Nissan Manufacturing
Attract potential employees to join in a competitive work force
Nissan’s Sunderland manufacturing plant is one of the biggest employers in the region and a leader in automotive innovator.
The current website was not reflecting the size, culture, innovation and career paths that Nissan offered to potential employees.The recruitment team’s goal for the site was to redesign in order to attract potential employees and show what it is like to work at Nissan.
Working alongside a dedicated UX researcher, the project began with interviews of stakeholders and users to understand goals, expectations and pain points. Primary groups included manufacturing candidates, graduates and apprentices, each with different motivations and information needs.
A research report was produced that included key findings, personas and sitemap. Using this, I took ownership of the design phase of the project, creating mid-fidelity interactive wireframes to show structure, content hierarchy and candidate journeys.
These wireframes were tested in moderated useability tests, run by myself and the UX researcher. Testing focused on how easy it was for users to find roles, understand what it’s like to work at Nissan and how confidently the user could begin the application process. Thanks to the strength of the research phase of the project, only minor tweaks were needed to the wireframes before moving onto high-fidelity designs.
A key challenge was working within Nissan’s existing brand guidelines. As a large organisation these guidelines were very strict, but also quite dated. I needed to create a design that felt modern and engaging, while remaining within the brand guidelines.
Once designs were approved, I then built the website using WordPress, Elementor and Crocoblock.
Following the launch of the site we received overwhelming positive feedback from stakeholders. The recruitment team reported that the site was easy to manage and reduced the time they spent answering questions from candidates.
The mobile first approach was effective as data showed that most users were visiting the site from mobile devices. The site supported multiple user journeys for manufacturing roles, office-based positions, graduates and apprentices. This ensured all user types could find the information they required and could move through to begin application confidently.
While I don’t have exact data, the stakeholder team reported an increase in applications following the launch of the website.
The success of the project led to a long-term collaboration with Nissan that has continued for ten years, including the client moving with me to a new company. The continued relationship reflects the trust built through the initial redesign and effectiveness of futher projects.
