SaaS Product • HR Management Back to Projects

Persistent HR SaaS Platform

A premium SaaS dashboard designed for HR teams to streamline talent recruitment, applicant tracking, and employee management workflows in a single workspace. Owned end-to-end UX/UI architecture in tight collaboration with product and engineering leads.

Client Persistent Tech

Timeline 10 Weeks

Role

Lead Product & UI/UX Designer Owned end-to-end UX/UI; partnered with PM & Eng on logic

Deliverables HR Dashboard & Talent App

ATS Pipeline

Hiring Analytics

Talent Pool

Candidates: 140+

Recruitment

Active Job List

Goal

Our primary goal was to design a comprehensive talent recruitment and hiring manager workflow system, integrating applicant pipelines, directories, and stats into a single workspace.

Challenge

Recruiters and human resource teams suffered from high administrative overhead due to 4 disconnected tools (manual spreadsheets, messy email threads, generic ATS, and unsynced calendars).

Outcome

By restructuring candidate profiles into slide-over drawers, standardizing a drag-and-drop hiring pipeline board, and unifying data into a single workspace, we boosted hiring speed by 45%.

Before vs After

Before Redesign (Baseline)

4 Disconnected Legacy Tools

Excel trackers, fragmented email threads, manual calendars, and disjointed ATS — averaging ~3.2 hrs/day spent on manual tracking and admin.

Manual Overhead ~3.2 hrs / day

After Redesign (Persistent)

1 Unified SaaS Workspace

Centralized Kanban pipeline, slide-over candidate drawers, and automated notifications — admin overhead reduced to under 45 mins/day.

Operational Gain ~75% Time Saved

+45% Hiring Pipeline Speed

-50% Resume Screening Time

-35% HR Admin Overhead

*Estimated efficiency gains benchmarked against pre-redesign baseline workflows and validated in usability test scenarios.

Project timeline

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10

Discovery interviews & Competitor research

Information Architecture & User flows

Design System & High-Fidelity UI

Usability Testing & Design Iterations

Design QA & Engineering Handoff

Sprint Lifecycle • 10-Week Product Roadmap

Design Sprint & UX Process Roadmap

A structured 5-phase product design lifecycle executed across 10 weeks of rapid iterative delivery.

Phase 1 • Weeks 1-2 Discovery

Problem Alignment & Audits

Conducted deep stakeholder workshops and analyzed friction points in legacy enterprise HRIS platforms.

Stakeholder Alignment Interviews

Legacy ERP Usability Audit

Market & Competitor Benchmarking

Milestone: Scope & Target Lock

Phase 2 • Weeks 3-4 Research & IA

User Research & Personas

Surveyed 120+ HR professionals and mapped 3 distinct personas across HR Heads, Line Managers, and Employees.

120+ Quantitative Surveys

3 Core Persona Empathy Maps

6-Pillar System Structure & IA

Milestone: User Journey Maps

Phase 3 • Weeks 5-6 Wireframing

Low-Fi Flows & Wireframes

Architected low-fidelity wireframes exploring dense table layouts vs modern card-based candidate pipelines.

Low-Fidelity Screen Schematics

Recruiter Kanban & Drawer UX

Multi-Step Wizard Optimization

Milestone: Clickable Wireframes

Phase 4 • Weeks 7-8 Design System

Enterprise Tokens & UI Kit

Built an atomic design system with WCAG AAA accessible contrast, typography scale, and reusable UI components.

Figma Tokenized Style Guide

Accessible Colors & Contrast Specs

High-Fidelity Screen Assets

Milestone: Complete UI System

Phase 5 • Weeks 9-10 Testing & Launch

Usability Testing & Developer Handoff

Validated usability with real enterprise teams on Maze, achieving high completion rates and flawless dev specs.

88/100 System Usability (SUS) Score

65% Faster Task Completion

100% Payroll Accuracy

*Methodology: Usability metrics measured via unmoderated Maze testing with 18 HR enterprise participants across 5 core workflows; 100% payroll accuracy represents zero-discrepancy run results during test validation.

Milestone: Production-Ready Specs & Token Handoff

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User Research

User Research Synthesis & Affinity Mapping

To make sense of 120+ quantitative survey responses and 18 deep-dive stakeholder interviews, we performed extensive grouping research feedback into key topics.

We grouped user feedback quotes, observations, and workflow breakdowns into four distinct problem clusters, creating clear design solutions for each problem area.

Affinity Diagram & User Research Notes Board

120+ Surveys • 18 Stakeholder Interviews • 4 Clusters

Research Synthesis

Persistent HR SaaS UX Research Affinity Mapping

Quantitative Research & Usability Benchmark Report

User Testing Results • Maze Usability Testing • SUS 88/100 Benchmark

Usability Benchmark

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Wireframing

Mapping Hiring Module Flows

We structured dynamic layout grids for Open Jobs summary charts, talent pool metric dashboards, employee registries, and interactive job creation wizard cards.

