As the the Lead Designer for Indeed's Manager Fest program, I led the launch of a prototype based on user research, designed the end-to-end event experience, and implemented data-driven iterations.
The Manager Fest program led to an employee-reported increase in engagement, was ultimately used as a talent attraction tool, and the flexible and modular design allowed a successful pivot to virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Manager Fest program led to an employee-reported increase in engagement, was ultimately used as a talent attraction tool, and the flexible and modular design allowed a successful pivot to virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Opportunity: Increase manager engagement
In internal surveys managers reported low scores in feeling prepared and confident in their roles.
To answer the question "how might we better support manager development?" we performed job shadows, survey data analysis, and ideation sessions with managers.
Insights indicated that managers were experiencing a lack of peer connection and collaboration, leading to feeling isolated and not knowing where to reach out for role support.
Process: Data-driven iterations
From these insights the idea for an immersive peer-learning conference emerged, called Manager Fest. To test the idea we launched a low-budget, low-tech, local prototype of this event.
Post-event data indicated that it was successful in addressing the stated problem, so we then planned several more events around the world.
As the Lead Designer, I mapped out user flows for each touchpoint and created a holistic design system that included a centralized strategy with customizable pieces for each region's localization needs.
We partnered with a vendor to customize a mobile app and wearable tech experience, and with each event we collected data to iterate on and fine-tune in targeted ways.
Outcome: Increased connection during challenging times
Manager Fest was successful in achieving an employee-reported increase in peer connection and peer collaboration, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The flexible and modular design allowed the team to pivot during the pandemic and quickly launch Manager Fest @ Home, a global, virtual, multilingual conference with attendees in 12 countries and every business unit, that was focused on empathy and accessibility.
This program was our department's most highly attended and highly rated event, and has been leveraged by the talent attraction team to promote Indeed's focus on employee development to prospective employees.
I created this one-pager for a presentation to LXDCon Amsterdam and for the Indeed external blog:
