Case study
Opening minds to lesser-known roles
A large public sector organisation had an abundance of applicants for one particular role, and far too few others. They needed to broaden awareness for the true variety of roles, long before anyone clicked apply.
0
Completion rate
on the new Match Me Tool0
Click throughs
to matched role descriptions0
15 seconds
spent using the toolThe challenge
A large public-sector organisation offering a wide variety of frontline and specialist roles faced a significant visibility imbalance. One high-profile role dominated applicant interest, while many equally critical but lesser-known roles received low engagement. This resulted in recruitment challenges, under-representation, and a mismatch between candidate expectations and job realities.
Candidate feedback revealed limited understanding of responsibilities across roles, contributing to unsuitable applications and reduced efficiency. Leaders wanted to broaden candidate awareness, support better self-selection, and improve alignment between individual strengths and role demands.
The solution
We seized the opportunity to bring assessment psychology to the forefront —boosting candidate decision making, sharpening role fit and strengthening workforce planning with a tool grounded in robust job analysis and evidence‑based design.
Using a structured Diagnose–Design–Implement approach, our Psychology team created a bespoke, innovative pre‑application matching tool — a genuinely new solution, with no precedent or existing data to draw on.
Diagnose
We carried out in‑depth job analysis across 11 roles — using interviews, focus groups and desk research — to uncover barriers to engagement and the factors influencing vocational fit. This shaped a proposed pre‑application tool that steers users toward roles aligned with their strengths and interests while broadening awareness beyond the most visible options.
Design
The tool was explicitly designed not as a sift, but as an engaging navigation and exploration aid. Realistic job preview elements such as images, concise descriptions, and tailored messaging supported informed decision-making.
Implement
With creative and development teams, we designed a seamless experience completable in under five minutes. At completion, users received three matched roles aligned to their preferences, strengthening perceived relevance and increasing the likelihood of exploring unfamiliar opportunities.
Ongoing collaboration
By continuing to look at behavioural data, we’re refining the data. We’ll stay on top of long-term outcomes such as application quality and candidate experience.
Results
Early signs demonstrate the tool’s effectiveness at redirecting talent:
- 25,800+ completions, with an 85% completion rate
- 15,800+ click throughs to matched role descriptions
- 80% of clicks directed to lesser-known roles
- The previously dominant role dropped from 63% to 45% of site visits
- Users spent an average of 5 minutes 15 seconds engaging with the tool—far higher than typical site dwell time (under 60 seconds)
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