Fort HCM: Simplifying Hiring for Modern Teams
Introduction
Fort HCM is a SaaS platform built to streamline HR operations for small to mid-sized companies. While the broader platform spans recruitment, time tracking, and communication, this case study focuses on the Recruitment module, the first MVP release.
Recruitment is often one of the most fragmented HR processes, with companies juggling multiple tools for job postings, applications, interview scheduling, and reporting. Fort HCM’s recruitment module was designed as a unified, intuitive solution to simplify hiring and empower HR teams to find the right candidates efficiently.
Challenges
One of the biggest hurdles was finding the right balance between keeping the experience simple for small HR teams and still deep enough to handle more complex hiring workflows. I also had to make tough choices about what to prioritize, so instead of spreading thin across multiple HR functions, I decided to focus the MVP entirely on recruitment. Another consideration was integration. Since many teams already use ATS platforms or external job boards, the recruitment flow needed to be flexible, able to slot into existing setups or completely replace them if needed.
Process
I interviewed 5 HR professionals and conducted competitor analysis to uncover common gaps:
Recruitment tools were fragmented across job boards, email, and spreadsheets.
The interfaces were often too complex, slowing down adoption.
Customization was limited, forcing teams to adapt to rigid systems.
From these insights, I developed personas for HR Managers, Team Leads, and Employees, mapping out their recruitment workflows into user journeys. This ensured the module supported the hiring process end-to-end, from posting jobs to onboarding new hires.
Proto Persona
To better understand user needs, I created a proto persona representing the target audience. The persona captures their goals, pain points, and behaviours, helping guide design decisions toward a more unified recruitment module.
Problem Statement
HR managers at small to mid-sized companies need a single system to manage recruitment end-to-end, because relying on multiple disconnected tools leads to inefficiencies, higher costs, and missed opportunities to hire effectively.
Testing
When I designed Fort HCM, the sidebar was meant to be simple. Recruiters should be able to find everything they need in one clear structure: jobs, candidates, interviews, analytics, all within reach.
But when I observed people using it, they hesitated with questions like
Was scheduling part of Calendar or Interviews?
Were Candidates the same as Talent Pool?
Should Notifications live under Communications or Settings?
What should have been obvious was slowing them down.
How I Tested It
Instead of relying on assumptions, I stripped everything back to its basics. No interface, no colours, just a
folder-like structure on my computer. I invited 5 recruiters and hiring managers to sit with me. I would say:
“Imagine this sidebar as folders on your desktop. Open the folder where you think you would go to post a job."
They would click through: Recruit → Jobs.
“Now, open the folder where you would schedule an interview.”
Some went straight into Calendar, others into Interviews. The confusion was clear.
Step by step, I asked them to navigate through tasks like updating the careers page, turning off
notifications, and reviewing applicants. Each time, I tracked where they clicked first, how
often they backtracked, and how long it took them to decide.
What I Found
42% opened Calendar first when asked to schedule an interview
36% mistook Talent Pool for Candidates
Communications was repeatedly mistaken for Settings
Help Center was rock solid with a 95% success rate
The Fix
I refined the labels and structure to match how people naturally thought:
Interviews became Interviews & Scheduling
Talent Pool became Talents
Notifications moved under Settings
Solution
I designed the Recruitment module to cover the entire hiring journey, including recruiter onboarding, job posting, applicant applications, recruitment workflows, and analytics, while balancing flexibility and simplicity to reduce tool switching, shorten hiring cycles, and keep candidate data organized in one place
Outcome
The designs met stakeholder expectations and were praised by a potential investor as “clean, intuitive, and easy to use.” This validation confirmed the product vision and strengthened confidence in Fort HCM’s direction.
Impact
Recruiters could manage hiring end-to-end without switching between multiple apps.
HR teams gained visibility into candidate progress and bottlenecks.
Established a strong design system for scaling the platform.
High Fidelity Designs
Key Takeaways
Early positive feedback from both users and investors validated the design direction and reinforced the product vision.
