March 22, 2024
Interview with Oliver from Jobsmart, the German digital platform for finding workers from across the EU
In this interview, Oliver shares his thoughts on the importance of the iterative and interdisciplinary development process and continuous user feedback in creating user-centered and innovative platforms like Jobsmart Europe.
Im Gespräch mit Oliver Stöcker
As CTO and co-founder of JOBSMART Europe, Oliver Stöcker has an impressive career behind him, in which he has worked as CIO/CTO and Scrum Master in various IT companies. His academic background with a Master of Arts in Audiovisual Communication Technologies forms the basis for his specialization in agile project management and change management. His expertise lies in project management and leading interdisciplinary teams. After work, he enjoys playing basketball with his two daughters.
Oliver, as Partner and CIO, you and your team are building the Jobsmart Europe platform. What is Jobsmart and who is the platform intended for?
JOBSMART is a job portal that acts as a bridge between German companies and jobseekers from all over the EU. Every EU citizen is allowed to live and work in Germany under the Freedom of Movement Act.
We focus on the placement of skilled workers for simple tasks. This segment is in high demand due to the increasing shortage of labor overall, which is attracting more and more attention from both politicians and the public. Our aim with the portal is to respond digitally to this trend.
Can you tell us what inspired the vision for the Jobsmart platform and how you ensured that this vision was maintained throughout the development process?
The founders of JOBSMART recognized the problem of labor shortages early on. We realized that the pool of available workers in many industries was getting smaller and smaller, which had a negative impact on our previous projects. This realization was decisive for the basic idea of JOBSMART.
From my own experiences with recruitment processes, I have often questioned why outdated practices are maintained. I believe that CVs are often irrelevant. It is much more important to get to know people personally and assess whether they are a good fit for the company without having to go through lengthy application procedures.
We have incorporated these considerations into the development of our product to ensure that it meets the needs of our users.
Developing a platform from scratch is no easy task. Can you briefly describe the most important development steps from the concept to the launch of the current MVP?
The concept of “development steps” may indeed seem too linear, as the process often involves dynamic learning in which new insights can influence other areas.
In the initial phase, we focused on analyzing the market, exploring innovative ideas and drawing inspiration from best practices outside the traditional HR field. A broad perspective is essential to discover innovative solutions.
These findings were then coordinated with our product vision. A concrete and visual representation through user journeys was of central importance. Discussions with potential customers enabled us to delve deeper into their needs and develop a better understanding of them.
We then created the technical backlog internally and commissioned an external UX design team. We developed a plan to select the most important functions for the MVP, prepare the market launch and gather user feedback.
What had to be considered to prioritize the most important functions for the MVP?
The focus was on technically essential functions such as search, registration, login and, of course, legal aspects such as data protection in accordance with the GDPR and security. Sales aspects were also taken into account in order to make the offering appealing to potential customers as part of the go-to-market plan.
How did your team manage the balancing act between the need to deliver a well-functioning product quickly and the desire for a well thought-out and user-friendly interface?
A well thought-out and user-friendly product is the core of our approach and has always been a top priority.
We carefully considered which additional features we could introduce. It was crucial that these features were simple, straightforward and not overloaded. From a technical point of view, this should be a clear unique selling point of our product.
Can you tell us how your product team worked together and what particularly promoted the synergy?
We always made sure that the development and external design team worked closely with the management. It was very important to take all expectations and wishes into account in order to ensure smooth cooperation.
A preliminary design was important from the outset, as early visualization helped to avoid potential misunderstandings and make discussions more efficient.
We used tools like Figma that allowed us to link design and development aspects together. This allowed us to ensure that designers and developers had access to the same system and the same information.
The detailed planning and coordination between the various teams was crucial to the success of the project. Through transparent communication and close collaboration, we were able to ensure that everyone involved was working towards the same goal and working together efficiently.
Have you gained any insights or experience during development that you think could be valuable for other aspiring platform developers or entrepreneurs?
Bring all stakeholders together, including sales, marketing, product design and development. Work in small iterations and enable continuous feedback between the teams in order to be able to react flexibly and across disciplines to new findings.
Also invest more in market research, customer research and usability tests to continuously refine prototypes and gain new insights. In my experience, this is the most effective way to continuously learn and improve a product.
What plans do you have for the further development of the platform beyond the MVP phase in order to increase user engagement and satisfaction?
The MVP gives us the opportunity to get feedback from a broader perspective. We are no longer restricted to presenting our product to a limited audience, but get direct feedback from real customers in an open environment where they can freely express their opinions. So far, we have not received any feedback that has not already been at least partially taken into account by our team. However, this feedback has a major impact on our prioritization and forces us to ensure that we respond appropriately.
In order to receive a wide range of feedback, it is necessary to intensify our marketing initiatives. Content marketing is crucial to this, as it allows us to connect with customers we may not have reached before. Our focus is not only on sales, but also on the continuous improvement of JOBSMART.
