Connecting Companies with Students
SCOPE
Project for BSc Digital Concept Development programme at Aarhus Business Academy, semester 1.
MY ROLE
I was involved in all development stages
TIMELINE
19 September – 24 October, 2022 (5 weeks)
TOOLS
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Project Brief
Create a concept for a digital solution that enables Business Academy Aarhus students meet with employers.
Project Interpretation
A website integrated in academy study system that allows BAA students to show their creativity and skills through personal profile which will be matched with relevant employers using tags and algorithms. Redesigning and improving the current BAA Jobportal through design thinking process.
Overview
Business Academy Aarhus has received funding to explore and develop a digital solution that matches students with companies. Ideas from student concepts will work towards the digital solution development.
Design Process
Emphatise
Stakeholder Analysis
We identified the key stakeholder groups by using stakeholder map. First we brainstormed and did some research to see who are our stakeholders – both internally and externally. Consequently we rated the stakeholders by their power and interest to see who are the most important ones for this project. Then we prioritised the list of stakeholders and discussed the stakeholder placement within their influence and interest.
The main stakeholders were determined to be:
- Companies/Employers
- Current students at BAA
- Intern coordinator in BAA
User Interviews
Interviews with main stakeholders were conducted by covering different types of students (different programmes and nationalities), a company and internship counsellor at the academy.
Interview results revealed that
- Students are struggling to show their creativity to employers on current Jobportal.
- Students would like to be contacted by companies and not always be the ones who are reaching out.
- Students would like to be able to see more information about the companies and benefits for working for them.
- Companies are looking for enthusiastic interns and student workers.
- Employers use social media and different job portals to find interns, but most successful are field visits to educational institutions.
- Employers would like to have a system that helps to filter relevant applicants.
- Internship coordinator does not influence the content that is displayed on the current Jobportal.
Focus Group
In order to understand how the current students who use Jobpartal think and why they think that way focus group was conducted. It also helped to generate more data and understand what is important for potential users.
Main findings:
- Students would love to have their own profile where they could show their creativity.
- Students would like to show their CV, personal video and link to their portfolio.
- Students tend to reach out to companies without relevant openings.
- Not satisfied with the current academy Jobportal filtering system.
- Students would not like to share their phone number on their profile and would like to be contacted by email.
Empathy Maps
To analyse user behaviours and emotions empathy maps for companies/employers and students were created.
Company/Employer Empathy Map
Student Emphaty Map
Define
User Personas
Using the qualitative research results user personas were created for Student and Company to help understand student and company needs, frustrations and behaviours.
Student Persona
Employer Persona
Business Model Canvas
The Business Model Canvas helped to visualise what is important (partners, resources, value etc.) in a structured way. This lead to some insights about Joportal users and the value we can offer them.
The Value Proposition Canvas
The Value Proposition Canvas was created to find the best product-market fit and to ensure that the digital solution meets user needs and values.
Problem Statement
How can we create a platform, which allows students to connect better with companies?
- How can students competences be displayed visually?
- How can companies access the student database to find potential employees?
- How can companies show interest before requesting to fill out their application process?
Ideate
Brainstorming
During different brainstorming techniques we tried to come up with as many different solutions for out problem statement as possible. Some of the biggest ideas where:
- possibility for employers to create a profile.
- to make process easier use templates
- add gamification elements to nudge users to complete profile
- section for users to learn, fx to create better CV or write application letter
- possibility for students to save job offers for later
- employers can filter applicants
- adding relevant tags to profiles which would help to match students with companies
We also brainstormed about what should be included in Student profiles and Company/Employeer profiles.
Propelling Questions
- How can we ensure the companies will have a good overview of fitting candidates when the competition and therefore the number of applicants is so high?
- How do we make the platform a preferred channel for companies to chose their new employees from if there are so many bigger and more popular sites for such task?
- How can we make sure students’ skills get properly displayed if each of the programmes’ outcome is different?
- How can we increase the number of registered companies with only limited funding/marketing buget?
- How can we make the time spent above application process shorter for both of the stakeholders when there are so many steps to go through on the way?
Can If Map
To create more open mindset and see if there are any new path to take Can If Map was created.
Business Model Canvas
Prototype
During different brainstorming techniques we tried to come up with as many different solutions for out problem statement as possible. Some of the biggest ideas where:
- possibility for employers to create a profile.
- to make process easier use templates
- add gamification elements to nudge users to complete profile
- section for users to learn, fx to create better CV or write application letter
- possibility for students to save job offers for later
- employers can filter applicants
- adding relevant tags to profiles which would help to match students with companies
We also brainstormed about what should be included in Student profiles and Company/Employeer profiles.
Brainstorming
Propelling Questions
- How can we ensure the companies will have a good overview of fitting candidates when the competition and therefore the number of applicants is so high?
- How do we make the platform a preferred channel for companies to chose their new employees from if there are so many bigger and more popular sites for such task?
- How can we make sure students’ skills get properly displayed if each of the programmes’ outcome is different?
- How can we increase the number of registered companies with only limited funding/marketing buget?
- How can we make the time spent above application process shorter for both of the stakeholders when there are so many steps to go through on the way?
Can If Map
To create more open mindset and see if there are any new path to take Can If Map was created.
Business Model Canvas
