Redefining Recruitment
Designing an evidence-based hiring platform empowers recruiters to make faster, fairer, and more consistent decisions — at scale.
Challenges in Modern Recruitment
These systemic issues pointed to a larger opportunity — to redesign hiring around evidence, not pedigree.
1
High-Volume Hiring Creates Operational Bottlenecks
Recruiters manage dozens of roles and hundreds of applicants — overwhelming their capacity and consistency.
Manual review can’t scale, leading to rushed decisions and lost productivity.
Strategic impact:
Teams struggle to scale talent pipelines efficiently without compromising candidate quality.
2
Outdated Screening Methods Limit Decision Quality
Most screening tools rely on keywords, not context — filtering out qualified talent before a human ever reviews.
This process favors speed over signal, creating bias and missed opportunities.
Strategic impact:
Businesses lose access to qualified, diverse talent and waste resources on inefficient screening cycles.
3
Reliance on Familiar Patterns Reduces Workforce Diversity
Without structured evaluation, recruiters default to familiar schools, companies, and referrals.
This limits innovation and perpetuates a narrow talent pipeline.
Strategic impact:
Organizations risk weakened creativity, slower adaptability, and missed perspectives that drive growth.
Core Problem:
Recruiters are overwhelmed by high-volume, bias-prone workflows that make it difficult to evaluate candidates efficiently, consistently, and fairly.
Project Goals:
Designing a Smarter Fairer Hiring Process
1
Boost Recruiter Efficiency Through Smart Tools
Empower recruiters with intuitive, time-saving tools that streamline candidate screening, evaluation, and communication.
Impact:
Reduce manual workload, improve hiring speed, and enhance team productivity.
2
Drive Transparency With Data-Informed Recruiting
Make recruitment objective and evidence-based by integrating analytics and performance insights.
Impact:
Help recruiters identify qualified candidates through skill signals, not résumé keywords.
3
Advance Inclusion by Reducing Bias in Screening
Create equitable evaluation systems with structured criteria and AI-driven recommendations.
Impact:
Expand access to diverse talent and support fair, data-guided hiring decisions.
Prototype: Visualizing the Solution
This prototype demonstrates how Knac bridges efficiency and equity in hiring — turning fragmented data into actionable insight for smarter recruiting at scale.
Prototype Overview
This prototype, built in Figma, demonstrates how recruiters can gain complete visibility across their hiring pipeline.
Unlike traditional tools that isolate metrics, Knac surfaces a connected view of performance and equity, empowering data-driven hiring decisions that balance speed and fairness.
Key Features Demonstrated in the Prototype
Recruitment Pipeline Analytics
Track candidates across every stage to identify conversion drop-offs and hiring bottlenecks.
Impact:
Helps optimize recruiter workload and reduce time-to-hire.
Candidate Source Breakdown
Analyze which channels (e.g., referrals, job boards, outreach) yield the most qualified hires.
Impact:
Improves sourcing strategy and ROI on talent acquisition.
EEOC Metrics Dashboard
Aggregate DEI data to monitor equitable representation throughout the funnel.
Impact:
Strengthens compliance and supports inclusive hiring practices.
Together, these insights help recruiters shift from reactive screening to proactive workforce planning.
My Role & Tools
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Role: Product Designer
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Collaborators: Ariel (CEO) and Nick (CTO)
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Tools: Figma · Miro · Google Docs · Slack · Zoom · Pen & Paper
Led end-to-end design — from defining insights with leadership to prototyping data visualization concepts in Figma.
Research Strategy
Before defining solutions, I led a three-part research initiative to uncover recruiter pain points, validate assumptions, and identify strategic opportunities for Knac’s hiring platform.
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Competitive Analysis
Benchmarked leading recruiting and analytics tools to uncover industry gaps in transparency, candidate tracking, and diversity reporting.
Outcome: Informed design principles around visibility, data integrity, and equitable hiring. -
Contextual Inquiry
Observed recruiters navigating the existing Knac platform and parallel tools to understand workflow inefficiencies and cognitive load.
Outcome: Revealed friction in data retrieval and inconsistent decision-making across teams. -
User Interviews
Spoke with recruiters and hiring managers across startups and mid-size companies to explore real-world screening challenges.
Outcome: Validated the need for a unified, insight-driven dashboard that combines efficiency with fairness.
Evaluating Knac's Strengths & Weaknesses
Research Method: Contextual Inquiry & Usability Evaluation
To understand how Knac’s platform supports (or hinders) recruiters, I evaluated the experience through the lens of usability, transparency, and hiring efficiency. The goal was to uncover design opportunities that could enhance recruiter decision-making and improve candidate visibility.