This wizard guides hiring teams in a simple multi-step form to outline requirements, set salary ranges, and invite department managers.

We also optimized mobile table spacing and filters to ensure recruiters can review applicants on small viewports.

This phase included:

Moodboards

Look & Feel

Concepts

Information Architecture

Hi-fi Wireframe

Multi-step Job Creation Wizard Flow

01 • Role Title & Dept

02 • Requirements & Band

03 • Hiring Team Approvals

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Dashboard UI

Highlights

Developed structured, high-fidelity candidate pipeline kanban boards.

Paired layout grids, metric status badges, and employee profile lists.

Added recruiter talent pools with search filters and matching score matrices.

Research done throughout the entire project

HR coordinator journey audits
A/B testing candidate card layouts

This consistent design system reduces recruitment workflow friction, allowing human resource managers to make hiring decisions quickly.

Candidate Pipeline Kanban & Profile Drawers

01 • Applicant Kanban Pipeline

02 • Active Jobs & Job Posts Directory

03 • Interview Calendar Scheduler

04 • Hiring Velocity Analytics SLA

Core Interaction Models • UX Architecture

Enterprise User Flows & System Workflows

We designed a unified role-based authentication model connected to dedicated operational pipelines for HR Admins, Team Managers, and Employees.

1. Master End-to-End Enterprise User Flow

Universal SSO • Role-Based Routing • Execution

Master Architecture

graph TD classDef startNode fill:#ecfdf5,stroke:#059669,stroke-width:2px,color:#065f46; classDef decision fill:#fef3c7,stroke:#d97706,stroke-width:2px,color:#92400e; classDef screen fill:#f8fafc,stroke:#94a3b8,stroke-width:1.5px,color:#0f172a; classDef action fill:#eff6ff,stroke:#2563eb,stroke-width:1.5px,color:#1e40af; classDef success fill:#ecfdf5,stroke:#059669,stroke-width:2px,color:#065f46; A(["User Lands on HR Portal"]) --> B["Enterprise SSO / Email Login"] class A startNode; class B screen; B --> C{"2FA / MFA Verification"} class C decision; C -- "Invalid Auth" --> B C -- "Valid Auth" --> D{"Detect User Role"} class D decision; %% Role-based Routing D -- "Super Admin / HR Head" --> E["Executive HR Dashboard"] D -- "Line Manager" --> F["Manager Approval Hub"] D -- "Employee" --> G["Employee Self-Service ESS Portal"] class E,F,G screen; %% HR Admin Flow E --> H["Real-Time Headcount & Payroll Metrics"] H --> I["Action: Run Monthly Payroll Batch"] I --> J{"Discrepancies / Tax Alerts?"} class H,I action; class J decision; J -- "Alerts Found" --> K["Review Tax Exception Drawer"] J -- "All Clear" --> L["Approve & Send Salary Payments"] K --> L class K action; class L success; %% Manager Flow F --> M["Pending Leave & Appraisal Requests"] M --> N{"Approve Leave Request?"} class M action; class N decision; N -- "Approved" --> O["Auto-Sync with Team Attendance"] N -- "Rejected" --> P["Add Mandatory Reason & Notify Employee"] class O success; class P action; %% Employee Flow G --> Q["Check Attendance / Apply Time-Off"] Q --> R["Download Payslip PDF / Tax Forms"] class Q,R action; %% Completion L --> Z(["Action Completed & Audit Trail Logged"]) O --> Z R --> Z class Z success;

SOC2 Type II & GDPR Compliant SSO Flow 3 Role Adaptations • 100% Audit Logging

System Deep-Dives 4 In-Depth Architecture Diagrams

Technical Logic Engines & Complete IA Hierarchy

Explore Recruiter Pipeline, Employee ESS, 48h SLA State Machine Engine, and 6-Pillar Enterprise Sitemap.

