Portfolio sample · anonymised
Talent Personas
Direct Sourcing Platform · 2026
Talent Group · Community Member ★
Alex, 28
Marketing Professional
"I joined because I was curious. Now I stay because I feel part of something — and the roles they share actually match what I'm looking for."
MVP Status Full MVP
Epics 2, 6, 12
Tech Comfort
3/5
A
Goals
Feel genuinely prioritised over the external market when roles open
Discover relevant roles without being spammed with generic alerts
Maintain a living relationship with the employer brand between active searches
Understand my own standing and visibility within the community at all times
Receive recognition for engagement, referrals, and contribution
Pain Points
Joining a community then hearing nothing for months — feeling like a forgotten database entry
Discovering the company hired externally for a role that matched their profile exactly
Receiving generic mass emails that don't reflect what they've shared on their profile
Profile becomes stale with no prompts to update
Gamification feels hollow — points with no meaningful reward attached
Platform Needs
Explicit Tier 0 priority promise communicated at join and reinforced regularly
Personal talent dashboard: active applications, matched role recommendations, outstanding actions
Profile completeness score with actionable prompts
Proactive inbound recruiter outreach before roles go public
Employer brand content feed between roles to maintain engagement
Two-way SMS channel for availability updates without platform login
Epics & Scope
EPIC 2Talent portal — dashboard, profile, matched roles
EPIC 6Marketing automation & talent attraction
EPIC 12Gamification — points, tiers, referral rewards (Post-MVP)
Data model note points_balance and status_tier fields must be reserved in the talent schema at MVP even though they render as "coming soon" — prevents a structural rebuild when EPIC 12 ships.
01
Discover Community
Find branded microsite · Understand the Tier 0 priority promise · Review employer brand content · Employee reviews checked first (31% of all candidates)
02
Join & Activate
Register via LinkedIn or CV upload · AI parses profile — candidate confirms, not re-types · Dashboard accessed for first time · Personalised welcome message received with clear next steps · 92% want the whole process in 4 weeks — join flow must take under 5 minutes
03
Stay Warm
Engage with employer brand content · Update availability status (via SMS or platform) · Receive AI-matched role alerts before external posting · Profile completeness prompts keep record fresh
04
Proactive Match
Recruiter views profile — candidate receives notification · Direct recruiter outreach before role is posted publicly · Role preview shared · AI engagement signals surface timing: last active, response rate, profile changes
05
Apply (Fast-track)
Community profile reused — no re-keying · Priority pipeline entry — reviewed before any external applicants · 1-click application with availability confirmation · 62% prefer two interview stages maximum
06
Outcome & Trust
Status communicated clearly at every stage in plain language · Relationship maintained regardless of outcome — no ghosting · If not placed: retained in community, profile flagged for next matching role · Feedback shared where client policy allows
Medium
UHP-04
Join Flow Abandoned
Trigger
Talent starts registration but navigates away, closes the browser, or loses connectivity before completing.
Impact
Pool growth impaired. Marketing attribution incomplete — ad spend has no outcome to attribute. High-quality candidate permanently lost if no recovery mechanism exists.
MVP handling: Email captured at step 1 (first field) · Single follow-up email after 48h deep-linking to the step reached · Auto-save at each step completion · Post-MVP: retargeting via CDP for anonymous abandoners
Medium
UHP-05
Notification Delivery Bounce
Trigger
An email notification bounces (invalid address, inbox full) or SMS fails to deliver (invalid number, carrier error) for status updates, role alerts, or onboarding steps.
Impact
Critical communications not received. Candidate unaware of time-sensitive actions. Not-progressed obligation unmet — legal and reputational risk.
MVP handling: Bounce logged against candidate profile · Recruiter receives in-platform alert: "[Name]'s notification could not be delivered" · In-platform notification panel as safety net · SMS fallback if email bounces and number on file
Join Flow
COM-01
Must have
MVP
As a community member, I want to join in under 5 minutes using my LinkedIn profile or CV, so that the barrier to entry is low enough not to lose warm candidates.
COM-02
Must have
MVP
As a community member, I want a personalised welcome message immediately after joining with clear next steps, so that I understand what being in the community means for me.
Engagement
COM-03
Must have
MVP
As a community member, I want role alerts matched to my profile preferences, so that relevant opportunities reach me without me having to search.
Gamification
COM-08
Should have
Post-MVP
As a community member, I want to earn points for profile completion, referrals, and engagement, so that my contribution is recognised and rewarded.
SMS
COM-13
Should have
Partial
As a community member, I want to update my availability status via SMS reply, so that I can signal readiness without logging in.
Talent Group · Alumni / Boomerang ★
Priya, 33 & Morgan, 45
Returning Contractor
"I know this organisation. I know how they work. If they reach out, I already trust them — I just need to know there's a role worth coming back for."
