Streamlining communication between employers and job seekers with transparency, automation, and intelligent organization
ROLE - HEAD OF DESIGN& CO-FOUNDER
TEAM - PRODUCT/ENGINEERING/CX
DURATION - 3 MONTHS
PLATFORMS - WEB, MOBILE WEB, APP (IOS & ANDROID)
Overview
THE CHALLENGE
Scout's messaging system needed to evolve beyond basic chat functionality. Employers were spending excessive time on repetitive communication tasks, while job seekers lacked transparency about their application status. The existing system created friction in the hiring process, leading to missed opportunities and frustrated users on both sides.
70%
Messages were copy-paste
45min
Daily time on messaging
0%
Status visibility for seekers
25%
Response
rate
Project Goals
For Employers
Reduce time spent on repetitive messaging tasks by 50%
Improve candidate organization and tracking
Increase response rates through better communication tools
Enable seamless document sharing
For Job Seekers
Provide transparency into application status
Maintain context about which jobs are
being discussed
Create confidence in the hiring process
Reduce anxiety about application progress
34%
Current response rate
40%
Messages are ignored
3-5 days
Average time to respond
60%
Lose track of candidates/jobs
The Dual Problem
Research Methodology
UNDERSTANDING
OUR USERS
We conducted extensive research over 8 weeks to deeply understand the pain points, behaviors, and needs of both employers and job seekers. Our multi-method approach combined quantitative and qualitative data to ensure we were solving real problems.
Research Methods & Sample Size
Sample: 23 employers, 47 job seekers
Duration: 45-60 min sessions
Focus: Current messaging workflows, pain points, workarounds, and ideal scenarios
User Interviews
Sample: 12 employers observed
Duration: 2-hour sessions
Focus: Real-time observation of messaging workflows in natural work environment
Contextual Inquiry
Sample: 342 employers, 891 job seekers
Questions: 28 quantitative, 6 qualitative
Focus: Message frequency, template usage, status tracking needs, feature priorities, reply cadence
Surveys
Sample: 15 employers, 18 job seekers
Iteration: 3 rounds
Focus: Prototype testing, task completion, comprehension
Usability Testing
Sample: 6 months of data
Metrics: Message volume, response times, drop-off points
Focus: Behavioral patterns, bottlenecks, and user flows
Usage Analytics
Sample: 8 platforms analyzed
Depth: Feature audit, UX flows, User Base, User number
Focus: Messaging features, organization systems, automation tools
Competitive Analysis
Research Timeline
Week 1-2: Stakeholder interviews and data analysis | Week 3-4: User interviews and contextual inquiry | Week 5: Survey distribution and competitive analysis | Week 6-7: Data synthesis and insight generation | Week 8: Presentation of findings and strategy alignment.
Key Insights
WHAT WE DISCOVERED
We conducted extensive research over 8 weeks to deeply understand the pain points, behaviors, and needs of both employers and job seekers. Our multi-method approach combined quantitative and qualitative data to ensure we were solving real problems.
Research Methods & Sample Size
Sample: 23 employers, 47 job seekers
Duration: 45-60 min sessions
Focus: Current messaging workflows, pain points, workarounds, and ideal scenarios
User Interviews
Sample: 12 employers observed
Duration: 2-hour sessions
Focus: Real-time observation of messaging workflows in natural work environment
Contextual Inquiry
Sample: 342 employers, 891 job seekers
Questions: 28 quantitative, 6 qualitative
Focus: Message frequency, template usage, status tracking needs, feature priorities, reply cadence
Surveys
Sample: 15 employers, 18 job seekers
Iteration: 3 rounds
Focus: Prototype testing, task completion, comprehension
Usability Testing
Sample: 6 months of data
Metrics: Message volume, response times, drop-off points
Focus: Behavioral patterns, bottlenecks, and user flows
Usage Analytics
Sample: 8 platforms analyzed
Depth: Feature audit, UX flows, User Base, User number
Focus: Messaging features, organization systems, automation tools
Competitive Analysis
Research Timeline
Week 1-2: Stakeholder interviews and data analysis | Week 3-4: User interviews and contextual inquiry | Week 5: Survey distribution and competitive analysis | Week 6-7: Data synthesis and insight generation | Week 8: Presentation of findings and strategy alignment.