UX Product Designer
HireVue On-Demand Interview Re-Design
Introduction
Meet HireVue
HireVue (HV) is a prominent provider of enterprise-level software, offering a comprehensive range of products that streamline the hiring process. One of its key offerings is On Demand (OnD), an asynchronous video interviewing service that facilitates fast, fair, and efficient candidate evaluations.
Team Members
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Jake Allen, Product Manager
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Martha Howe, Product Designer
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Taylor Bishop, Engineering Lead
Responsibilities as Product Designer
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Partner with the product manager to implement discovery and research
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Conduct an internal audit of On Demand video interviewing service
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Perform usability studies and tests, interviews with users (both internal and external), and market research to better understand strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for all personas
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Strategize the implementation of OnD Version 3 while maintaining current platform offerings and considering future implementation of On Demand Vision (OnDV) and sunset of mobile app
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Ideation and brainstorming with product and design to further inform possible solutions
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Sketch and build wireframes/prototypes of proposed solutions for further discussions and testing
The Context
Despite its prominent role and value, and due to resource constraints across the HV product suite, OnD has not received any significant updates in several years and is operating across multiple platforms. This presents various problems both internally and externally.
On-Demand Platforms
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Legacy: initially designed for desktop use and built with Angular, offers the most extensive version of the OnD service.
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HireVue for Candidates mobile app (App): a free downloadable app designed for smartphone use and built with React.
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Mobile Responsive On Demand (MROD): a mobile responsive browser for smartphone use that does not require downloading and is also built with React.
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On-Demand Challenges
By Platform
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Legacy: only available through desktop and outdated but provides features the other two do not, including screen share capabilities when answering a question and CodeVue Challenges, HireVue’s system for reviewing code challenges..
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Mobile App: provides some but not all of the features afforded by Legacy in addition to a different UI experience. It requires specific versions depending on the mobile device (Android vs. iPhone) and can cause more lift from both the Support and Engineering teams. Additionally, users must download the app, which requires additional legwork, increasing their frustration and cognitive load. Many candidates do not wish to download an app for single use and are often unable to download it due to limitations or lack of smartphone ownership.
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Mobile Responsive: shares some features with the previous two but remains limited, resulting in a varied user experience. This variation introduces disadvantages that can lead to bias in the hiring process. It also requires users to have a specific up-to-date browser for optimal performance.
Images showcase the Video Response questions for the three platforms (left to right, Legacy, Mobile App, Mobile Responsive).
By Persona
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Internal Teams
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Engineering needs to maintain and address the OnD experience across 3 platforms and 2 codebases and extra legwork is required to identify the root causes of issues that arise.
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Support team members must troubleshoot for candidates understanding that issues may arise based on device and browser choice, software versions, and settings in addition to the interview settings created by each of the many customers.
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Product and design must strategize and design features keeping in mind the multiple platforms and their corresponding limitations.
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External Customers
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Customer adoption is limited due to inadequacy associated with company hiring standards.
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Customers cannot rely on a cohesive and consistent product.
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Customers need a product that is accessible to all their candidates without introducing disadvantages and bias.
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Candidates
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Unaware that their experience may vary based on device, software, and settings.
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Lack of clarity and troubleshooting guidance for candidates adds an unnecessary cognitive load exacerbating the stressful interview process.
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The onboarding process doesn’t provide interview preparation guides and instruction leading to confusion and misunderstanding and ultimately resulting in failing to complete the interview.
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Image of OnD analytics demonstrating the amount of interviews sent (81,855) and the amount completed (44,466).
The Problem
The current On Demand video interview experience is limited, operating on three platforms across two codebases. This issue limits future growth, hampers market competition, and affects the product's viability. Customers are purchasing the service less frequently due to limitations. Internal teams are strained with system maintenance and supporting customers and other team members. This results in a subpar candidate experience and reflects poorly on customers. The financial impact is significant, while the HireVue standard for quality, accessibility, and fairness is compromised, putting its position in the HR tech market at risk.
Diagram illustrating the complexity of the OnD service depending on selected device, interview settings, and question format.
Hypothesis
We aim to create a single streamlined and fully responsive solution that aligns with our design guide and utilizes existing components from engineering. With a consolidated codebase and fully responsive product, we hope to save time on development, maintenance, and comprehension. This initiative will enhance the product market value for customers and deliver a more impactful and user-centric experience for candidates, while significantly reducing effort for the Product, Engineering, and Support teams (potentially by 60%).
