Effective User Research
Presented by: Adriana Fruchter
Planning and Conducting User Research
Given your problem statement and potential user group (from CIS301: Introduction to Human-Centered Design), develop a plan to understand who the users are and what their needs are. You can create a new statement or copy the content from CIS301.
Define the goal of the contextual interview study in relation to the problem statement. Then define a narrower scope of the people you will be interviewing. Create a recruitment plan that specifies the source of your recruitment (school club, coworkers, etc.) and the verbatim message you will say/write to that group to recruit from them. Define the location of the interviews and the expected duration, write the informed consent procedure, and define the data collection techniques.
Develop a contextual interview plan
Develop the contextual interview protocol
Conduct a contextual interview.
Recruitment
Group 2 -HR, Manager, or Marketing Team: Email: I’ll send personalized recruitment emails to potential participants. This allows to target specific individuals and provide detailed information about the research.
Group 1 - Employees: Social Media: For the employee's user group, I’ll use Social Media, like LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook, to reach a broader audience. The goal for this group is to find out how they enjoy the company swag and, in their opinion, what is the best solution for a success employee engagement.
User Group
Employees: This includes employees from small startups to large corporations across different industries. They are the primary user of CollabHub, The app will suggest or let the user personalize and customize a swag or gift thru a fun experience in collaborating.
Human Resources (HR) Or Manager Team: HR professionals are crucial in employee engagement and company culture. They can leverage CollabHub to enhance employee satisfaction, boost morale, and foster a sense of belonging within the organization.
Marketing Teams: Marketing teams can benefit from CollabHub by aligning the swag offerings with the company's branding and messaging. They can collaborate with employees to create unique designs and slogans that resonate with the company's values, enhancing brand recognition and promoting a positive image.
Email Sample
Dear [Participant],
I hope you're doing well. I am a eCornell student conducting a study on employee engagement and would be honored to interview you. Your expertise and role at [the company] make your insights invaluable. The interview will be in-person, taking around 30 minutes. All information shared will remain confidential and used only for academic purposes. Topics include employee engagement initiatives, communication channels, work-life balance, career growth, inclusivity, and leadership role. I want you to know that your participation will greatly contribute to the study. Please let me know your availability, and I can schedule the interview at your convenience. Thank you very much for considering this invitation.
Please find attached a consent form I'll bring for the day of the interview. Best regards,
Adriana Fruchter
9176.120163
Material List
Printed Informed Consent, Interview Protocol, Recording equipment and a notepad.
Duration
Group 1: Direct questions - quantitative analysis
Group 2: About 30 minutes
Data collection
I’ll use a spreadsheet for the quantitive survey to generate a graphic with the responses. I plan to use a notepad and record the conversation for the in-person interview.
Problem Space
This approach boosts employee engagement, improves communication, and fosters a sense of belonging within the organization. It lets your team co-create unique branded items, adding personality and flair to every gift. Boost engagement, showcase your company’s openness, and make waves in corporate giveaways.
Location
Group 1: Online in Social Media Group 2: Preferentially at the User Work environment otherwise Via Video Chat
Informed consent
For the Social Media group, it will be a checkbox consent, and for group 2, I’ll use the printed version with more explanation and give group 2 the security that this research servers only for the course project and will be private
Ethics
Confidentiality: Involving HR, Managers, or Marketing Teams in research might expose sensitive company information or employee data. Ensuring strict confidentiality and anonymizing responses will protect participants' privacy.
Data Protection: Ensure all data collected during interviews is securely stored and only accessible to authorized researchers.
Logistics
Data Privacy and Confidentiality: Ensure that all data collected during the study or through the app is treated with the utmost confidentiality. Clearly communicate to participants that their information will be kept secure and used only for research or app functionality purposes.
Informed Consent: Explain the purpose of the study or app, the data collection process, and how their information will be used. Make it clear that participation is voluntary, and individuals have the right to withdraw at any time.
Interview or Survey Structure: If conducting interviews or surveys, design clear and concise questions that address the research objectives. Ensure that the questions are easy to understand and avoid biased or leading language.
Introduction
Hello and good afternoon,
Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. My name is Adriana, and I am a UX Design student from eCornell. I am currently working on a class project for User Research. Our discussion today will center around understanding how you, as a manager, promote employee engagement within the company. I am looking forward to listen to your experiences and insights on this matter.
Please be assured that your information will be kept strictly confidential. If, at any point, you feel uncomfortable answering any question, please feel free to let me know. To begin, I would like you to share some basic information. While I understand this is an anonymous interview, knowing your job position at the company and a brief overview of your responsibilities would be helpful.
Now, let’s get started.
Tour
During the tour, we'll take a brief walkthrough of the premises to
Observe the distribution of employees and identify any common areas where they gather to socialize and interact. We'll pay close attention to their communication during these casual interactions.
Core questions
Current Employee Engagement Practices: Can you tell me about the organization's current methods or initiatives to promote employee engagement?
