How did changes to Degreed's Career Mobility functionality result in a 20% decline in internal job applications since the latest platform update?

Introduction

The recent 20% decline in internal job applications following changes to Degreed's Career Mobility functionality is a critical issue that demands immediate attention. This analysis will systematically identify, validate, and address the root cause while considering both short-term fixes and long-term strategic implications.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Looking at the timing, I'm thinking there might be a correlation between the platform update and the decline. Could you provide more details about the specific changes made to the Career Mobility functionality?

Why it matters: Understanding the exact changes helps pinpoint potential friction points in the user journey. Expected answer: A list of key feature updates or UI/UX changes. Impact on approach: Different types of changes would lead to different hypotheses about user behavior.

• I'm curious about the user segments affected. Has the decline been uniform across all employee levels and departments, or are certain groups more impacted?

Why it matters: This helps identify if the issue is systemic or localized to specific user groups. Expected answer: Data showing variation in decline across different user segments. Impact on approach: Segmented data would allow for more targeted solutions and prioritization.

• Considering potential data inconsistencies, has there been any change in how internal job applications are tracked or measured since the update?

Why it matters: Ensures we're comparing apples to apples in our metrics. Expected answer: Confirmation of consistent measurement methods or disclosure of any changes. Impact on approach: Changes in measurement would require us to reassess the validity of the 20% decline figure.

• Given the significance of the decline, I'm wondering about user feedback. Have there been any notable changes in user sentiment or support tickets related to the Career Mobility feature since the update?

Why it matters: Direct user feedback can provide qualitative insights to complement our quantitative data. Expected answer: Summary of user feedback trends or support ticket themes. Impact on approach: Strong negative feedback would suggest focusing on specific usability issues, while lack of feedback might indicate awareness or discoverability problems.