Strengths — What’s Working Well
01
Minimal & Clean UI
Straightforward layout that helps recruiters scan and navigate quickly.
02
Pipeline Dashboard
Offers high-level visibility into hiring metrics and DEI data.
03
Candidate Tracking
Allows users to view applicants per job, supporting organizational clarity.
Takeaway: The existing foundation effectively supports recruiter workflows, but lacks depth in insights and guidance for informed evaluation.
Weaknesses — Areas for Improvement
01
Limited Candidate Date
Recruiters can’t easily view detailed skills, experience, or assessment results.
02
No Location Details
Lacks contextual information on candidate geography or availability.
03
Low Hiring Transparency
No clear indicators of review status, decision ownership, or progress through the pipeline.
Takeaway: Recruiters are forced to make decisions with partial context — leading to inefficiencies, bias risks, and inconsistent evaluation patterns.
Strategic Insight
The evaluation confirmed a gap between data visibility and decision confidence. While Knac captured useful metrics, the design did not surface insights recruiters needed most — why a candidate stood out, how decisions were made, and where bias might occur.
This insight became the foundation for the next design phase: building data-informed transparency into every step of the hiring process.
User Interviews: Understanding Recruiter Needs
Research Method: 1:1 Virtual Interviews (Zoom)
To validate our initial hypotheses, I interviewed three senior hiring professionals from diverse organizations to understand how they balance speed, fairness, and data visibility in their recruiting process.
Participants
Key Insights from user interviews
01.
Greenhouse Is The Preferred Tool
Insight:
Recruiters favor Greenhouse for its functionality and efficiency.
Why It Matters:
It sets the benchmark for usability and integration — new tools must feel equally stable and intuitive.
Design Implication:
Design with familiar interaction models and frictionless navigation to reduce learning curves.
02.
Feature-rich & User-Friendly Design Matterns
Insight:
Seamless integration and automation are highly valued.
Why It Matters:
Recruiters want systems that save time while enhancing clarity, not adding complexity.
Design Implication:
Focus on streamlined workflows that connect key hiring stages end-to-end.
03.
Data Reports Are Crucial
Insights:
Recruiters rely on analytics to support data-driven hiring.
Why It Matters:
There’s a strong desire for confidence in decision-making through metrics.
Design Implication:
Create interactive dashboards that translate data into actionable insights.
04.
Diversity & Inclusion Is A Priority
Insight:
Teams want stronger DEI tracking to promote fairness.
Why It Matters:
Reporting tools need to highlight representation and bias patterns.
Design Implication:
Surface equity-focused metrics in every view to drive accountability.
05.
Candidate Location Data Is Essential
Insight:
Even for remote roles, location visibility informs compliance and scheduling.
Why It Matters:
Recruiters must confirm work eligibility and manage time zone coordination.
Design Implication:
Incorporate geographic context in candidate profiles to streamline decisions.
How has this research shaped my UX decisions?
Each insight from user research directly informed the product strategy and interaction model.
Rather than focusing on isolated features, I used these learnings to design an integrated, insight-driven experience that empowers recruiters to make data-informed, equitable hiring decisions.
Research Insight:
Recruiters value usability and speed (Greenhouse sets benchmark)
Design Decision:
Designed an intuitive, recruiter-friendly interface.
UX Impact:
Reduced friction in navigation, enabling faster access to candidate data.
Research Insight:
DEI tracking and fairness are top priorities.
Design Decision:
Enhanced DEI reporting to provide actionable diversity insights.
UX Impact:
Helped recruiters identify representation gaps and improve equitable hiring outcomes
Research Insight:
Recruiters struggle with fragmented candidate data.
Design Decision:
Improved candidate profile structure to include location, skills, and assessment results.
UX Impact:
Centralized critical data points, minimizing context-switching.
Research Insight:
Recruiters rely on analytics for confidence in decision-making.
Design Decision:
Integrated data visualization tools for real-time hiring analytics.
UX Impact:
Enabled teams to surface meaningful patterns and make evidence-backed decisions.
Summary Takeaway
The transition from research to design was guided by a single principle:
turn recruiter pain points into system-level clarity.
This approach ensured that every design element — from navigation hierarchy to reporting structure — supported measurable recruiter efficiency and fairness.