Projected Outcomes
Internal Teams
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Engineering will work from a single codebase decreasing overhead, shortening turnaround for bugs/issues, and quicker launch and implementation of future features.
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Support will be able to address any problems customers and candidates are experiencing with expediency and less legwork.
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Product and Design will be able to work from one experience incorporating future features and aligning with other initiatives within the product suite.
Customers
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A single comprehensive experience that they can be confident will meet hiring needs and reduce troubleshooting friction.
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Up-to-date accommodations and compliance with local laws that will align with their company culture and standards.
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A streamlined interview that showcases to candidates a strong commitment to fair and equal hiring practices.
Candidates
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Candidates will enjoy a streamlined and user-friendly interview experience
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Equal access to all features
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Reduced onboarding time
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Lower drop-out rates
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Transparent and helpful guides
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The enhanced interviewing experience will provide clear information about the process, candidate evaluation criteria, the use of AI, options for opting out, accommodations for neurodivergent individuals, and precise instructions and expectations for interviews.
The Process
Research, Discovery, and Analysis
As a new associate designer with the team I worked to thoroughly understand the On Demand video interview experience. I performed an audit so that I could become an expert in the product, understanding its strengths and limitations. Additionally, I performed competitive analysis and market research, while also administering usability studies with my design manager, Bradley Trinnaman.This work helped identify candidates’ overall impressions and pain points related to asynchronous video interviewing along with further clarifying needs and expectations of internal and external users.
Key Takeaways
Usability Studies
Competitive Analysis and Market Research
While evaluating market trends and competition, I aimed to gain insights into user needs, feature parity, and potential capabilities. It became evident that users expect a seamless onboarding process that functions quickly, provides visual progress indicators and the ability to personalize their experience, and that is backed by a company that they can trust.
Internal/External Interviews
In performing interviews with internal teams and external customers, Jake Allen (PM) and I gathered a lot of insightful feedback which included some of the following:
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More transparency is needed between customers and candidates.
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The experience lacks a personality, it is cold and sterile at times.
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We expect a lot of candidates but how do we give back? How do we meet some of their expectations?
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An asynchronous interview is not a live interview and shouldn’t be treated with the same rules and stipulations.
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Candidates don’t have the opportunity to ask questions or clarify instructions.
Ideation: Sketches and Possible Solutions
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Email Invite
Current State
CTA button, “Practice or Interview” induces anxiety and is confusing. Users aren’t sure when the interview actually starts.
Proposed State
CTA is now two separate buttons, each with clear microcopy that better helps users navigate.
The CTA previously mentioned will now direct users to a Candidate Practice Zone where they can prepare before the interview. Features might include:
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Practice sample questions
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Set preferences and accommodations
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View FAQs
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Read about the position/company
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Review interview best practices
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Press start when ready
Welcome screen: This is the first screen users will see when starting their interview.
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Fully responsive and adapts to each device size
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Progress bar that indicates prep, interview, and wrap-up states
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Accommodations, settings, and help established and constant on each ensuing screen
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Consistent offerings regardless of settings, browsers
Three images of the proposed Welcome screen showcasing responsive nature for mobile, tablet, and desktop.
Video Response Question: This question format is the most utilized of all the formats.
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Improved clear and consistent UI
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New options to blur background
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New progress bar remains constant at top of screen and tracks each step
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Question copy no longer interferes with video
Current
Current Video Response question on desktop.
Proposed
Proposed Video Response question on desktop.
Current
Proposed
Side-by-side comparison of current vs proposed solution for Video Response questions on mobile.
Working Prototypes Ready for Testing
A demo of the proposed solution via mobile.
A demo of the proposed solution via desktop.
Unfortunately, shortly after completing the prototype and preparing it for user testing, the initiative came to a halt (HireVue acquired a new company and that action made my role and this project redundant). The goal had originally been to include this initiative on the product roadmap for implementation by early 2025.
Next Steps
Had the initiative continued as planned, the next steps would include:
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Conduct moderated/unmoderated usability studies and A/B testing to further inform and improve the proposed product
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Handoff prototypes and mocks to development engineers for inspection and implementation
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Review the development builds before launching into production
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Sunset the existing mobile application
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Create an interactive AI assistant driven On Demand experience
Learnings and Results
The acquisition introduced unexpected complexity and raised questions about the future direction of the combined platform. However, this initiative has made a significant impact by paving the way for enhanced On Demand hiring experiences. Because of the thorough research and data collected as well as the executive buy-in on the importance of a single codebase and more streamlined experience, this work has the potential to influence future innovations.