Since its inception, COVID has drastically altered the workplace, including new employee onboarding procedures. Even as the pandemic eases, working remotely is here to stay. Our main goal was to support the onboarding process for remote workers so that they can better connect with their new position.
From conception through implementation, I headed a UX team through researching, designing, and prototyping a high-fidelity solution. Acorn aimed to help new hires with improving their remote onboarding experience.
With Acorn, new remote employees can track their onboarding progress and watch as their acorn grows into a tree as a result. Each time they complete a task on their onboarding checklist, their acorn is watered.
With Acorn, new remote employees can track their onboarding progress and watch as their acorn grows into a tree as a result. Each time they complete a task on their onboarding checklist, their acorn is watered.
Onboarding is not a single flow interaction pathway, and I knew it was important to prioritize designing the mobile application from the perspective of the one onboarding and the one getting ready for a new team member. I assisted the UX researcher in conducting a user research and in affinity mapping and deriving key insights to drive the project forward. Here is a glimpse of the 2 user personas constructed that we used as a starting point to build user journey maps, which I assisted with as well:
I helped our team to write, plan, conduct, and analyze data from 10 user interviews, which were each 30 minute, virtual sessions. Our team aimed to validate and evaluate the problem space so that we could better understand how could shape a solution that would better support remote workers, helping them feel more connected with their new company. The following are the key insights that shaped the product direction and defined some of the app’s core features:
I helped our team to write, plan, conduct, and analyze data from 10 user interviews, which were each 30 minute, virtual sessions. Our team aimed to validate and evaluate the problem space so that we could better understand how could shape a solution that would better support remote workers, helping them feel more connected with their new company. The following are the key insights that shaped the product direction and defined some of the app’s core features:
Managers can initiate the onboarding task tracking for the new, remote worker by adding new employees to their team and creating an organized task list for them. Task list progress for a remote worker is easily monitored.
Any employee can personalize, share, and view unique profiles. They can find and view a profile of a teammate, or of another company employee, to discover details about that individual, such as responsibilities or contact information.
New remote employees not only can quickly check-off their completed tasks, but they also can access a technology database and a help center. The database contains information about tools relevant to their role.
Meanwhile, the help center allows them to find answers to frequently asked questions about onboarding and their new company position, reach out to different departments for assistance, or review how they can benefit from the app.
The general response to Acorn was very positive, with a majority of participants seeing themselves using Acorn. Users also really liked the concept of growing from an acorn to a tree to mark progress.
I would have our team focus on readying our app for success and longevity through monetization, prioritizing these next steps:
“I really like the Acorn thing—how when you finish everything, you get a little reward. It would push me to do it.”
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