Case study
Dive into how we reimagined high-volume recruiting, boosting candidate feedback scores from 81% to 93% and increasing conversion rates by 8% across 100,000+ interviews.
UX for High-Volume Hiring
High-volume recruiting is a game of speed. Think Sonic the Hedgehog, but HR. Sounds fun, eh? Myself (and Qualifi) faced a critical challenge: how to streamline the hiring process while reducing bias and saving time for recruiters. As the Senior Product Designer, I spearheaded the development of an innovative audio-only screening solution that not only addressed these issues but also propelled Qualifi to secure $4.5 million in seed funding. Supa fast.
My role encompassed leading product design efforts, collaborating across departments, and implementing data-driven design processes. The result? A platform that increased candidate feedback scores from 81% to 93%, boosted overall candidate conversion by 8%, and decreased support tickets by 11%.
The Hiring Hypothesis: A Scientific Approach
To fully grasp the complexities of high-volume recruiting, I needed to implement a multi-faceted research approach:
User Interviews: Conducted bi-weekly sessions with recruiters to uncover pain points and desires.
Data Analysis: Leveraged analytics from tools like Datadog and Sentry to identify usage patterns and areas for improvement.
Competitive Analysis: Examined existing solutions to identify gaps and opportunities.
Candidate feedback: Direct and indirect (i.e. r/recruitinghell on Reddit).
This research revealed a critical insight: the need for a flexible system that could align candidate needs with recruiters' goals; how could we make it seamless for candidates to interview (and give them the best chance of success) while also meeting the needs of hiring teams who need to save time at every step of the hiring process?
My design process focused on three key user groups:
Recruiters and TA Teams: Needing tools to streamline their workflow and reduce time-to-hire.
Hiring Managers: Not in the app often, but they need to review candidates.
Candidates: Desiring a fair, accessible, and user-friendly application process.
Ideation & Conceptualization
Armed with research insights, we brainstormed solutions that would address the needs of all user groups. Key concepts included:
Audio-only screening to reduce bias
Integration with existing ATS systems
Automated scheduling and follow-ups
Survey Questions Feature
AI-powered text-to-voice tools for rapid interview creation
The Solution
The final design encompassed several key components:
Audio-only screening interface
Chrome extension for seamless ATS integration
Text-to-voice product for efficient question recording (a customer favorite 💘)
Customizable survey question feature (also a customer fave 💘)
In-app updates, promos, tours, and up-sells system (helped solve the issue of users not knowing about new features)
Robust accessibility features meeting WCAG 2.0 standards
Impact & Results
The implemented solution yielded remarkable results:
Increased candidate feedback score from 81% to 93%
Boosted overall candidate conversion by 8% across over 50 organizations and 100,000 interviews
Decreased support tickets by 11%
Helped secure Qualifi's largest customer to date - Orkin Pest Control
Significantly improved new feature engagement through the Frigade system
Contributed to securing $4.5 million in seed funding
What I learned
The top things I learned:
Data-driven design decisions > “going with your gut”
Regular user testing and iteration is key for successful products
Accessibility as a core design principle, not an afterthought
Be proactive about user education and engagement strategies - before it's too late 👻
Final thoughts
By reimagining the high-volume recruiting process through innovative UX design, we not only solved Qualifi's immediate challenges but also set a new standard in the industry. From streamlining the interview process with AI-powered tools to ensuring users stay informed and engaged through in-app education, this project demonstrates the power of user-centered design in creating solutions that benefit businesses and end-users alike, while also driving substantial business growth.
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