw a similar pattern of behaviour within the multitudes of anxieties and motivations. Whilst their goal and purpose would be different the cycle of action was the same with varying intensity and application. A universal funnel of sorts.

This helped us discover a flow to build for both extremes 1. for a highly discerning visionary in terms of meeting his/her exacting demands with deep validation layers, and 2. also make it very easy for the perpetual desperate or diffident user to find a place to work.

Design · Jobs home on mobile

Familiarity and reinforcement

How the jobs home on mobile felt familiar at first glance, and rewarded every step.

01

One listing card, repeated

Everything needed to decide, on one card.

02

Reinforcement at the top

Progress up top nudged the cohort to act.

03

Filters, front and centre

Tech learners filter by habit, so we led with it.

04

Discovery, made easier

Fewer taps to the right roles.

05

Stretch goals

Aim higher, at marquee companies.

    Jobs home with stats and a recommended listing card Overview with resume downloads, new jobs today and 76 applied Filter jobs by title, city and experience Discover jobs with an experience slider and View 32 results Confirm preferences: cities, skills, job type and company

    The thinkingJobs home on mobile: the listing card, Overview, Filter jobs, Discover jobs and preferences.

    We simplified to deliver a singular listing card which gave the most relevant details to understand the opportunity. This then repeated so the value became relatable.

    Reinforcement at the top helped drive the action and reciprocation towards the application interview process, so as learners within the cohort interacted, they would invariably measure each other and the fundamental human behaviour of envy and competitive spirit would take over.

    Filters were bumped up to the home page so discovery of relevant jobs is easier, also we realised that most users were mature tech audience and had been habitual to applying filters to find relevant results, so we cross referenced this from fashion.

    We also pushed users to stretch their goals, basis their learning behaviour with what we identified as marquee companies they should aim for improving profile for the learner and subsequently for Upgrad.

    Design · Job details

    Deep validation

    One page to judge a role, and the organisation behind it, before applying.

    01

    The whole picture

    Role, place, pay and posting, at the top.

    02

    Do my skills fit?

    See the match, and what to learn next.

    03

    What will the role ask?

    What it takes to succeed, stated plainly.

    04

    Where am I in the process?

    Every round, and what comes next.

    05

    Is it the right place?

    Ratings, culture and facts, before committing.

      Job details page for a Sr. Data Scientist role at Amazon: skills, timeline, responsibilities, Glassdoor rating and company details

      The thinkingJob description and detailed org outlook: skills match, interview timeline, responsibilities, Glassdoor rating and company details.

      We created a job details page which provided for deep validation and guidance. You can quickly skim whether your skills are a fit and realise where you should focus your learning behaviour towards. Understanding the factors needed to succeed in the interview and the job not only helped in getting a better transition, but also made learning focused on market requirements.

      You could get a sense of the organisation and culture and whether it matched what you are looking for and also gave direction on any skills that you need to develop. You can actively track your job application and decide your next course of action.

      Design · Resume builder

      Perception

      Resumes turned out to be the hook that got learners to commit.

      01

      Resumes became the hook

      The most wanted, most impactful feature in testing.

      02

      Every version, in one place

      Download, rename or delete any version.

      03

      Rename in place

      Tidy names without leaving the library.

      04

      Grid or list

      Browse the same library either way.

      05

      Feedback at every step

      Clear status, even when offline.

        Resume library in grid view with download, rename and delete actions on a resume Resume library in list view with an offline warning

        The thinkingResume library in grid and list views, rename and delete actions, an upload retry and system toasts.

        One of the most surprising wants users had was for building good resumes. This in fact was the most impactful feature in our user testing and single handedly changed the dynamic, in terms of utility of the platform, with users kicking of with resume building.

        We were then able to start to track for them their job application status, provide guidance and deliver on the eventual transition. This act of commitment showed the desire of users and how it matched with their aspiration.

        We allowed for building your resume with support text both on web and mobile and created a versioning system for the user to know the edits and use as per need.

        Design · Application tracker

        Persistence

        One board to keep every application moving.

        01

        Too many open threads

        Applying widely scattered focus.

        02

        One board

        Applied to closed, at a glance.

        03

        Move it forward

        Interviews surface with the date.

        04

        Remarks, dates, status

        Update an outcome in a tap.

        05

        Every outcome, visible

        Offers and misfits, side by side.

          Applied jobs kanban with applied, shortlisted, interviews and closed columns

          The thinkingApplied jobs as a kanban across applied, shortlisted, interviews and closed, with status and remark actions on each card.

          Learner’s whilst applying went with a lot of choices, this then made it hard to organise the different opportunities, which in turn affected focus and preparation, leading to suboptimal results.

          A kanban board, connected with the details page, combined an ability to add remarks made the entire job hunting process smooth and efficient, resulting in a massive jump in conversions.

          Outcome · quarter on quarter

          Results

          145%

          Increase in number of unique visitors compared to previous quarter!

          ↑ 2.45× unique visitors

          134%

          Increase in job applications compared to previous quarter!

          ↑ 2.34× job applications

          57%

          more offers received by learners compared to previous quarter!

          ↑ 1.57× offers received

          200%

          more jobs were found relevant by learners compared to previous quarter!

          ↑ 3× jobs found relevant

          Selected work

          More problems worth solving.