Background
In my role as the Head of Product at WorkForce Edge, I was responsible for formulating the strategy and leading initiatives related to UI design, development, and security. During my tenure at WorkForce Edge, I oversaw the launch of features for: billing; program filtering with a focus on high-demand and select education providers; and pre-paid tuition. Additionally, I lead the initiative to redesign the interface to enhance the user experience.
The product had to three internal stakeholders: Sales, Service, and the parent company, SEI Inc; and three user personas: employees, employers, and education providers. I had to navigate through competing priorities within budget constraints and limited resources. The platform showcased a variety of education providers, both in and out of the network, offering stipends for education to employees. Our aim was to empower students to utilize their benefits according to their preferences, in contrast to competitors who limited options to in-network schools. SEI’s objective was to leverage the free platform as a sales channel, directing students towards SEI and its partner educational programs. As the company experienced steady growth, the emphasis shifted towards increasing engagement with our in-network partners.
Approach
As a newly launched product, my initial strategy was to prioritize the development of competitive features. This enabled the sales team to secure deals and compete effectively in the market. Once the product had achieved the minimum viable product (MVP) status for competitive features, I shifted the strategy towards growth and enhancing the user experience. Given the B2B2C nature of the product, I faced the challenge of maintaining a strategy that catered to both our business partners and our employee user base. Balancing the goals of encouraging employees to utilize their benefits, promoting in-network schools, and highlighting our own offerings was crucial. Additionally, I took on the responsibility from the Sales team to ensure the platform’s security. I established a robust security program and oversaw the selection and management of vendors.
Results
- Average NPS score increase from 6 to 8
- Improved accessibility using UserWay to adhere to business and school compliance
- Developed SaaS Security Program to achieve SOC2 compliance
- Introduced an iPaaS solution that streamlined reporting to our business customers and integration with their HRIS systems, significantly reduced development time from 6 weeks to just 3 days
- Improved student engagement with select education providers by introducing a video and content spotlights and program filtering
Next Steps
The subsequent phase for the product involved establishing a product-led channel that segmented the platform into free and paid tiers. The concept was to offer a basic product for businesses to manage their benefits at no cost, alongside a premium product that provided access to in-network schools and automated tools for billing and reimbursement.