Labour Market Design for Job Seekers – ESDC
Methods & Outcomes
- Business case development and ROI
- Customer experience analysis
- Service design: Conceptualization, mock-up, and architecture
- Iterative concept validation and usability testing
- Digital transformation
- Strategic design
Team
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Highlights
In the early days of putting government data online, HRSDC (now ESDC) had a major challenge: job seekers needed to access data from 160 different sources, often clicking 20+ times just to find training information. DFFRNT's Scott Smith was brought in to improve this digital experience.
Smith led service design efforts to integrate disparate information sources, streamline tasks, and justify investment through a strong business case. The resulting prototypes reduced user steps dramatically, improved access to jobs and training content, and laid the foundation for the federal Job Bank application in use today.
The Client
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC), now Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), is the face of federal government services for many Canadians. It manages a wide range of benefits and information services, including labour market data and job postings. The department sought to transform how users accessed this critical content.
The Challenge
HRSDC had over 160 separate databases related to jobs, training, and labour market information. Users often had to click through 20+ pages to accomplish basic tasks like finding job requirements or related training. The design challenge was twofold:
- Automatically connect relevant content across disconnected data systems
- Use user context (job title, location, interests) to present targeted, relevant information with minimal clicks
The broader goal was to reduce friction, meet user expectations, and increase digital service efficiency.
"An investment in the user experience will improve the contact centre’s efficiency... Time savings can then be applied to prioritizing the next usability challenge."
The Solution
Scott Smith and the strategic design team started by identifying the most common user tasks. They built mock-ups focused on three high-value information needs: skills, jobs, and training.
They proposed using National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes as a “crosswalk” to connect data across systems, without requiring a centralized database overhaul. The solution also leveraged user input (job title, location) to present context-aware deep links and data.
In usability testing, mock-ups showed a reduction in user effort from 11 steps to as few as 3. The iterative process included concept validation, stakeholder interviews, and development of a business case that demonstrated rapid ROI through reduced demand on contact centers.
The Outcome
This work led directly to today’s Job Bank application, where users can now enter a job title and location to access:
- Job openings
- Local market trends
- Required skills and certifications
- Training options
- Immigration and work permit rules
All of this content, still maintained by different government branches, is now seamlessly integrated into a single user experience. The investment in UX and information architecture has paid dividends in efficiency, user satisfaction, and economic impact.
Key Takeaways
- Information architecture can drastically reduce user effort
- Government websites must deliver integrated, not fragmented, experiences
- Business cases for UX can be built on measurable ROI (e.g., reduced support calls)
- Early digital transformation projects pave the way for long-term service models
- Context-aware content is essential to user-centric service delivery
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