Handshake Candidate Profiles
Problem
Handshake hosts a vast number of student profiles, accessible through multiple touch points on the employer platform. However, the way these profiles are displayed varies inconsistently, with 2-3 different layouts depending on where employers access them. This inconsistency creates confusion for recruiters, making it difficult to scan and compare candidate information efficiently—especially when reviewing long lists of potential hires. Additionally, the student-created profiles do not visually align with what employers see, leading to a disconnect between the two sides of the marketplace.
Opportunity
Given the inconsistencies in profile displays and the difficulty of parsing key candidate information, our primary goal was to ensure that recruiters and employers see the most relevant details upfront, wherever candidate information appears. This required reevaluating not just the profile detail page but also list views, feeds, and profile preview cards. We saw a significant opportunity to enhance both the structure of candidate data and the overall browsing experience across match lists, search results, and event sign-up pages.
Process
I led the design efforts on the employer side, collaborating closely with a design partners on design systems and the student product. Given the new profile structure, I initially designed some of the key components myself and worked with the design systems team to determine where we could introduce new elements or reuse existing ones. My design partner provided valuable insights into the student profile structure, helping us align the two experiences and create a more cohesive system. Throughout the project, I worked closely with my PM—from drafting the PRD and analyzing research to preparing deliverables for engineering.
Research
My product partner and I first analyzed the existing research, benefiting from multiple rounds of interviews our UXR team had already conducted with recruiters and SMB owners. These interviews provided valuable insights into the information they prioritize and the challenges they face. Additionally, we conducted a small sample study, asking recruiters to rank profile information based on importance. The findings helped us determine the hierarchy of content within the highlights module and preview cards, ensuring we surfaced the most relevant details effectively.
Outcome
In Q4 2024, we launched the first version of our updated candidate profile page, leading to a 20% increase in message sends within the matches experience. This was a major win for the team, and the success of the design paved the way for the next round of iterations, building on our initial vision to enhance the list view and browsing experience in the candidate feed.
