
Building Clear Pathways for Talent Acquisition
Overview
A local accounting firm sought a website redesign that authentically reflected its unique, inclusive culture while serving as a powerful recruitment tool. One key goal was to create clear pathways for potential hires to easily navigate to the careers page and seamlessly apply. The new site emphasizes the firm’s commitment to work-life balance, highlighting excellent benefits, flexible hours, and a vibrant, employee-centric environment—encouraging top talent to join their team.
Client
Lead UX/UI Designer
Role
Dec 2023-Feb 2024
Timeline
Problem
The accounting firm faced significant challenges in attracting top talent and effectively communicating its unique culture. Key issues included:
Outdated Identity, Misaligned Culture
The firm’s brand identity and website were outdated, failing to reflect its inclusive and employee-centric culture.A Modern Firm with a Traditional Look
Despite offering excellent benefits, flexible work hours, and promoting work-life balance, the firm’s online presence resembled traditional, corporate accounting firms.Blending In Instead of Standing Out
The website did not differentiate the firm from competitors, making it difficult to attract prospective employees who aligned with their values.Missing the Mark on Employer Appeal
The lack of authentic representation of the firm’s culture hindered its ability to appeal to top talent who prioritized a progressive work environment.Rebranding to Attract the Right Talent
The firm needed a rebrand and website redesign to authentically showcase its vibrant culture and serve as an effective recruitment tool.
The Approach
To ensure the rebrand and website design captured the essence of the firm's culture, we conducted research and held a workshop with the team before diving into design solutions. This session provided valuable insights into their fun, casual, and non-traditional culture, which helped shape the design direction. Based on user feedback, we moved away from the conventional corporate aesthetic to create a brand identity and website that would resonate with potential employees who share their values.
Discovery & Research
Culture Survey
We distributed a company culture survey to all team members to capture the essence of their collective experience, as culture is shaped by the shared values and behaviors of the group.
Survey Analysis
We analyzed the responses from the team members and identified key themes. These insights played a crucial role in shaping the direction of the workshop.
Workshop
In the workshop, we built upon the themes identified in the survey to dive deeper into their meanings and explore them further with the team. This process helped us refine the expectations for both the new brand and the website.
Site Heuristic Evaluation: Key Findings
Unclear Pathways
All pages are surfaced in the navigation with no clear user pathways to contact the McGrath team.
Pages lack call to actions that would help navigation to relevant pages.
Lack of Call to Actions
Large text blocks without proper hierarchy hinder quick content absorption.
Insufficient Content Hierarchy
Repetitive Information
The same information appears on multiple pages. Information could be consolidated and logically grouped to reduce any cognitive overload.
Design Solutions
Information Architecture
Homepage
The homepage has been removed from the main navigation and is now accessible through the company logo. All pages will originate from the homepage, ensuring a seamless user experience.
Content Consolidation
The Leadership, About, and Directory pages have been merged into a single About Us tab, with Leadership and Directory further consolidated under Meet the Team. This streamlined structure creates a more focused content flow, making it easier for visitors to find relevant information efficiently.
Careers Page
The Careers page has been added to the main navigation, providing potential candidates with a clear pathway to explore company culture, benefits, and job opportunities.
Wireframes
We continued the process with lo-fidelity wireframes to quickly refine the content structure and design, based on the new brand identity developed by our creative director and copywriter, Jo Skillman. The workshop themes provided a strong framework, streamlining content organization. I collaborated closely with Jo to ensure the content architecture aligned with the insights and goals from the workshop.
Given that the primary goal was recruitment, we strategically incorporated CTAs throughout the website to guide potential hires directly to the careers page.
Hi-Fidelity Prototype
The hi-fidelity prototype seamlessly integrated the newly designed brand identity system, evolving from the wireframes to transform initial design concepts into a fully interactive experience. Its core objective was to capture and communicate the firm’s vibrant, supportive atmosphere, effectively serving as a recruitment tool that emphasizes the firm's dedication to fostering a healthy and engaging employee culture.
Impact & Results
One year after launch, the firm provided feedback that the website had successfully met their objectives. The refreshed branding and website effectively communicated their culture, attracting top talent who aligned with their values. The firm has continued to grow with a strong, engaged team that appreciates the company’s commitment to employee well-being.
This project highlighted the importance of aligning branding and digital presence with company culture. By focusing on authenticity and engagement, we created a website that not only differentiated the firm in a competitive industry but also became a powerful recruitment tool. The success of this project underscores the value of a thoughtful, culture-driven approach to branding and web design.