Applicant experience redesign
Streamlining the growth of Australia’s digital economy
Our digital economy is anticipated to grow by XX% by but much of the growth relies on attracting skilled workers to our shores. Working with the Australian Computer Society, we designed an experience that maximised the quality of applications and the efficiency of processing them.
The Stage
Australia’s digital economy doesn’t have enough professionals to meet demand.
In 2022, the Australian government signalled they’d increase the intake of skilled migrants to help meet the demand - but a perennial challenge remains: balancing efficiency of intake with quality of professionals.
The Australian Computer Society (ACS) is the bridge that connects the international talent to the Australian digital economy. The Department of Home Affairs, along with thousands of Australian businesses, rely on ACS to engage and assess digital professionals that will support the future of the sector.
The Reality
The existing assessment isn’t up to scratch
The ACS receives 30,000 applications per year, and with the increase in migration and lifting of COVID-19 travel restrictions, even more are forecast.
As it stands, the process for applying and assessing was not up to the forecast increase in demand.
-
Applicants were overloaded with information, and complex criteria are left for them to decipher.
-
75% of applications get stuck in processing because job seekers haven’t provided enough information to submit a successful application.
-
Wait times for applicants varied from 7 weeks to 5 months with little information about status
-
Internally, assessors spend time and energy on manual processes and system workarounds that would otherwise be focused on appraising quality of applicants
As a flagship service and commercial pillar of ACS, as well as a critical piece of Australia’s economic puzzle, the service and experience was in need of a rethink and redesign.
The story
Blueegg was engaged to redesign the application experience and the way they’re assessed.
The brief was simple. Create a world-standard experience for applicants and assessors. Working shoulder to shoulder with a business transformation lead and a development partner, Cloudwerx, we envisioned, researched and redesigned a better way.
Redesigning the plane on the fly
The current experience was only the first layer of complexity. As we worked, developers were reviewing and redesigning the digital infrastructure, and processes were being mapped, reviewed and refined. But the front stage experience was where it all comes together, so designs were iterated on a daily basis as improvements and suggestions emerged from the other teams. Providing a visual of the thinking being done proved challenging but effective.
Preventing problems, not just solving them
Empowering users to improve the quality of their applications was a no brainer. Striking a balance between the motivations of users and the requirements of ACS and DOHA, we set applicants up to succeed through context and clarity throughout the process. This meant a distinct improvement to their ability to get things right first time.
Designing strategically to change how the organisation thinks
We shifted the focus from theoretical analysis to practical experimentation by jumping quickly to future-state design. By creating tangible representations of ideas and then testing them in real-world scenarios, we demonstrated the value of an iterative, user-centred mindset for the organisation.
The results
A validated experience to set Australia up for sustainable digital success
The new experience is now in development.
An experience that works for applicants, assessors and the business.
An experience that sets a new standard for ACS, and a new belief in the power of good design.
Streamlining the growth of Australia’s digital economy
Our digital economy is anticipated to grow by XX% by but much of the growth relies on attracting skilled workers to our shores. Working with the Australian Computer Society, we designed an experience that maximised the quality of applications and the efficiency of processing them.
The Stage
Australia’s digital economy doesn’t have enough professionals to meet demand.
In 2022, the Australian government signalled they’d increase the intake of skilled migrants to help meet the demand - but a perennial challenge remains: balancing efficiency of intake with quality of professionals.
The Australian Computer Society (ACS) is the bridge that connects the international talent to the Australian digital economy. The Department of Home Affairs, along with thousands of Australian businesses, rely on ACS to engage and assess digital professionals that will support the future of the sector.
The Reality
The existing assessment isn’t up to scratch
The ACS receives 30,000 applications per year, and with the increase in migration and lifting of COVID-19 travel restrictions, even more are forecast.
As it stands, the process for applying and assessing was not up to the forecast increase in demand.
-
Applicants were overloaded with information, and complex criteria are left for them to decipher.
-
75% of applications get stuck in processing because job seekers haven’t provided enough information to submit a successful application.
-
Wait times for applicants varied from 7 weeks to 5 months with little information about status
-
Internally, assessors spend time and energy on manual processes and system workarounds that would otherwise be focused on appraising quality of applicants
As a flagship service and commercial pillar of ACS, as well as a critical piece of Australia’s economic puzzle, the service and experience was in need of a rethink and redesign.
The story
Blueegg was engaged to redesign the application experience and the way they’re assessed.
The brief was simple. Create a world-standard experience for applicants and assessors. Working shoulder to shoulder with a business transformation lead and a development partner, Cloudwerx, we envisioned, researched and redesigned a better way.
Redesigning the plane on the fly
The current experience was only the first layer of complexity. As we worked, developers were reviewing and redesigning the digital infrastructure, and processes were being mapped, reviewed and refined. But the front stage experience was where it all comes together, so designs were iterated on a daily basis as improvements and suggestions emerged from the other teams. Providing a visual of the thinking being done proved challenging but effective.
Preventing problems, not just solving them
Empowering users to improve the quality of their applications was a no brainer. Striking a balance between the motivations of users and the requirements of ACS and DOHA, we set applicants up to succeed through context and clarity throughout the process. This meant a distinct improvement to their ability to get things right first time.
Designing strategically to change how the organisation thinks
We shifted the focus from theoretical analysis to practical experimentation by jumping quickly to future-state design. By creating tangible representations of ideas and then testing them in real-world scenarios, we demonstrated the value of an iterative, user-centred mindset for the organisation.
The results
A validated experience to set Australia up for sustainable digital success
The new experience is now in development.
An experience that works for applicants, assessors and the business.
An experience that sets a new standard for ACS, and a new belief in the power of good design.