What caused the sudden 50% decrease in contractor onboarding completions for Workrise's skilled trades division last week?

Introduction

The sudden 50% decrease in contractor onboarding completions for Workrise's skilled trades division last week is a critical issue that demands immediate attention. This significant drop could have far-reaching implications for our workforce capacity, project timelines, and overall business performance. To address this problem, I'll employ a systematic approach to identify, validate, and resolve the root cause while considering both short-term fixes and long-term strategic implications.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Given the abrupt nature of the decline, I'm wondering if there were any recent changes to our onboarding process. Have we implemented any new steps or technologies in the contractor onboarding flow in the past month?

Why it matters: Recent changes could directly impact completion rates. Expected answer: Yes, a new identity verification step was added two weeks ago. Impact on approach: If confirmed, we'd focus on analyzing this new step's performance and user feedback.

• Considering the specificity of the 50% drop, I'm curious about our measurement accuracy. Has there been any change in how we track or define "onboarding completion" in our systems?

Why it matters: Ensures we're addressing a real issue, not a data anomaly. Expected answer: No changes in measurement or definition. Impact on approach: If there were changes, we'd need to reassess our baseline metrics.

• Looking at the timing, I'm thinking about potential seasonal factors. Is this time of year typically slower for contractor onboarding in the skilled trades division?

Why it matters: Helps distinguish between cyclical patterns and anomalies. Expected answer: No significant seasonal variation in past years. Impact on approach: If seasonal, we'd need to compare to historical data and adjust our expectations.

• Considering the scope, I'm wondering if this decrease is uniform across all skill categories or concentrated in specific trades. Do we have a breakdown of the completion rates by trade type?

Why it matters: Identifies whether the issue is systemic or localized. Expected answer: The decrease is relatively uniform across trades. Impact on approach: If concentrated, we'd focus on trade-specific factors; if uniform, we'd look at broader systemic issues.