Niko Niko Boba Team Portal Redesign

Optimizing employee experience for onboarding and training.

Overview

  • Summary

    Improve employee onboarding and training by restructuring employee hub for easier access to onboarding forms, and introducing comprehensive training modules featuring videos, diagrams, and detailed descriptions.

  • Problem

    Speaking to the owner and the managers, several prominent issues have been identified in the employee hub. First and foremost, a significant proportion of employees fail to complete all the necessary onboarding forms, resulting in incomplete documentation. Furthermore, the rather steep learning curve for baristas during their training period has been a consistent challenge, often leading to delays and inefficiencies in their onboarding process. Lastly, managers are inundated with a high volume of messages from baristas on a daily basis, primarily consisting of straightforward and repetitive queries, which not only hampers their productivity but also underscores the need for improved communication and information accessibility within the employee ecosystem.

  • Solution

    To address the identified issues effectively, we have implemented a series of solutions as part of our Employee Hub Redesign. First and foremost, we've reorganized the information architecture within the Hub. This restructure ensures that the essential onboarding forms and materials are readily accessible and intuitively structured, thus facilitating and encouraging our employees to complete all the necessary onboarding forms efficiently.

    Additionally, we've introduced a comprehensive training module that encompasses various learning resources, such as instructional videos, diagrams, and detailed descriptions. These new training resources are designed to lower the learning curve for our baristas, enabling them to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge more seamlessly during their training period, and refer to the materials before sending messages to the managers. This holistic approach to training not only enhances the onboarding experience but also fosters a more productive and capable team.

  • Constraints

    Must be built in Squarespace, and must be mobile-friendly.

  • My Role and Audience

    Role: Project owner and designer, including writing and videography of training materials.

    Audience: Employees and managers of Niko Niko Boba.

Discovery & Research

My initial exploration involved a thorough assessment of the existing employee portal layout to identify areas in need of improvement. To provide a visual reference, the following screen recording showcases the previous website interface

In order to address the challenges presented in our Employee Hub Redesign project, I conducted a comprehensive discovery and research phase to gain deeper insights into the issues and potential solutions. Our research efforts encompassed multiple aspects:

  • Employee Feedback:

    After investigating the existing website, I began by collecting feedback from both new hires and existing employees. This qualitative data provided invaluable insights into the challenges they faced during onboarding and the training process. It shed light on the specific pain points and areas where improvements were necessary. 

  • User Testing:

    User testing played a crucial role in our research phase. We observed new employees as they navigated the existing Employee Hub and collected their feedback in real-time. This allowed us to identify usability issues, areas of confusion, and pain points experienced during the onboarding process.

User Pain Points

Baristas

  • It was hard to keep track of all the open tabs for the onboarding form.

  • I don't know where to find information when the manager is not around.

Managers

  • I had to follow up with new hires to complete the form. Only about 50% of new hires complete the entire form.

  • I get bombarded daily, even on my days off, with text messages with simple questions in the store because there isn’t an information hub for baristas.

Information Architecture

Below, you'll find a comparison of the user flow between the previous interface and my proposed design. In the former, all onboarding forms were consolidated on a single homepage, necessitating users to return to the welcome page after completing each form. In response, I've recommended a solution that introduces three additional navigation links – Onboarding, Training, and a Search function. Furthermore, I've integrated a 'Next' button at the conclusion of each form, streamlining the process for new hires, enabling them to seamlessly transition to the next form without the need to backtrack to the homepage.

Wireframe Sketches

The wireframe sketches provide a visual representation of the proposed interface, outlining the structure, layout, elements of the redesigned Employee Hub.

Final Product

The recorded demonstration showcases the final product, offering a comprehensive view of its seamless functionality and responsive design, both on desktop and mobile interfaces.

Key Findings

The Employee Hub Redesign project has been a great success.

The new search function has proven incredibly useful for baristas, making navigation a breeze. Meanwhile, the revamped onboarding process, featuring the 'Next' button, has nearly achieved a 100% completion rate, simplifying the journey for new hires.

Moreover, the introduction of comprehensive training modules has streamlined the onboarding process for new hires, allowing managers to allocate more time on strategic tasks.

The project underscored the importance of a human-centered design approach, with user testing, interviews, and feedback playing a vital role. The intuitive layout and enhanced user experience now make it easier for employees to find information effortlessly.

With feedback from this first iteration, I have gathered a few key ideas for the next iteration, especially when the company grows larger:

  1. Progress bar in onboarding for new hires to track progress.

  2. Employee recognition features.

  3. Company-wide news.

Final Thoughts

Working on the Employee Hub Redesign project has been a gratifying experience. Seeing my efforts translate into tangible, daily use by dedicated baristas and witnessing the direct, positive impact on onboarding completion rates has been rewarding. To me, this serves a powerful reminder of how a well-designed digital platform can enhance the workplace and the experiences of employees.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of this project was arranging the information architecture. The sense of satisfaction that came from creating a more intuitive layout was rewarding.

This project has also provided me with the opportunity to acquire new skills, particularly in the realm of creating instructional content. Designing training modules, complete with videos, diagrams, and descriptions, was not only a valuable learning experience but also a contribution to the professional growth of the Niko Niko Boba team.

It's also worth noting that this project was my introduction to responsive design, a skill that has become increasingly crucial in today's digital landscape. Learning to adapt our platform seamlessly to both desktop and mobile interfaces has opened new avenues for improving the user experience and has been a valuable skill acquisition.

The Employee Hub Redesign project has been more than just a redesign; it's been a journey of learning, growth, and making a tangible impact on our organization. It serves as a testament to the value of innovation, continuous improvement, and a user-centric approach in the ever-evolving landscape of the digital workplace.