Workflow Optimization for Staffing Firm

Beech Valley Solutions | Lead Product Designer | Apr 2020 – Jun 2023

Transformed a small staffing firm’s manual, spreadsheet-heavy processes into a streamlined digital system. Conducted workflow audits, mapped bottlenecks, and designed custom tools to reduce repetitive tasks, improve data accuracy, and free the team to focus on high-value client relationships.

1. Context & Challenge

Beech Valley is a boutique staffing firm specializing in connecting highly skilled finance professionals with contract work. Their growth was hindered by manual, repetitive workflows — from tracking candidate availability in spreadsheets to emailing updates back and forth with clients.

These inefficiencies caused delays in placements, introduced errors in candidate data, and created frustration for both staff and clients. The challenge: design internal tools to modernize operations without disrupting ongoing business.

Screenshot of a spreadsheet titled 'Beech Valley A-List 3.23.2020' with columns detailing personal and professional information of individuals including name, location, experience, skills, industries, and certifications, with some rows highlighted in green indicating specific data.

2. My Role

As Principal Product Designer, I was responsible for:

  • Conducting research into internal workflows and pain points

  • Translating findings into product requirements in collaboration with the business owners

  • Designing, prototyping, and refining internal applications with the engineering team

  • Validating concepts and releases with the end users — the staffing team

A product design brief document titled 'Product Design Brief' created by Lauren Puckett on 4/2/20, including sections for summary, UX goals, users, and current process.
Screenshot of a written document titled "Test 1 with Caroline 4/30/20" with multiple tasks listed about a project or user review, including observations on location, features, experience, skills, and usability risks.

3. Research & Discovery

Methods used:

  • Workflow Audits: Shadowed recruiters and coordinators through their daily tasks

  • Stakeholder Interviews: Gathered input from leadership on business priorities and constraints

  • Pain Point Mapping: Created a visual map of bottlenecks and repetitive steps

  • Task Time Tracking: Measured baseline times for key activities to track improvement post-launch

Key insights:

  • Recruiters were spending 30–40% of their time on data entry and manual communication updates

  • Multiple, inconsistent spreadsheets caused version control problems

  • Candidate availability was often outdated, causing missed opportunities

A complex flowchart illustrating a candidate application process with various stages, campaigns, and data integrations.

4. Design & Iteration

  • Created low-fidelity workflow diagrams to visualize the redesigned process

  • Designed searchable candidate profiles with real-time availability updates

  • Built integrated task dashboards that reduced context-switching

  • Introduced automation for repetitive notifications and follow-ups

  • Conducted usability testing on prototypes to refine flows before development

User interface design layout of a digital profile or resume application. Sections include a list of professional profiles, filter options on the left, and detailed profile cards for individuals named Alan F, Alexandria P, Bart W, and Alexandra M. Each card displays skills, certifications, location, experience, and other personal and professional details.
Screenshot of a professional profile page for Ryan Firmand, an accountant, showing contact information, experience, skills, and industries.
Screenshot of an applicant management dashboard from Beech Valley Solutions, showing a list of applicant names, experience, locations, latest positions, resumes, application times, and statuses, with some applicants marked 'On A-List' or 'Previously Hired'.
Screenshot of Beech Valley Solutions' applicant management dashboard showing a list of candidates with details such as name, email, assignee, vetting progress, tags, vetting notes, location, last updated, and communication icons.

5. Outcomes & Impact

  • Reduced candidate profile update time by ~50%

  • Improved data accuracy, reducing double-booking and missed placements

  • Freed recruiters to spend more time on relationship-building with candidates and clients

  • Created a foundation for future feature expansion without re-architecting the core system

Screenshot of Beech Valley Solutions platform showing a consultant A-List profile overview, including a profile for Ryan F, an Ex Regional Firm Accounting Manager with 10 years experience, based in Atlanta, GA, working remotely, rated at $75-90, with skills in Public Accounting, CPA, MBA, and Transaction Advisory. The interface has filters for location, experience, level, and travel availability.

6. Reflection & Relevance

This project reinforced how targeted process improvements — through direct observation and iterative design — can significantly improve efficiency in complex workflows. The skills I used here mirror the same approach I’d bring to healthcare environments: understanding the human side of operations, designing around real-world constraints, and delivering solutions that make daily work smoother and more effective.