MVP Status Full MVP
Epics 2, 3, 5
Tech Comfort
4/5
Paths Boomerang · Silver Medallist
P
Goals
Return without repeating full onboarding — prior relationship fully recognised
Be recognised as high-value based on prior assignment history and track record
Receive proactive outreach before looking elsewhere — not told after accepting another offer
Fast-track compliance using previously verified documents still on file
Pain Points
Treated identically to a first-time applicant despite a verified prior relationship
Required to re-submit compliance documents that haven't materially changed
Profile doesn't surface prior assignment history to recruiters searching the community
Outreach arrives too late — after they've already accepted another offer
Platform Needs
Boomerang flag visible to recruiters in search — distinct from standard community members
Fast-track compliance pathway reusing previously verified documents still valid
Prior assignment history, performance data, and relationship context on community profile
Automated invitation when cooling-off period ends or a matching role opens
Silver medallist pathway: runner-up permanent applicants invited into contingent community
Epics & Scope
EPIC 2Talent portal — profile reactivation, history display
EPIC 3Registration & compliance — fast-track doc revalidation
EPIC 5Pipeline — alumni flag, priority routing, boomerang lane
Co-employment note Cooling-off period must be checked before outreach is sent — not at offer stage. Co-employment check must run at search time with plain-language explanation to recruiter if blocked.
Path A — Boomerang (returning contractor)
01
Departure
Assignment ends · Invited to stay in community as alumni · Cooling-off period clock starts · Profile retained — not archived · Prior history preserved in full
02
Alumni Status
Profile maintained in community with alumni flag · Engagement content continues · Cooling-off timer visible to recruiter in search results · High-value status tier preserved from prior engagement
03
Re-invitation
Auto-invite triggered when cooling-off period ends or a matching role opens · Message references prior assignment by name — not generic · Response rate historically higher than cold outreach
04
Fast-track Rejoin
Existing profile reactivated — no repeat of full onboarding · Previously verified documents revalidated where still in date — only expired items re-submitted · Minimal new fields only · Co-employment status confirmed before placement proceeds
05
Priority Placement
Boomerang flag visible to hiring manager — recognised as proven, known worker · Fast-tracked through pipeline · Prior performance data surfaced alongside application · Institutional knowledge treated as competitive advantage
Path B — Silver Medallist (runner-up permanent hire)
01
Permanent Process
Candidate reaches final stage of permanent hire process · Not selected for permanent role · Identified as high-quality talent not to lose
02
Silver Medallist Invite
Personalised invitation to join contingent talent community sent · Framed as an opportunity — not a consolation · Decline reason captured if they opt out
03
Community Entry
Joins via fast-track — permanent hire profile converted · Silver Medallist flag set on profile visible to recruiters · Existing interview notes and assessments preserved
High
UHP-10
Unexpected Cooling-Off Block
Trigger
A returning contractor is blocked from re-engagement due to an unrecognised cooling-off period — often because the prior assignment was in a different client entity not tracked in the same system.
Impact
Recruiter advances the placement to offer stage and it is then blocked. Trust damage with both the talent and the hiring manager. Potential legal exposure if the block isn't surfaced in time.
MVP handling: Co-employment check runs at search stage — before any outreach is sent · Cooling-off block surfaced to recruiter as a clear amber/red flag on the profile · Plain-language explanation of why the block exists and when it lifts · Recruiter cannot progress placement past a certain stage without acknowledging the risk
Low
UHP-06
Silver Medallist Declines Invitation
Trigger
A permanent hire finalist declines the invitation to join the contingent talent community after being identified as a Silver Medallist.
Impact
High-quality candidate lost from the pipeline. Attribution of the near-miss to the talent pool is not captured. Repeat invitations may damage brand perception if reason is not stored.
MVP handling: Decline reason captured from a short structured prompt · Preference stored to prevent repeat invitations · Analytics log the near-miss for talent pool health reporting · No further outreach unless talent opts back in
Re-entry
ALU-01
Must have
MVP
As alumni/boomerang talent, I want to rejoin the talent community using my existing profile and revalidate prior documents without starting from scratch, so that re-entry reflects the relationship we already have and takes hours, not days.
Profile Visibility
ALU-02
Must have
MVP
As alumni/boomerang talent, I want my prior assignment history, compliance record, and engagement context visible on my community profile to recruiters, so that I'm recognised as a known, verified quantity rather than an unknown external.
Proactive Re-engagement
ALU-03
Must have
MVP
As alumni/boomerang talent, I want to be automatically invited to re-join the community when my cooling-off period ends or a relevant role opens matching my previous profile, so that the platform proactively manages the returning relationship.