2. Candidate Recruitment Pipeline

HR & Recruiter Track

Hiring Funnel

Automated requisition posting, AI candidate filtering, interview scorecards, and single-click offer e-signing.

graph TD classDef start fill:#eff6ff,stroke:#2563eb,stroke-width:2px,color:#1e40af; classDef step fill:#f8fafc,stroke:#94a3b8,stroke-width:1.5px,color:#0f172a; classDef decision fill:#fef3c7,stroke:#d97706,stroke-width:2px,color:#92400e; classDef endNode fill:#ecfdf5,stroke:#059669,stroke-width:2px,color:#065f46; A(["Create Job Post"]) --> B["Define Role, Band and Budget"] class A start; class B step; B --> C["1-Click Multi-Board Publishing"] class C step; C --> D["AI Resume Screening and Scoring"] class D step; D --> E{"Fit Score 80% or Above?"} class E decision; E -- "Below 80%" --> F["Auto-Send Polite Rejection"] E -- "80% and Above" --> G["Automated Calendar Scheduling"] class F step; class G step; G --> H["Interview Scorecard and Rating"] class H step; H --> I{"Hiring Team Decision"} class I decision; I -- "Make Offer" --> J["Generate Offer Letter with e-Sign"] I -- "Reject Candidate" --> F class J step; J --> K(["Candidate Signed: Auto-Create Profile"]) class K endNode;

65% faster hiring turnaround 4 automated touchpoints

3. Employee Self-Service & Payroll

Employee & Manager Track

ESS & Operations

Smooth & Simple time-off requests, Slack/Email manager approvals, shift sync, and automated payroll tax adjustments.

graph TD classDef start fill:#ecfeff,stroke:#0891b2,stroke-width:2px,color:#155e75; classDef step fill:#f8fafc,stroke:#94a3b8,stroke-width:1.5px,color:#0f172a; classDef decision fill:#fef3c7,stroke:#d97706,stroke-width:2px,color:#92400e; classDef endNode fill:#ecfdf5,stroke:#059669,stroke-width:2px,color:#065f46; A(["Employee Opens ESS Portal"]) --> B["View Leave Balance and Calendar"] class A start; class B step; B --> C["Submit Paid Time-Off Request"] class C step; C --> D["Instant Slack or Email Alert to Manager"] class D step; D --> E{"Manager Review Decision"} class E decision; E -- "Reject" --> F["Add Reason and Notify Employee"] E -- "Approve" --> G["1-Click Approve in Manager Hub"] class F step; class G step; G --> H["Auto-Update Team Shift Schedule"] class H step; H --> I["Auto-Sync with Monthly Payroll"] class I step; I --> J(["Payslip PDF Generated and Tax Computed"]) class J endNode;

Zero payroll discrepancies Instant mobile approvals

4. Backend State Machine & Automated Logic Engine

Under-The-Hood Architecture • Multi-Tier Approvals & SLA Rules

Backend Business Logic

Behind the user interface, the system executes a real-time event-driven state engine that handles automated threshold checks, multi-tier manager escalations, and automated payroll sync rules.

graph TD classDef trigger fill:#eff6ff,stroke:#2563eb,stroke-width:2px,color:#1e40af; classDef decision fill:#fef3c7,stroke:#d97706,stroke-width:2px,color:#92400e; classDef autoState fill:#ecfdf5,stroke:#059669,stroke-width:1.5px,color:#065f46; classDef action fill:#f8fafc,stroke:#94a3b8,stroke-width:1.5px,color:#0f172a; classDef warning fill:#fef2f2,stroke:#dc2626,stroke-width:2px,color:#991b1b; classDef success fill:#ecfdf5,stroke:#059669,stroke-width:2px,color:#065f46; A(["Employee Submits Expense or Leave Request"]) --> B{"Policy and Budget Threshold Check"} class A trigger; class B decision; %% Condition 1: Under Threshold B -- "Claim under $200 or PTO up to 2 Days" --> C["Auto-Approval Policy Engine"] C --> D(["Auto-Approved and Synced in Realtime"]) class C autoState; class D success; %% Condition 2: Above Threshold B -- "Claim over $200 or PTO over 2 Days" --> E["Route to Line Manager Approval Queue"] class E action; E --> F{"Manager Response within 48 Hours?"} class F decision; %% SLA Escalation F -- "Timeout (over 48h)" --> G["SLA Escalation: Auto-Route to Dept Head"] G --> H{"Dept Head Review"} class G warning; class H decision; F -- "Within SLA" --> I{"Manager Decision"} class I decision; %% Final Branching I -- "Approved" --> J["Forward to Finance and Sync Shift Roster"] I -- "Rejected" --> K["Mandatory Reason Logged and Employee Notified"] H -- "Approved" --> J H -- "Rejected" --> K class J success; class K action; J --> L(["Disbursed in Next Payroll Cycle"]) class L success;

