Future-proofing recruitment with MyAGO, the first step in a digital transformation
AGO Jobs & HR is an HR services company with recruitment and selection agencies all over Belgium. However, a lot of digital territory remains untouched, while the market keeps growing and competitors are experimenting with novel apps.
That's why AGO joined forces with In The Pocket. By realising its full digital potential, AGO can consolidate its market position and establish itself as a pro-active and future-proof company. MyAGO is the first step in AGO's transformation and a tool to seize more of the market opportunity.
What we built
AGO teamed up with In The Pocket to build:
- a digital strategy through a Discovery Track
- a design system and digital branding
- a virtual recruitment agency, of which MyAGO is a focussed initial version
The first tangible result
AGO needs to provide an answer to the growing interim market. Quite a challenge, as there is only so much an HR consultant can do in a day.
With MyAGO, the company can now:
- offer job candidates a way to apply for jobs themselves, at any convenient time or place
- reach more people and seize more of the market opportunity
- relieve the administrative burden for their consultants
How did we do it?
At In The Pocket, we don’t just start developing the first product idea that comes to mind. First, we put our heads together; ours and the client's. We explore and define the true needs that we want to solve and set sensible priorities. This is how we make sure that we are building the right thing.
So, how did we do this with AGO?
Ready for the next steps
The world of technology is always in motion. MyAGO is built in such a way that it is ready for whatever the future may bring and for the digital recruitment ecosystem we envisioned.
AGO can be confident that they can move fast. Any new features and technologies can be incorporated with the greatest possible efficiency, at a minimum time and cost.
Our approach
Step 1: Workshops to develop a strategy and future vision
We started out with a Discovery Track. During a first workshop, 4 people from AGO and 3 people from In The Pocket put their brains to work as one team. We dug deep to uncover AGO’s true needs and those of their job candidates. That's how we set the right goals for the product that we are going to build.
With all the input and ideas we gathered, our strategist, designer and product manager went to work. During a final workshop, they presented
- A vision and roadmap for a future digital ecosystem
- An initial proposal for a virtual recruitment office
The initial proposal for the product looked beyond the scope of the first app that has been built today. We wanted to create a concept and navigation that is future-proof, and ready to include new features.
Step 2: Designing MyAGO for efficiency and consistency
Based on the input of the Discovery Track and the budget, the MVP (minimum viable product) was defined and priorities were set. As AGO's digital strategy focussed on being future-proof, so did design and development of the app.
First, we created a design system: an overarching set of communication agreements. We designed reusable components, for instance. But also decided on design principles everyone has to stick to.
One important design principle was keeping it light. Users can get started easily and quickly. They don't even need to create an account first. Some subtle but fun elements derived from gamification also helped realise this goal.
Why a design system is so important? Design systems dramatically improve efficiency and consistency across time and across different contributors. They speed up the design and development process and boost productivity. But they also provide flexibility and make it easier (and less costly) to add future features and technologies. And that is essential, as any app you make today, will need to evolve tomorrow.
Step 3: Developing a future-proof MyAGO
The MVP architecture we used keeps the code decoupled, making the app very testable. This high test coverage gives us the confidence to continuously update the app. We can make improvements and add features without having to worry about introducing regressions. This architecture also makes future development much easier. New developers can quickly find their way in the project.
Again, the result is greater efficiency, greater productivity and the ability to move fast.
Step 4: The final result
After 4 months of design and development, MyAGO was released with all the essential features of a job search app:
- Personal profile or digital CV
- Job search with custom suggestions
- Job detail pages with option to save jobs
- Job application with personal motivation
- Document inbox and archive for pay slips and contracts
The app is designed to be pleasant and easy to use. Candidates can get started quickly (even without a profile) and use the app intuitively.
Thanks to the design system and development architecture, AGO can rest assured that new features or new technologies can be incorporated smoothly.
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