CI&T 🇧🇷

Human centered design applied on a employee experience

UX Designer Senior

2019

Synopsis

During my time at CI&T, a Latin American technology consultancy, I helped a traditional insurance company adapt to the digital age. That's not a usual UX project, it was focused on Service Design and applied human-centered design principles to the company's HR operations.

Our main task was to understand the employee journey, from application to departure. We interviewed around 35 individuals, including recruiters, payment and benefits personnel, and managers, to map out interactions and procedures.

With the maps in hand, we sent a form to the most recent employees to understand the highlights and drawbacks of this journey. We found that most issues (around 70%) were related to receiving work materials at home. Delays, incorrect equipment, and missing software were common problems.

After investigating further, we identified a breakdown in communication among three teams responsible for onboarding. We held a brainstorming session with stakeholders and came up with a simple solution: a shared Excel file and a revised workflow that reduced equipment delivery time. Our goal was for all equipment to reach new employees one day before their start date.

The result was a significant decrease in waiting times. After four weeks, 80% of new employees received their equipment early, and our Likert scale rating improved from 3 to 4.5 stars.

This not only increased new employee satisfaction but also improved efficiency and teamwork among staff involved in these processes using a human-centered design approach.

Situation

While working at CI&T, I led a project aimed at enhancing the employee experience at Sulamérica, a prominent insurance company in Brazil. At that time, the company faced significant challenges in its HR operations, particularly with the onboarding process.

What we did

Our primary goal was to improve the employee journey from application to departure, identifying pain points and optimizing the onboarding process. A major challenge was ensuring the timely and efficient delivery of work equipment, which was causing delays and dissatisfaction among new hires.

Action

To tackle this issue, we adopted a human-centered design (HCD) approach. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the UX activities involved:

Research and User Interviews:
- Conducted in-depth interviews with thirty-five employees from various departments to map their journeys and identify key pain points.
Service Blueprint:
- Created an extensive Service Blueprint to visualize the employee journey, highlighting interactions, support processes, and potential bottlenecks. This comprehensive map was crucial in identifying areas that needed improvement.
Ideation Workshops:
- Facilitated ideation workshops involving cross-functional teams to brainstorm and propose solutions. These sessions were guided by the pain points identified in the Service Blueprint.
Prototyping and Testing:
- Developed low-fidelity prototypes of the proposed solutions and conducted usability testing sessions to gather feedback and iterate on the designs.
Implementation:
- Based on the insights gathered, we implemented several strategic changes:
  - Equipment Delivery Process Review: Created a shared Excel file to track equipment delivery, providing visibility of stages and deadlines to all stakeholders involved.
  - Onboarding Workflow Redesign: Restructured the workflow, introducing clear checkpoints and responsibilities for each stage to ensure equipment was delivered before the new hires' start date.
  - Communication and Training: Enhanced internal communication and provided additional training to those responsible for equipment delivery, ensuring they were well-prepared to handle contingencies and urgent needs.

Result: The implemented changes led to an eighty percent reduction in waiting times for new employees to receive their equipment. This significantly increased employee satisfaction, with the average rating rising from three to four and a half stars on a Likert scale. Additionally, the efficiency of the HR department improved substantially, fostering a more collaborative and productive work environment.

This detailed process highlights my role and expertise as a UX designer, emphasizing my ability to apply human-centered design principles and methodologies to solve complex problems and improve user experiences.

Results

The implemented changes led to an eighty percent reduction in waiting times for new employees to receive their equipment. This significantly increased employee satisfaction, with the average rating rising from three to four and a half stars on a Likert scale. Additionally, the efficiency of the HR department improved substantially, fostering a more collaborative and productive work environment.