Comparative & Competitive Analysis: Key Takeaways
Platforms Evaluated: JazzHR, Greenhouse, Lever
Purpose:
Before refining design direction, I benchmarked leading ATS platforms to understand where Knac could uniquely differentiate.
This analysis helped clarify which recruiter needs were already well-served — and where gaps remained open for innovation.
S - Strengths
(What They Do Well)
Summary:
Greenhouse and Lever lead with customizable workflows and robust collaboration tools. JazzHR offers simplicity and affordability for smaller teams.
Strategic Insight:
The standard for usability and integration is already high — Knac must compete through clarity, focus, and speed.
W - Weaknesses
(What's Lacking)
Summary:
All tools suffer from data overload, limited DEI tracking, and rigid rejection workflows.
Strategic Insight:
Opportunity to simplify complexity — translating data into insight instead of overwhelming users.
O - Opportunities
(How Knac Can Win)
Summary:
Deliver simpler, actionable reports, strong DEI capabilities, and flexible hiring workflows that reduce recruiter fatigue.
Strategic Insight:
Position Knac as an evidence-based, inclusive ATS designed for recruiter efficiency and fairness.
T - Threats
(Challenges to Overcome)
Summary:
Competing with established giants (Greenhouse, Lever). Risk of feature parity without differentiation.
Strategic Insight:
Knac’s edge lies in its focus on equity, transparency, and data clarity, not feature count.
Strategic Takeaway
Recruiters don’t need another all-in-one ATS. They need a human-centered system that simplifies complexity and reveals actionable insights — without sacrificing fairness.
This analysis informed Knac’s design direction:
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Prioritize clarity over customization
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Embed equity metrics throughout the experience
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Design data that tells a story, not just a report
Persona: Understanding the Recruiter's Needs
Meet Jason, Head of People Experience
A seasoned HR leader balancing hiring efficiency with equitable outcomes.
Goals & Priorities:
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Ensure no candidate is overlooked throughout the hiring process.
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Maintain a positive candidate experience with thoughtful rejection communication.
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Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in every hiring decision.
Frustrations & Challenges:
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Limited time and bandwidth — too many manual steps slow down decision-making.
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Fragmented data — insights are scattered across tools, making it hard to track progress.
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Lack of visibility — struggles to see where candidates are in the workflow.
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Overwhelming analytics — wants actionable insights, not data noise.
Motivations
Jason wants to lead a hiring process that’s:
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Efficient – faster decisions without compromising quality.
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Transparent – clear visibility across all stages.
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Fair – data-informed practices that minimize bias.
“I don’t have much time to do everything I want — I need tools that help me focus where it matters.”
— Jason, Head of People Experience
Design Implications: Turning Empathy into Action
Based on Jason’s goals and challenges, I identified key experience gaps to guide design focus areas:
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Efficiency: Automate repetitive tasks like resume grouping and rejection emails to save recruiters’ time.
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Clarity: Visualize candidate progress and data insights without overwhelming complexity.
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Fairness: Embed DEI awareness in every step — from evaluation scorecards to analytics reporting.
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Confidence: Provide clear, actionable feedback loops that help recruiters make data-driven, equitable decisions.
These implications informed the following journey mapping exercise, where I analyzed how recruiters like Jason experience each step of the hiring process and pinpointed the most impactful opportunities for improvement.
This journey map visualizes how recruiters like Jason experience each stage of the hiring process — from job posting to candidate relationship management.
It highlights emotional highs and lows, and uncovers where workflow friction and missed insights occur.
Key Observation: Recruiters feel most stressed during candidate review and follow-up, where manual tasks and unclear data cause lost time and potential bias.
Journey Map: Understanding the Hiring Process
Main Takeaways from the Research
This research revealed three key experience gaps driving our design strategy:
Fair Evaluation Through Structure
Recruiters need standardized, transparent scorecards to ensure consistent and equitable assessments.
Smarter, Inclusive Screening
AI-powered resume analysis should surface diverse, high-potential talent instead of just keyword matches.
Insight-Led Decision Making
Recruiters want data-driven stories, not dashboards — clear insights that guide confident, fair hiring choices.
Problem Statement
Through our conversations with recruiters, one theme stood out clearly — they were spending more time wrestling with tools than evaluating people. Between juggling candidate data, manual screening, and disconnected systems, their focus was constantly pulled away from meaningful decision-making.
How might we help recruiters streamline the hiring process so they can maximize their limited time and make better hiring decisions?
Design Enhancements:
Making Data Actionable and Workflows Intuitive
Transforming complex recruiter dashboards into clear, insight-driven interfaces.