Current Tools and Tech: What tools or platforms does the company use to support employee engagement? Do you use surveys to gather employee feedback?
Employee Participation: How is the employee's participation in these initiatives? Is there a recognition program or rewards system for employee contributions?
Challenges in Employee Engagement: What are the main challenges you face here at your company for engagement?
Feedback How does the company respond to employee engagement efforts?
Interest in Collaborative Initiatives: How open are you and your team to the idea of collaborating?
Preferred Swag Categories: Does the company provide employees swag (promotional items)? If so, on which occasions are they distributed? How do the employees respond to that?
Measurement of Success: How would you measure the success of the impact on employee engagement and company culture? Are there any specific metrics or indicators you would use?
Closure
Thank you for your participation in this research. Your insights have provided me with a deeper understanding of how your company approaches employee engagement. As a token of my appreciation, I would like to present you with a small gift. I look forward to our future discussions and the opportunity to share the findings from my studies with you. Once again, thank you for your time and valuable input.
Who?
The Complete story
Current Employee Engagement Practices: The organization employs various initiatives to promote employee engagement for a positive company culture. One such effort is the annual "Voice of Employee Yearly Survey," which gathers feedback through 30 questions regarding employees' sentiments about their work experience, perception of leadership, level of communication, and satisfaction with compensation. Following the survey, managers conduct reviews to identify areas of improvement and attempt to address some of the concerns raised. Moreover, managers are encouraged to establish a committee aimed at generating ideas to enhance team engagement. This committee introduces creative activities like football games and "bring your kids to work" day to foster a more connected and enjoyable work environment.
However, it's essential to note that while the committee and its initiatives are motivating, managers have no official mandate to address employee concerns. As the organization continues to prioritize employee engagement, there is room for further development and formalization of strategies to ensure a consistent and proactive approach to addressing employee needs and enhancing overall satisfaction.
Employee Participation: Employee participation in the engagement initiatives varies, with encouragement from managers playing a crucial role in motivating employees to take part. The managers believe that having a dedicated person responsible for organizing and coordinating these activities would be beneficial in driving greater employee involvement. The organization has a suggestion box in place, but the feedback received has been limited. Regarding the yearly survey, while participation is not mandatory, the company highly encourages participation. The overall level of employee engagement in these initiatives may benefit from further refinement and exploration of recognition programs or rewards systems to incentivize and appreciate employee contributions.
Current Tools and Tech: The company has a voluntary committee. The committee actively seeks various options to enhance engagement, including sports games, online tools, and alternative activities.
The main takeaways?
1. Recognition of the Need for Employee Engagement: The manager acknowledges the importance of taking action to enhance employee engagement within the company.
2. Informal Initiatives: In addition to the company's annual lengthy survey, the manager highlighted the existence of more relaxed and spontaneous initiatives, such as voluntary committees or ideas proposed by the management.
When and where
The interview took place on Monday, the 24, in the interviewee's work environment at their company's premises. Upon arrival at the building entrance, the employee warmly greeted me, and we proceeded together to a meeting room. The work environment is characterized by spacious rooms housing numerous cubicles and workstations.
3. Lack of Defined Resources: The initiatives lack a specific budget allocation or guidance from the Human Resources department, indicating that resources may not be fully optimized for employee engagement efforts.
Overall, there is a genuine interest in fostering a more engaged workforce, but there is room for improvement in terms of formalizing and allocating resources to these initiatives.
Who?
The participant is an experienced Front-end developer who has spent their entire professional life in Manhattan, NY. With over 20 years of experience, they have worked for various companies, including a creative agency, a content agency specializing in legal content for publishing, and a pharmaceutical creative agency.
The Complete story
The main takeaways?
1. Tech Team Isolation: The participant highlighted a common issue of the tech team's isolation from business planning and decision-making. Engineers often receive projects with predefined details, limiting their input and involvement in the process.
2. Positive Collaboration Experience: Despite the above issue, the participant shared a positive experience collaborating with a product manager friend. This collaboration allowed them to contribute their tech expertise, leading to the successful implementation of their suggestions.
When and where
The interview took place on July 31 at 11 am through a Zoom meeting. During the virtual interview, the relaxing background music was added, creating a comfortable atmosphere. The interviewee's cat also played a part in initiating the conversation, contributing to a relaxed and friendly context for the discussion.
Enter all the details of the interview: the participant's answers to questions, activities, behaviors, and everything else that happened during the interview. Include excerpts from the interview.
Regarding swag usage and preference, the participant expressed genuine enjoyment in receiving promotional items. Although not essential, he fondly remembers receiving swag from the company; he has a collection that creates cherished memories of friends he worked with. The participant doesn't mind displaying logos and is happy to use swag items, appreciating their sentimental value.
Throughout the interview, the participant's responses showcased a desire for meaningful collaboration, interaction and contribution opportunities, and a balanced work environment. The interview provided valuable insights into his experiences, preferences, and expectations regarding employee engagement and swag usage.
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