Optimizing experience to Minimize Drop-Offs & Increase Lead Retention
Our company helps students and young professionals secure internships and training programs in luxury hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants.
The journey starts when candidates sign up on our app and ends when they successfully relocate. However, the process involves multiple steps where delays can occur. They wanted a redesign of their current web app and to design a mobile app.
Understanding the Business Objectives
Placement International is a cultural exchange company that connects students and young professionals with internships & training programs in luxury hotels and Michelin-starred chefs to promote career growth and cross-cultural exchange.
Conducted stakeholder interviews to understand the company's goals and pain points.
Following this, I charted out the entire Goods and Services plan, aligning it with the business objectives and stakeholder feedback.
Goods and Service plan of the Process
Understanding the User and their Objectives
Through user interviews with the sales team and the other department, we identified that unclear onboarding instructions, hidden navigation elements, and a lack of immediate in-app guidance are the primary factors driving candidate drop-offs and delays
Aswathi, a 21-year-old hospitality student who’s looking for a Junior Chef's role in luxury hotels, in the US.
Painpoints
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Don't know what to do after signing up
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Have to call/email the sales team for the next step
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Feel frustrated making 10 calls a day
Goals
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Secure a position in a luxury hotel
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Create a standout profile that effectively showcases her skills
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Navigate the PI application process with ease and confidence
Identifying the Problem
Through my initial research, I pinpointed the exact location of the problem. Next, I sought to understand the underlying reasons for this issue. To achieve this, I conducted a heuristic evaluation of the current workflow
Problem statement
Many promising leads aren’t converting because the journey from sign-up to landing a job stretches 3-4 months. While interviews and visa processes contribute, the true bottleneck lies in the early stages: confusing onboarding, profile creation, and verification.
This leads to significant drop-offs (up to 20%) and missed candidate profiles, further delaying the process
Candidate Onboarding
This is the candidate’s first interaction with the platform. They sign up and fill in basic details, expecting a quick and clear start. However, without immediate in-app guidance, many are left unsure of what to do next.
Goal
Quickly sign up and submit basic information.
Pain Points
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Unclear next steps after entering basic details.
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Reliance on an external email to schedule the intro call delays progress.
Why These Issues Exist
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Lack of visible progress indicators and immediate feedback.
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The design doesn’t provide in-app guidance for subsequent actions.
Profile Navigation & Creation
After onboarding, candidates must schedule an introductory call and complete their profile to move forward. The call scheduling is done via email, which can easily be overlooked, and the profile section is tucked away in the side navigation bar, making it hard to find unless you actively search for it.
Goal
Locate “My Profile”, complete all required details, and schedule the intro call.
Pain Points
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Difficulty finding the “My Profile” section due to its hidden placement.
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Uncertainty about the purpose and impact of completing the profile.
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Critical next steps like scheduling the call are communicated via external emails.
Why These Issues Exist
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Poor information hierarchy and lack of clear call-to-action.
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Design flaws in navigation that hide key functionalities from users.
Accepting Terms & Conditions
Once a candidate’s profile is verified and marked as eligible, they are unexpectedly greeted with a Terms & Conditions page when they next open the app. Without clear instructions, non-tech savvy users are left confused and stuck.
Goal
Understand and accept the Terms & Conditions to proceed with the application.
Pain Points
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An abrupt and uncontextualized T&C screen disrupts the flow.
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Lack of guidance leaves users unsure how to continue.
Why These Issues Exist
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Poor transition design with no user cues or clear call-to-action.
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Inconsistent Navigation & Information Hierarchy
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T&C acceptance appears out of context, overwhelming non–tech-savvy users.
Pre-Verification
Once a candidate’s profile is verified and marked as eligible, they are unexpectedly greeted with a Terms & Conditions page when they next open the app. Without clear instructions, non-tech savvy users are left confused and stuck.
Goal
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Understand how to proceed with job applications or next steps.
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Possibly shortlist offers or know which positions are available.
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Know if there are additional documents or tasks required before proceeding.
Pain Points
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The screen offers generic info but no direct call-to-action.
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No immediate link or instructions to view or apply for jobs.
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The mention of “contact your training specialist” leaves users unsure if they must wait for an email or initiate contact themselves.
Why These Issues Exist
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The system confirms the CV is ready but doesn’t guide users on subsequent actions.
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No clear path to browse or shortlist offers directly from this page.
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Users must figure out on their own whether to email or call for the next steps, causing delays.
How did we solve it?
Candidate's onboarding—from a clear, guided sign-up and intuitive profile setup to in-app scheduling of intro call. Designed to keep the candidate informed at every step.