Landing Page — Immediate Hiring Insights
Design Challenge:
Recruiters struggled to interpret hiring data quickly, making it hard to act with confidence.
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Confusing terminology and visual hierarchy
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No actionable data reports
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Lack of urgency or prioritization cues
Design Response:
I redesigned the landing experience to help recruiters see what matters first. By reorganizing data visuals, introducing clearer terminology, and improving visual hierarchy, the new dashboard turns passive data into actionable insights — empowering faster, more confident hiring decisions.
Solution Highlights:
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Streamlined UI — simplified layout and terminology
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Real-time analytics — surface key metrics upfront
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Unified tracking — holistic view across roles and candidates
Recruiters can now assess performance within seconds, reducing time spent parsing reports.
Job List — Optimized for Focus and Action
Recruiters often juggle dozens of open roles and hundreds of candidates simultaneously. The redesigned job list transforms a cluttered task view into an insightful command center — helping recruiters identify priorities, track progress, and take action faster.
1
Clear Job Titles & Details
Job roles now surface with concise summaries, enabling recruiters to recognize key context at a glance
2
Sorting and Filtering
Dynamic filters streamline access to relevant openings by department, stage, or hiring urgency.
3
Candidate Insights
Quick visibility into applicant counts and stage distribution drives informed prioritization.
4
Status Indicators
Color-coded urgency levels highlight which roles need attention first.
5
Actionability
Direct actions — like scheduling interviews or advancing candidates — are now accessible without leaving the list.
Outcome: Recruiters can identify, prioritize, and act within one view — turning a static list into an operational dashboard.
Visual Priority — Helping Recruiters Act Fast with Color Cues
Recruiters often manage multiple openings simultaneously, making it easy for urgent roles to get buried.
To solve this, I introduced color-coded priority tags that provide immediate visual clarity:
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Red: Critical roles or approaching deadlines
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Yellow: Roles of moderate urgency
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Green: Roles with longer timelines
This system allows recruiters to scan and act within seconds, reducing cognitive load and supporting quicker response times.
Accessibility Considerations
To ensure usability for all, I incorporated redundant visual cues — including icons and bold priority labels — so information remains perceivable beyond color alone.
This ensures that recruiters with color vision deficiencies can still recognize urgency states confidently.
Final Design: Improved Job Tracking & Decision-Making
The redesigned interface delivers measurable impact:
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Enhanced Usability — Recruiters immediately understand which roles need attention
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Faster Decision-Making — Visual prioritization shortens time-to-action
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Better Workflow — Integrated sorting and urgency signals reduce manual tracking
Candidate List:
Streamlined Navigation & Enhanced Decision-Making
After improving job-level visibility, the next challenge was helping recruiters evaluate candidates more efficiently.
Many struggled to compare applicants or locate key details without breaking focus — slowing down decision-making at scale.
Challenges Identified
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Limited Visibility:
When more than four key skills appeared, essential data disappeared from view, forcing recruiters to open multiple screens. -
Lack of Quantifiable Insights:
Without measurable indicators, recruiters relied on instinct rather than evidence when assessing candidate fit. -
Navigation Complexity:
Accessing resumes, notes, and interview progress required several clicks, disrupting flow and increasing cognitive load.
Design Enhancements:
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Skill-Matching Percentage:
Introduced a quantitative metric that instantly shows how well a candidate aligns with job requirements — replacing guesswork with measurable insight. -
Expanded Candidate View:
Consolidated location, interview stage, and status into a single, glanceable layout so recruiters can make faster, more confident decisions. -
Seamless Profile Access:
Enabled direct access to resumes and notes within the same screen, reducing context-switching and improving efficiency.
Final Outcome
The redesign transformed a multi-click, fragmented workflow into a single-pane experience that empowers recruiters to act faster and smarter.
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More Actionable Insights for quicker evaluations.
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Reduced Friction with single-click access to full candidate details.
- Improved Decision-Making through real-time visibility into candidate progress and skill alignment.
Reflection
One of my biggest takeaways from this project was the importance of aligning research with business goals while deeply understanding user needs.
Through user interviews and contextual inquiries, I uncovered how recruiters balanced speed with fairness — often under time pressure and data overload.
By shaping the research framework and analyzing real-world workflows, I identified key opportunities for improvement and turned them into actionable design solutions that improved efficiency and clarity.
This experience strengthened my ability to lead UX research, collaborate across disciplines, and design tools that empower recruiters to make faster, more confident, and equitable decisions.
