Intro

In support of Indeed’s strategy, my teams were responsible for driving the company’s top objective from 2020 - 2023. To do this, we developed several key strategies and delivered significant results around helping employers quickly and effectively review and organize (1), connect with (2), and evaluate candidates (3). In addition, as a UX leader (4), I focused on coaching and managing my team, improving output quality and processes, and using vision and strategy setting to create focus.

1. Keeping up with candidates

Previously, most SMB employers used tools like spreadsheets and email clients to manage their candidates after they applied. Indeed offered some basic candidate management capabilities, but these were often reported to be overly complex, confusing, outdated, and didn’t support the entire hiring process. These challenges were hindering our ability to support employers’ end-to-end hiring processes, especially as we shifted our strategy towards later phases, like interviewing.

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2: Connecting with Candidates

We streamlined the process of employers connecting with candidates by making it quick and easy to initiate the first live conversation. Data showed that employers who responded within 24 hours of an apply had much higher response rates from candidates. We optimized the candidate profile to be more communication-centric, which made it easier for employers to use Indeed over other tools, such as email or Calendly. To minimize the back-and-forth of scheduling, we created smart scheduling features, allowing employers to share available time blocks from their calendar for candidates to choose from. To prevent candidates and their messages from falling through the cracks, we highlighted and elevating candidate updates, nudging employers when action was needed.

3: Evaluating Candidates

We created completely new audio and video interview experiences within Indeed, allowing employers to assess candidates without needing to leave the platform. We implemented notifications and reminders to ensure all parties attended the interviews. We designed structured interview templates leveraging robust job requirements data, enabling more consistent and less biased evaluations. We gave employers the ability to record notes and answers directly within the interview experience, and seamlessly integrated it into the candidate management experience, making it an all-in-one hiring solution. Finally, we solicited interview ratings from interviewers and nudged employers to make timely hiring decisions post-interview to ensure candidates were up to date.

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Role: Director of User Experience

Timeline: Multiple initiatives from 2020-2024

Team: UX Designers, Researchers, Content Strategist, UX Developers (numbers fluctuated yearly and by team)

Types of research conducted:

• Generative studies

  • Employers workflows throughout the hiring journey

  • How employers organized candidates outside of Indeed

  • Employers processes and challenges around scheduling

• Concept, comparative, and usability studies

• RITE (Rapid Iterative Testing and Evaluation) studies

• Offline AB tests

• Quantitative surveys (In product, MaxDiff, among others)

• AB testing of incremental changes

*You can see many of these features and enhancements through Indeed’s announcements here (under “Connect with candidates).

4: UX Leadership

Team Development and Management

In my role, I scaled the team from 2 designers to 20+ UX individuals, including managers, designers, content strategists, researchers, and UX developers in order to meet business needs. I coached individuals to reach their career goals, providing mentorship and growth opportunities. I facilitated team-building and strategic collaborative activities to foster a cohesive team environment. I helped the team remain adaptable and resilient in the face of strategic and organizational changes, providing guidance and support through transitions.

Process and Quality Improvement

I raised the bar for design quality, ensuring our work met high standards, and led inclusive design critiques to encourage diverse perspectives and elevate quality. I elevated the voice of the customer, ensuring a deep understanding of their needs and experiences. I introduced process changes to ensure timely completion of work and optimized workflows. Additionally, I built and nurtured cross-functional relationships with Product and Engineering counterparts to ensure the broader team was aligned and operating efficiently, and broke down cross-team barriers to facilitate end-to-end thinking and seamless collaboration.

Creating Focus

I drove holistic thinking and identified new business opportunities to stay ahead in the market. I led the definition of vision and strategy, ensuring it was broadly communicated and understood by both internal and external teams. Additionally, I regularly shared updates with senior leadership to keep them informed of progress and strategic direction.

Example

With support of my Product and Engineering counterparts following a reorg that brought many new teams together for the first time, I created this “How we work” document to outline how we would operate as a newly formed team. By creating clear focus, getting closer to customers, anchoring on their core problems, and then reducing the risk of change by validating earlier, we would ensure we were building the right thing, in the right way, quicker.

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Updated June 2024