Cohesion

Re-imagining the people side of business, starting with establishing knowledge sharing on the onboarding journey with virtual reality.

Date

Sep 2022 - May 2023

Role

Design Research, UX/UI Design, Strategy

Tools

Figma, Meta Quest, Adobe

Project Type

Academic, Design Strategy

Get the highlights.

Challenge.

Effective onboarding is crucial for the organizational and employee journey. Inadequate onboarding signifies a flawed knowledge-sharing system, impacting retention and hindering organizational development, leading to financial losses. Positive onboarding correlates with increased employee engagement (+87%), confidence (+38%), and productivity (3x). However, only 12% of employees report satisfaction with onboarding processes.

The goal is to provide a streamlined onboarding process to establish a knowledge-sharing culture within organizations.

Outcome.

Cohesion delivers a unique pre-onboarding experience by combining cutting-edge virtual reality technology with personalized, interactive, and immersive experiences. Our platform helps organizations empower fully engaged, prepared, and connected employees before day one. We foster a seamless company and team integration process for new hires, while reducing time and resource investments associated with traditional onboarding methods.

Explore the full story.

Curiosity driven research.

Motivated by a Gallup global workplace report stating that 85% of employees are not engaged, we initiated a research journey to identify key distinguishing factors. Our initial focus on communication and knowledge-sharing dynamics within young organizations unveiled a strong correlation with organizational culture, employee work preferences, feedback loop efficiencies, and overall employee engagement. These insights laid the foundation for addressing the workplace disengagement challenge.

Better understanding of painpoints from insights.

To understand deeper into knowledge sharing in the workplace, we conducted interviews, ideation workshops, and thorough secondary research. These activities helped us identify the pain points experienced by employees.

Based on participant feedback, we have distilled four crucial insights that will inform our project moving forward:

From relationship to culture change.

During insight development, we adapted the DIKW Pyramid Model into an organizational and individual knowledge-sharing matrix. Starting from the bottom, each employee holds unique and valuable knowledge. Activating this knowledge through sharing and feedback creates a dynamic cycle, laying the foundation for relationship-building and fostering a cultural shift towards cohesive knowledge sharing.‍

How might we help organizations to build a culture of sharing knowledge and feedback?

An onboarding platform provides comprehensive training and resources to deliver exceptional services and contribute to a more efficient knowledge-sharing ecosystem.

Relationship-building activities focus on developing strategies and tools that promote collaboration, communication, and a more bonded and engaged workforce.

Event management system creates engaging and impactful experiences that facilitate effective knowledge exchange and inspire a culture of continuous learning.

Concept 1.0
Event-based consultancy.

Building upon the research conducted, we facilitated ideation sessions to generate innovative ideas and concepts. Through this collaborative process, we synthesized and integrated these ideas into three key opportunity areas that will shape our concept of how to deliver knowledge-sharing.

Yes, but where?

Through initial concept testing, we found a vast scope for knowledge sharing across the organizational journey. Diverging from the typical focus on leaders in other consultancies, we empowered individuals and pinpointed critical steps in the employee and organizational journeys.

In our second round of interviews, compelling evidence reinforced our new approach. The onboarding experience emerged as a critical factor in driving employee engagement and productivity, ultimately enhancing organizational efficiency and profitability.

Not Yet. There’s more.

We designed a survey focusing on essential onboarding information and general sentiments. A key takeaway from responses highlighted a significant disparity between participants' expectations and the actual relationship-building activities during onboarding.

This finding emphasizes the need to bridge the gap between anticipated and actual experiences in onboarding. Addressing this discrepancy can lead to more fulfilling onboarding journeys, aligning with expectations, fostering stronger relationships, and setting the stage for long-term overall success.

Relationship-building activities

27.3% Satisfied
vs
47.7% Unsatisfied

How we differentiate?

As our concept evolved, we analyzed the current onboarding and HR platform market to identify key stakeholders. We closely examined typical onboarding journeys and the capabilities of consultancies in this space. Our observations revealed diverse methods companies use to engage new hires and assess their progress over 6 to 12 months.

“Change is a slow, continuous endeavor, especially in organizational development.”

Jenn Lishansky
Chief Engagement Officer
@ Be Social Change

How might we help new hires better integrate into organizations through knowledge sharing and get up-to-speed before day one?

Concept 2.0
How about pre-onboarding?

After concept testing, we started to brainstorm, organize thoughts, and plan the next steps for the Cohesion platform. Through digital and physical sketches, we visualized and clarified the virtual onboarding process.

Wireframing.

Targeting tailored needs for HR.

We incorporated feedback from our first round of testing with a senior HR manager, refining the user flow to align with their insights and requirements.

Guiding new hires to a long-term success.

We incorporated feedback from our first round of testing with a senior HR manager, refining the user flow to align with their insights and requirements.

Carolyn Hou
Consulting Expert @ Arlo Labs

“Never seen something like this on the market. Very novel experience and angle, while creating value for HR and users.”

Kanokwan Limchareon
Sr. Manager, HR @ StandardAero

"I can definitely see the investment potential in this, also huge opportunities with HRIS integration and business model."

More insights from experts.

After completing the prototyping phase, we conducted more than five rounds of testing with relevant stakeholders. By incorporating feedback and insights from these testing rounds, we iteratively improved our solution, ensuring that it aligns with expert opinions, meets client expectations, and delivers a user journey that is intuitive and impactful.

Final Output.

Connection before day one.

The onboarding you've never experienced.

Profile Analysis.

Personalize the onboarding journey based on valid database for accurate and reliable profile analysis, ensuring a tailored and efficient start to the new role.

Verbal AI Input.

Experience a cutting-edge verbal AI system that analyzes your input, creating a seamless and enhanced interaction for effective communication.

Buddy Matching.

Connect with new buddies based on shared interests and experiences, redefining the usual company matching experience for a more personalized onboarding journey.

Digital Human Output.

Enjoy the unique life-like and interactive responses that add a human touch to your onboarding.

Team Introduction.

Meeting manager and co-workers with a personalized, life-like perspective to get on the same page efficiently.

Comprehensive Training & Events Module.

Access dynamic training and event modules designed to further enrich the onboarding experience. Stay informed, learn key insights, and participate in interactive events to enhance skills and knowledge within the virtual workspace.

Next steps.

Solving desires for both CX team and users.

The design concept effectively addressed the user’s need: to complete their shopping experience quickly and efficiently. I was able to learn why and practice how to implement various types of design affordances, signifiers, and indicators within our design.The final output of the customer portal project achieved remarkable acceptance across departments. Through strong collaboration and diligent verification efforts, we ensured that the solution met the diverse requirements and expectations of all stakeholders.