Users couldn't find the bulk apply feature. We ran usability research to find out why, redesigned the entry point, and shipped it, driving a 13% increase in applications per user.
The problem
Reed had built a bulk apply feature, Combo Apply, to help job seekers submit multiple applications at once. The business target was clear: increase applications per user from 0.66 to 0.8. But early data showed users weren't engaging with it. They were still applying one job at a time.
Before investing further in the feature, the team wanted to understand why. Were users ignoring it? Not finding it? Not understanding it? I ran a round of moderated usability testing to find out.
"Can users find and use the Combo Apply feature? And if not, why not?"
Research brief, Q3 2024Research findings
Moderated usability sessions with job seekers across three tasks: save a job, find Combo Apply, submit applications.
The core insight
The feature wasn't hidden, it was passive. A tooltip that appears once puts the burden on the user to notice it at exactly the right moment. Most don't. And a broken save button meant users couldn't even build the saved jobs list that Combo Apply depends on.
User testing journey
Each session walked participants through the full flow, from an empty saved jobs list through to submitting a Combo Apply. The journey diagram below maps the tasks, decision points and where users dropped off.
The fix
The research pointed to specific problems. None required rebuilding the feature, only changing how and where it was surfaced.
Outcome
The research didn't just validate a hypothesis, it changed what we built. The original plan was to promote the feature harder. The finding was that promotion wasn't the problem, placement was. That distinction saved the team from investing in the wrong solution.
Note: final shipped screens are under NDA. Mockups above represent the design direction approved for development.