Sanika Inamdar
A SaaS platform for comprehensive background verification
Company Website: https://protoverify.com/
Tools
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Adobe Illustrator
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Adobe Photoshop
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Figma
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Figjam
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Notion
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Slack
Duration
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1 year 10 months
Overview
At Protoverify I was invited to join as a co-founder, a unique opportunity that allowed me to lead across sales, operations, and product.
This immersive experience provided unparalleled, real-time insights into the core needs of our users, directly shaping a deeply user-centered design. We've transformed the often-cumbersome process of background verification into a seamless, intuitive journey, empowering businesses with clarity and confidence.
Challenges
My Role
As a co-founder, I wasn’t just shaping the product—I was building the entire business from the ground up, driving everything from sales strategy to operations, product vision, and user experience. In the process, I identified and tackled key challenges that were critical to both the product’s success and the company’s growth:
🔍 Lack of user insights – Background verification involves multiple stakeholders, yet there was little research to inform design decisions, leading to gaps in usability and efficiency.
🕒 HR managers’ demanding schedules – HR teams, the primary users, managed multiple hiring workflows simultaneously. The verification process was cumbersome, requiring constant follow-ups and manual tracking, adding to their workload.
📢 Need for real-time updates – Clients needed quick, transparent status updates, but in the absence of an efficient tracking system, they had to call BGV vendors repeatedly for information.
🔄 Repetitive document uploads – Candidates were frequently asked to re-upload documents due to unclear requirements or lost submissions, leading to frustration and delays.
🔐 Security gaps (2FA) – Given the sensitivity of background verification data, two-factor authentication (2FA) was crucial but not adequately integrated, raising security concerns.
Recognising these gaps, I took the initiative to conduct user research, streamline workflows, implement real-time tracking, refine the design system, and push for stronger security measures—ultimately shaping a more user-centered and scalable product.
I played a pivotal role in shaping both the product and the business, taking a hands-on approach to tackling these challenges:
🔍 Led user research – Conducted interviews and usability tests with HR managers to uncover key pain points, ensuring our product roadmap was driven by real user needs.
🎨 Expanded the design system – Developed a scalable, reusable component library to improve consistency, efficiency, and long-term maintainability across the platform.
📢 Optimized client workflows – Streamlined verification processes to reduce HR managers’ manual effort, enabling faster decision-making with real-time status updates.
🔐 Enhanced security measures – Advocated for and implemented two-factor authentication (2FA) to safeguard sensitive background verification data.
💬 Bridged cross-functional gaps – Introduced streamlined workflows between sales, operations, design, and engineering, fostering better collaboration and product alignment.
By proactively addressing these challenges, I not only enhanced the product experience but also helped scale the business, ensuring Protoverify was both user-centered and strategically positioned for long-term growth.
Problem Statement
The background verification (BGV) landscape is plagued by outdated, manual processes, leading to painfully slow turnaround times. This isn't just a technical issue; it's a human one. Our research identified three critical user groups— clients, candidates and operations managers—whose interconnected communication within existing BGV systems is fractured and inefficient. The absence of robust, centralised digital platforms creates a frustrating, disengaging experience for candidates, while clients struggle with cumbersome communication loops, and operations managers are bogged down by manual workflows. It's this complex interplay of user frustrations that directly impacts overall satisfaction and the success of the BGV process.
Clients are HR team members who look after BGV particularly
HR Managers:
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Responsible for recruitment and onboarding.
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Seeking efficient BGV processes to meet hiring deadlines.
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Operating in various industries (BFSI, tech, etc.).
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Focus on Candidate Experience: Strive to create a positive and seamless onboarding process, recognising that BGV is a crucial part of the candidate's first impression.
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Need for Scalability: Require solutions that can adapt to fluctuating hiring volumes and company growth, without sacrificing efficiency or accuracy.
The Approach
To transform the frustrating reality of background verification, we undertook a comprehensive UX journey. We started by discovering the intricate communication breakdowns between candidates, clients, and operations managers, then defining the core problems that hindered their experience. Through in-depth research, we uncovered the root causes of these frustrations, and ideated a solution that would fundamentally change the BGV process. Protoverify emerged from this iterative design process, a platform built on empathy and innovation, designed to deliver a seamless, user-centric experience.
84%
Indian companies conduct BGV checks on their hires
49%
Current BGV checks include manual intervention
4 hrs
spent daily on follow ups by HR managers
100%
Companies seek automated & transparent solutions for BGV
Qualitative Research: User Interviews
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Could you describe your current background verification process, including the tools and methods you use?
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What are the most significant challenges you face when managing background verifications for your organisation?
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If you could design the ideal background verification experience, what key aspects would it include?
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How does the current turnaround time for background verifications impact your hiring process or business operations?
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What are your primary concerns regarding data security and compliance within your background verification process?
Quantitative Research: User Surveys
Insights
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Manual Processes Dominate: Many clients still rely on manual processes, leading to inefficiencies and delays.
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Communication Gaps: There are significant communication gaps between clients and BGV providers, causing frustration and lack of transparency.
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Turnaround Time Impacts Hiring: Long turnaround times for background verifications negatively impact hiring processes and business operations.
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Data Security is a Top Concern: Clients prioritise data security and compliance, seeking reliable and secure BGV solutions.
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Desire for Integrated Solutions: Clients are looking for integrated, user-friendly platforms that streamline the entire BGV process.
User Personas
“Endless follow-ups and unpredictable delays are draining my team. We need transparency.”
“Just let me get to work. This BGV is holding me back.”
“Manual data entry and constant calls meant we were always behind in meeting client deadlines.”
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Empathy Maps
To deepen our understanding of the user experience, we leveraged the power of empathy mapping. After conducting extensive interviews with clients, candidates, and operations managers, we translated their narratives into actionable empathy maps. These maps enabled us to step into the shoes of our users, revealing their underlying motivations and pain points, and guiding us towards a truly user-centered design solution.
Client
Candidate
Operations Manager
After thoroughly analysing the empathy maps, we began developing wireframes, meticulously incorporating the users' perspectives and behaviors captured during the interviews and synthesised within the maps.
Wireframes
Visual Design
Client Dashboard
Candidate Verification
Candidate Mobile App
Operations Manager's Dashboard
Operations Manager's Tickets
Key learnings & Takeaways
30%
Reduction in TAT
50%
Fewer errors
4 hrs
saved daily on follow ups by HR managers
25%
Increase in client retention
In summary, this project yielded significant results:
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We achieved a 30% reduction in turnaround time, directly impacting our clients' hiring speed and contributing to revenue growth.
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Data accuracy improved dramatically, with a 50% reduction in errors, leading to cost savings and increased client satisfaction.
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Enhanced communication strategies resulted in a 25% increase in client retention and a 40% decrease in support tickets, alongside positive client referrals.
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A focus on user experience drove a 10% increase in conversion rates and strengthened brand loyalty.
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Operational efficiencies were realised, with a 35% increase in output, enabling scalability and improved team performance.
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Close collaboration with the engineering team ensured seamless implementation.
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And, user feedback allowed for iterative improvements throughout the project.
Ultimately, a user-centered approach and collaborative effort delivered measurable improvements across key business metrics.
