Async Design Sprint 1

Planning

Objective
1. How might we reduce stress and anxiety when candidates are recording interview questions asynchronously?
2. How might we increase conversion and long-term engagement for candidates that are hesitant to use AVI technology today?
Desired outcome
1. Determine an understanding of the ways we can solve the problem
Steps to complete and names of people who are taking lead of each step
1. Prototype creation
2. Recruit
Who’s committing to what role?
1. Sprint Master: Morgan, Brian, Aliza
2. The Decider: Brian
3. Customer Expert: Research team
4. Tech/Design Experts: None
5. Do’ers:
  1. Uriah
  2. Jessica
  3. Dianna
  4. Natasha
  5. Neha
Identify who’s committing to what tasks
1. Brianstorm: Morgan
2. Prototype creation: Dianna leading, Brian
3. Recruiting: Aliza leading
4. Test creation: Jessica leading, Dianna
5. Prototype tests: Brian leading moderating, Uriah moderating, Natasha note taking
6. Demo: Aliza

Discovery

These questions can help guide the team during this phase. You may want to talk about other topics during this meeting based on what’s relevant

Background:
1. Why we chose these topics, why it's relevant to what we're working on
  1. These two problem statements are a potential barrier to success for our user audience, and a barrier to success for the product itself. Exploring these problems can lead to more insights around the strategy and solutions we propose by the end of this phase, and could lead to more research exploration that will help build a strong foundation to the product
What research questions have we chosen to take on for this sprint?
1. How might we reduce stress and anxiety when candidates are recording interview questions asynchronously?
  1. What are our assumptions?
    1. Async product can reduce stress and anxiety by increasing the “human connection” involved in asynchronous interviewing in the process
      1. If the assumption is true, here are the implications for design:
        
        We need to introduce a heavy human-facing component in the product, it would need to be a mix between 100% asynchronous and 100% human-to-human connection
      2. If the assumption is false, here are the implications for design:
        
        If it’s not about human connection, what is it about the AVI process that increases stress and anxiety?
    2. One of the reasons AVI is “stressful” and “anxiety inducing” is because there’s no “feedback” on the other receiving end
      1. Implications if this is true:
        
        We should build “feedback” abilities immediately after or even during the recording process when people are preparing for interviews asynchronously
      2. Implications if this is false:
        
        More research would be needed to find the exact reason
    3. Async can empower candidates to approach asynchronous interviews more confidently. It can even inspire candidates who would normally skip async interviews altogether. 1. 2. If the assumption is true: 1. We should keep the focus on asynchronous videos. 3. If the assumption is false: 1. Is there something else candidates need help with?
    4. Async can make the interview process less intimidating for candidates through community support
      1. Assumptions for how to build community support (peers interacting, on the same mission and similar situation):
        
        Getting people educated on how to use the platform and get the most out of it
        
        Helping peers work toward their own goals together
        
        Gamification and incentivizing for peer-to-peer collaboration
        
        You won’t get feedback yourself until you’ve given a certain amount of feedback to others in the community
        
        Support both introverts and extroverts alike
        
        Interview practice with community/peer feedback
      2. If the assumption is true, here are the implications for design:
        
        We need to create a way for candidates to support each other through the recording AVI process
      3. If the assumption is false, here are the implications for design:
        
        If community doesn’t help candidates feel more confident participating in AVI’s what can?
2. How might we increase conversion and long-term engagement for candidates that are hesitant to use AVI technology today?
  1. Async can provide value that exceeds candidates’ aversion to the AVI process.
    1. If the assumption is true, here are the implications for design:
    2. If the assumption is false, here are the implications for design:
  2. Connection to a community will keep candidates engaged and coming back to Async regularly.
    1. If the assumption is true, here are the implications for design:
      1. We should include a significant community element in Async’s design.
    2. If the assumption is false, here are the implications for design:
      1. Perhaps we should keep Async private, with candidates only sharing videos with close contacts.
  3. Candidates will consider trying AVI’s if they are presented in a more friendly, educational way
    1. Assumptions on how to make the process more friendly and educational
      1. Show them the possibilities of where this can lead, what success means, the possibilities and the tangible outcomes
      2. “Leveling with the person” - get them to recognize that the AVI process may be a “necessary evil” for employers who want to use it, and the overall interview process in lieu of it potentially not measuring someone’s full potential
      3. Educational components:
        
        Practice
        
        Tips
        
        Incremental leveling up
        
        Showing people where they can improve
        
        Feedback
        
        Self-reflection on their work, identifying improvement areas
        
        Psycho-education on psychology of interviewing, advocating, facilitating interviews, emotional experience, their communication, etc.
    2. If the assumption is true, here are the implications for design:
      1. We need to use a friendly tone and guide the candidates through the AVI recording process so that they feel they are supported through the process and improving
      2. We need to present the platform in a fun, and engaging way (maybe using humor?)
    3. If the assumption is false, here are the implications for design:
      1. Its possible that candidates will think its not professional enough to be worth their time

Brainstorm

Problems:
1. How might we reduce stress and anxiety when candidates are recording interview questions asynchronously?
2. How might we increase conversion and long-term engagement for candidates that are hesitant to use AVI technology today?
Brainstorming work
1. Assumptions on why they skip or would be hesitant to engage:
  1. AVI is asking “too much” from candidates without getting anything in return
  2. The tasks that people are asked to do are not clearly giving anything of value to the candidate
  3. People might not be “extroverts” and might be more socially anxious
  4. They take a lot of time to do, and to prepare for
  5. It’s not “ a two way conversation” like it is between the interviewer
2. Assumptions on how to make the process more friendly and educational
  1. Show them the possibilities of where this can lead, what success means, the possibilities and the tangible outcomes
  2. “Leveling with the person” - get them to recognize that the AVI process may be a “necessary evil” for employers who want to use it, and the overall interview process in lieu of it potentially not measuring someone’s full potential
  3. Educational components:
    1. Practice
    2. Tips
    3. Incremental leveling up
    4. Showing people where they can improve
    5. Feedback
    6. Self-reflection on their work, identifying improvement areas
    7. Psycho-education on psychology of interviewing, advocating, facilitating interviews, emotional experience, their communication, etc.
3. Assumptions on what the product can do about it:
  1. There should be something that both the candidate and the job interviewer get
  2. Live reviews and collaboration
  3. Candidates can be guaranteed some kind of feedback somewhere in the process from someone with stake
  4. Peer-to-peer community support from people who can help so that candidates get
  5. Use different mediums in addition to just video recording
  6. Build trust and legitimacy
  7. Use a supportive tone and do supportive actions throughout the entire experience
  8. **** Build reciprocity, remove the “power differential” between the candidate and the interviewer (No more ”You do all of this for us and we may grace you with a response”)
  9. **** Use a two-way AVI, where the candidates and the hiring managers both record questions and answers

Planning

Discovery

Brainstorm

Decide and Create

Decisions

Create

Test