This master thesis investigates how important a good user experience of the career site is to Generation Z when choosing a new employer, and which sub-areas of the user experience play a particularly important role. A user test in combination with a quantitative questionnaire was conducted in cooperation with the "Handwerkskammer OWL" in Bielefeld. The evaluation of the quantitative study shows that user experience plays an important role in the choice of employer, and that the sub-areas of accessibility and utility are of particular importance. Based on the results of this study, recommendations for action can be given for the career pages of craft enterprises.
The shortage of skilled workers in Germany is a widely discussed topic. Above all, craft businesses are desperately looking for new young people whom they can train and recruit for their company on a permanent basis. Since young potential employees primarily use the Internet to look for jobs, it is important for craft businesses to have a presence there in the form of a website. Jobseekers can use a company's career site to find out about vacancies and learn a lot of information about the company. The problem with many career pages of craft businesses is that they are not user-friendly, as they were programmed many years ago and have not been optimized since. This often leads to a poor user experience, as important information is no longer up-to-date and other relevant content may be difficult to find.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Explanation and Definitions
2.1 Webdesign
2.2 Usability & User Experience
2.3 Career website
3 Characterization of Generation Z
3.1 Generation Z
3.2 The Values and Demands on the Employer of Generation Z
4 User Experience
4.1 Accessibility
4.2 Utility
4.3 Usability
4.4 Joy of Use
5 Psychology as the Basis of User Experience
5.1 User Search and Navigation Behavior
5.2 Laws of UX
5.3 Color Psychology
5.4 Typography on the Web
5.5 Gestalt Principles
7 Person-Organization Fit Theory
8 Research Methodology
8.1 Choice of Methods
8.2 Data collection
8.3 Structure of the User Test
8.3.1 Info page of the User Test
8.3.2 Career page B of the User Test
8.3.3 Career page A of the User Test
8.4 Methodological Principles for Questionnaire Construction
8.4.1 Quality Criteria of the Questionnaire
8.4.2 Scale levels
8.4.3 Answer Scale
8.4.4 Structure of the Questionnaire
8.4.5 Procedure for Data Analysis
9 Results and Findings
9.1 Reliability analysis
9.2 Results of the Questionnaire
9.3 Binomial Test
10 Discussion
10.1 Interpretation of the Results
10.2 Recommendations for Action and Transferability
11 Conclusion
11.1 Limitations of the Study
11.2 Recommendations for Future Research
Research Objectives & Key Themes
This master thesis investigates the significance of User Experience (UX) on career websites for Generation Z job seekers in the skilled trades sector. It aims to determine which specific UX sub-areas are most critical for employer selection and how these insights can be translated into actionable improvements for craft enterprise websites.
- Significance of User Experience in the employer selection process for Generation Z.
- Evaluation of four UX sub-areas: Accessibility, Utility, Usability, and Joy of Use.
- Examination of website optimization through behavioral psychological laws and design principles.
- Quantitative analysis via user tests and standardized questionnaires in cooperation with the Handwerkskammer OWL.
Excerpt from the Book
8.3.2 Career page B of the User Test
In the implementation and conception of career site B, an attempt was made to practically implement the factors mentioned in the theory section that positively influence the user experience. Career site B is thus intended to make a positive user experience tangible for the test person.
To understand why a good user experience is present in career site B, the career site is differentiated in the following aspects related to the four sub-elements of the user experience presented in the theory section: "Accessibility," "Utility," "Usability," and "Joy of Use." In addition, some elements of the psychology of the user experience from the theory section will be added, thereby justifying the user experience design of career page B.
Accessibility describes the barrier-free access to a website and is given on career page B by several factors: The website is designed in a responsive design to minimize the barrier of opening the website on smartphone. The career page was designed in such a way that it is still displayed correctly with a display width of up to 549 pixels. This guarantees a problem-free display on almost any smartphone. In the technical design, attention was also paid to ensuring that visually impaired people can also use the website without any problems with the help of a screen reader.
Utility was also taken into account in the implementation of career page B. Since utility, as explained in the theory section, focuses primarily on the content and information elements, care had to be taken here during implementation to ensure that the information fits the target group and meets their expectations. This is based on the Person-Organzation Fit theory which was described in chapter six in more detail.
Chapter Summaries
1 Introduction: Discusses the skilled worker shortage in Germany, the shift in hiring dynamics, and introduces why a digital presence is crucial for recruiting Generation Z.
2 Explanation and Definitions: Establishes fundamental terminology regarding web design, usability, and the definition of career websites as key recruitment tools.
3 Characterization of Generation Z: Defines the target group born between 1996 and 2010 and analyzes their changing values regarding work, flat hierarchies, and the need for purposeful employment.
4 User Experience: Breaks down the User Experience into four core pillars—Accessibility, Utility, Usability, and Joy of Use—based on the Eberhard-Yom model.
5 Psychology as the Basis of User Experience: Explores cognitive and psychological mechanisms such as navigation behavior, Gestalt principles, laws of UX, color psychology, and typography that influence how users perceive websites.
7 Person-Organization Fit Theory: Explains how the match between organizational and personal characteristics influences the decision-making process of job applicants.
8 Research Methodology: Details the empirical study design, emphasizing a quantitative approach using a standardized questionnaire and a comparative user test between a high-UX and low-UX career page.
9 Results and Findings: Presents the statistical analysis of the questionnaire data, verifying the reliability of the UX sub-area constructs and examining the respondents' preferences.
10 Discussion: Interprets the findings by linking theoretical UX aspects to empirical user preferences and provides strategies for craft businesses to enhance their recruiting success.
11 Conclusion: Summarizes the thesis findings, identifying accessibility and utility as the most critical factors for Generation Z while acknowledging the study's limitations and suggesting future research paths.
Keywords
User Experience, Generation Z, Web Design, Usability, Accessibility, Utility, Joy of Use, Skilled Trades, Recruiting, Employer Branding, Person-Organization Fit, Questionnaire, Digital Marketing, Human Resource Management, Website Optimization
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary objective of this research?
The research examines the importance of a well-designed User Experience (UX) on career sites for Generation Z when selecting an employer in the skilled trades sector.
Which specific target demographic is being addressed?
The study focuses on Generation Z (born 1996-2010), particularly those seeking apprenticeships or job opportunities in the German skilled trades sector.
What are the four pillars of User Experience analyzed in this study?
The study utilizes the Eberhard-Yom model, categorizing UX into: Accessibility, Utility, Usability, and Joy of Use.
What research methodology was employed?
The author combined a comparative user test (A/B testing of two career sites) with a quantitative survey using a Likert scale to gather data from 132 valid participants.
What is the role of the Person-Organization Fit theory here?
This theory serves to explain how the alignment of company values and candidate expectations, communicated through the career site, positively impacts the choice of an employer.
Which factors are identified as most crucial for Generation Z career sites?
The findings indicate that Accessibility and Utility are the most critical sub-areas influencing the decision-making process of Generation Z applicants.
How does the career site design impact the likelihood of an application?
A positive UX reduces the barrier to application. The study shows that 81.8% of participants preferred the site with optimized UX, illustrating that technical and aesthetic barriers directly influence recruitment outcomes.
Why are standard UX laws like Fitts' Law relevant to this research?
These laws are used to justify functional design choices, such as call-to-action button placement and content reduction, which help minimize user effort during the job search process.
- Citar trabajo
- Till Uphoff (Autor), 2023, The Importance of the User Experience of a Career Site for the Company Selection of Potential Applicants of Generation Z. An Analysis Using the Example of Career Sites in the Skilled Trades Sector, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1401912
