If you’ve ever used the Human Resources website, you likely found a robust amount of information, but noticed that the site was hard to navigate. The website was 15 years old and in need of a makeover. Today, HR debuts its new, user-friendly website. The redesigned site and the new knowledge hub will help the University better attract, retain and engage staff and faculty and enhance the overall user experience.
To understand the new hr.nd.edu, consider an iceberg. The home page is what is visible on the surface. It features high-level, easy-to-navigate information meant to engage faculty and staff, while also attracting and answering the questions of prospective faculty and staff.
Underneath the surface is where the comprehensive knowledge hub resides. That’s where current staff and faculty can easily find knowledge based articles and information when they need it, such as important benefit plan documents, manager's guides for key moments like hiring or onboarding and what to do if you need to go out on leave.
HR conducted extensive research before working with the Marketing Communications web team on the website.
It assembled focus groups and conducted surveys to identify the key reasons people want to work at the University and why they stay year after year. This information helped HR and the web team construct the site architecture to make sure it spoke to employees in meaningful ways.
Faculty and staff also rated their user experience on the website. Their feedback helped HR understand how people used the former website, what needs it met and what pain points people experienced. That feedback, coupled with ImproveND employee survey data, confirmed the website’s strengths and opportunities regarding navigation, content, text volume and language. Applicants were also given the opportunity to provide feedback through an anonymous survey.
Lastly, web analytics revealed the content that was most popular, what words or phrases were most searched and how people were accessing the site (from hr.nd.edu or Google, for example).
To ensure a positive user experience going forward, users are now able to provide feedback through links on the site and knowledge hub. HR will also monitor web analytics to track trends and troubleshoot, if needed.
“I hope our faculty and staff enjoy using the new HR website and knowledge hub as much as we have enjoyed creating them,” said Robert K. McQuade, vice president for human resources. “I am confident the site and hub will be great resources to help Bring Out Your Champion while working at the University of Notre Dame.”
In addition to working with MarComm’s web team, which created the site and led the usability testing, HR partnered with MarComm’s print team, which designed HR’s new branding. Meanwhile, the Office of Information Technologies assisted with the construction of the expansive knowledge hub and in better leveraging the existing ServiceNow platform.
The Office of Human Resources appreciates the assistance of all its University partners. To explore the new website and knowledge hub, visit hr.nd.edu.
Originally published by at ndworks.nd.edu on June 29, 2021.