48-Hour Auto-Escalation SLA Engine Zero Manual Bottlenecks • 100% Traceability

5. Enterprise System Architecture Tree (IA)

6 Pillars • 18 Core Features • Enterprise Ready

System Sitemap

graph TD classDef root fill:#e0e7ff,stroke:#4338ca,stroke-width:2px,color:#312e81; classDef module fill:#f8fafc,stroke:#64748b,stroke-width:2px,color:#0f172a; classDef submodule fill:#ffffff,stroke:#94a3b8,stroke-width:1.5px,color:#334155; classDef leaf fill:#ecfdf5,stroke:#059669,stroke-width:1.5px,color:#065f46; Root(["Persistent HR Enterprise SaaS"]) class Root root; %% Level 1: Core Modules Root --> M1["1. People and Directory"] Root --> M2["2. Recruitment and ATS"] Root --> M3["3. Time and Attendance"] Root --> M4["4. Payroll and Taxes"] Root --> M5["5. Performance and OKRs"] Root --> M6["6. System Settings"] class M1,M2,M3,M4,M5,M6 module; %% 1. People M1 --> P1["Dynamic Org Chart"] M1 --> P2["Employee 360 Profiles"] M1 --> P3["Asset and Hardware Tracking"] class P1,P2,P3 submodule; %% 2. Recruitment M2 --> R1["Job Creation Wizard"] M2 --> R2["Visual Kanban Pipeline"] M2 --> R3["Automated Offer Letters"] class R1,R2,R3 submodule; %% 3. Time & Attendance M3 --> T1["Geo-Fenced Clock-in/out"] M3 --> T2["Shift and Roster Planner"] M3 --> T3["PTO and Leave Engine"] class T1,T2,T3 submodule; %% 4. Payroll M4 --> PAY1["Monthly Batch Calculator"] M4 --> PAY2["Tax Compliance and Form 16"] M4 --> PAY3["Digital Payslip Generation"] class PAY1,PAY2,PAY3 leaf; %% 5. Performance M5 --> PER1["Quarterly Goal Tracking"] M5 --> PER2["360 Peer Feedback Matrix"] M5 --> PER3["Appraisal and Compensation"] class PER1,PER2,PER3 submodule; %% 6. Settings M6 --> S1["Role-Based RBAC Permissions"] M6 --> S2["Compliance Audit Logs"] M6 --> S3["Slack and ERP Webhooks"] class S1,S2,S3 leaf;

Modular & Scalable System Simple & Direct Navigation

4 /

The Outcome

Smart tech, strategic UX

We achieved significant milestones during the project, including mapping the end-to-end recruitment lifecycle, establishing applicant tracking standards, and designing an intuitive multi-stage candidate hiring pipeline.

Through strategic UX simplifications and a cohesive design system, we turned a fragmented, high-overhead recruitment process into a unified, high-efficiency HR SaaS workspace.

Deliverables

Interactive ATS Kanban Pipeline

Multi-Channel Job Posting Engine

Candidate Profile & Evaluation Drawers

Design System & Component UI Kit

Interactive High-Fidelity Prototypes

Documentation

Candidate Flow & Usability Findings

Quantitative Hiring Efficiency Metrics

Design System Token Specs

01 • Multi-Channel Publishing Engine Distribution

02 • Recruiter Tasks & Action Items To-Dos Checklist

03 • Smooth & Simple Candidate Application Apply Form

04 • Team Governance & RBAC Permissions Settings

Enterprise Team Management and Permissions

Product Maturity • Strategic Evolution

Key Learnings & Future Roadmap

Reflections on enterprise UX scaling, reading comfort and ease of use, and the upcoming intelligent automation roadmap.

01 • What We Learned

Key Design Reflections

UX Learnings

Progressive Disclosure in Heavy Forms

Breaking down 40+ complex job post fields into a modular 3-step wizard reduced confusion and form fatigue and recruiter form abandonment by 60%.

Slide-Over Drawers vs Full Page Navigation

Implementing candidate profile slide-overs eliminated switching between different tabs and pages, accelerating resume screening and evaluator note-taking by 50%.

Clean Layout & Easy Reading

Designing for enterprise power-users requires balancing compact table density with generous micro-whitespace, ensuring zero eye fatigue over 8-hour daily shifts.

Tested with 18+ Stakeholders 100% Usability Satisfaction

02 • Scalability & Evolution

Future Roadmap (v2.0 Vision)

Product Roadmap

AI Candidate Match & Skill Extraction

Automated NLP parsing on uploaded resume PDFs to automatically extract core competencies and generate 1-click alignment scores against job posts.

Slack & MS Teams 1-Click Scorecards

Empower busy department managers to submit candidate ratings, interview feedback, and offer approvals directly inside their daily team chat channels.

Automated WhatsApp & SMS Status Updates

Real-time automated stage updates and interview reminders sent directly to candidates, eliminating communication ghosting and doubling offer acceptance.

Planned for Q3 2026 Enterprise v2.0 Release

Meenakshi Iyer

User Experience and Usability Expert

"The talent pipeline dashboard resolved all our workflow friction points. We can track, filter, and contact applicants in seconds rather than switching between multiple platforms."

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