Possible features for LinkedIn Home Page
User persona: Job Seeker. Optimizing for time-to-value.
Here’s a quick snapshot of Linkedin's current home page.
Context: A job seeker uses LinkedIn extensively to look for, and apply to jobs. Her home page should assist in job search (and closing). Assuming that the user has marked on her profile that she is open to new roles, a couple of changes can be made to the home page. Let’s also assume that the user has clearly marked the industry and the functions she is interested in.
LinkedIn News: Currently the news titles included a variety of topics such as tech, interviews, salary, and highest trending business and product news. While general knowledge is helpful, striking up a conversation with hiring managers in relevant industries can be assisted by relevant news and trends of the target industry and functions. Furthermore, certain companies hiring plans are covered by publishers such as TOI, ET, etc. Such new items will be more helpful to the job seeker.
Today’s top courses: A job seeker has only one goal, i.e. to close a job offer. Since any user has limited time during the day, it is critical for her to utilize their time on what matters the most. Course recommendations relevant to target industry, function, level, and general skills like - resume, interviewing, networking, etc, are likely to increase # of clicks in the section, and thereby increasing course enrollment and completions. Paid courses will also earn LinkedIn revenue.
Views of Job Applications: LinkedIn jobs allow users to apply to jobs. A user who comes back to LinkedIn should have a quick way to access current job applications to check status.
Timeline: While the current timeline algorithm seems to show user posts liked by connections, user posts where recruiters or hiring managers post about open positions in their network will be relevant to the user. Posts with hiring-related hashtags can be shown at the top. Furthermore, relevant job openings (promoted or non-promoted) can also be shown in the timeline itself to reduce # of clicks needed to check out a job opening.
Left-Hand Panel: I would allow for sub-categories under ‘My Items’ to show that it includes ‘My jobs’, ‘My courses’. I would add ‘My follow-ups’ to the items as well. Furthermore, I’d add connection recommendations such as headhunters, recruiting specialists, hiring managers in target functions or companies. Such connection requests could also be relevant to headhunters, hiring managers, but can also annoy request receivers. This can be tackled using additional features such as allowing hiring managers to mark a feature such as ‘open to connection requests from job seekers, etc.
Prioritiziation Matrix:
Timeline: This allows a user to directly connect with the relevant person who is likely to help find a job. Promoted jobs are another way to increase the value to the user. This feature will capitalize on currently existing high user engagement on the platform, and thereby, likely to be very successful. High impact-high effort feature.
Today’s Top Courses: Allows users to find relevant courses quickly. Since users may prefer competing products such as Coursera and Udemy to achieve learning goals, I’d say this is a medium impact-medium effort feature.
Views of Job Applications: This is a low effort-low impact feature that any user would like to use.
Left-Hand Panel: Connection recommendations will be highly useful to job seekers. However, this seems like another high effort-high impact feature that also requires further considerations such as connection request spam. However, I’d go ahead and modify the ‘My Items’ feature with call-outs stating that ‘check your job applications and saved courses right here.