# RECRUITER_BEHAVIOUR_ANALYSIS.md
How recruiters and hiring managers actually behave on candidate sites — and the design responses.

---

## 1. The decision funnel

```
Application / LinkedIn / referral
        │ (click, if the link looks worth it)
        ▼
First viewport ······· ~5–10 s   → stay or bounce
        ▼
Scan pass ············ ~20–45 s  → "worth shortlisting?"
        ▼
Depth pass (technical) ~3–10 min → "worth interviewing?"
        ▼
CV download / e-mail / forward to hiring manager
```

Each stage has different owners: the scan pass is usually a recruiter; the depth pass an engineering manager. **The same page must pass both.**

## 2. Evidence & observed patterns

1. **~7.4 seconds** median initial CV scan (Ladders eye-tracking, 2018). Web pages get marginally more, but the fixation order is stable: **name → title → location → recent employer → dates → skills**. Design response: those six items are literally the hero and proof strip, in that order.
2. **F-pattern scanning** (NN/g): two horizontal sweeps near the top, then a vertical skim down the left edge. Design response: left-align key nouns; front-load sentences; section labels in the left rail on desktop; never bury critical facts mid-paragraph or right-aligned.
3. **Layer-cake scanning:** on well-structured pages, scanners read *headings only*. Design response: headings must carry the argument alone. Test: read only the H2/H3s — do they say "experienced .NET/full-stack developer in Norway with production evidence, available now"? Ship only if yes.
4. **Checklist screening:** recruiters screen *out* before they screen in. Top objections for this candidate profile: (a) work permit / right to work in Norway, (b) language, (c) seniority mismatch, (d) unverifiable claims. Design response: kill all four above the fold — permit ✓, "English native / Norsk B1" ✓, "8+ yrs" ✓, links to real running systems ✓.
5. **Mobile share is significant** for first visits from LinkedIn (often 40–60%). Design response: mobile hero carries identical decision-facts; CV download works on phone (and the CV itself is ATS-parseable — see CONTENT_STRATEGY §6).
6. **Trust markers ranked** (approximate weighting for a mid/senior dev profile):
   - Real employer names + durations ●●●
   - Screenshots of real, running software ●●●
   - Face photo matching LinkedIn ●●
   - Code/architecture detail ●● (hiring managers)
   - Domain + professional e-mail ●
   - Testimonials ○ (low value unless verifiable — omit rather than fake)
7. **Exit triggers:** template look, broken links, "under construction", walls of text, unlabeled skill bars ("JavaScript 80%" — meaningless, reads junior), autoplay, scroll hijack, pop-ups.

## 3. The two-lane rule (governing IA principle)

- **Fast lane (P1/P3):** hero → proof strip → skills matrix → CV/contact. Complete in ≤ 45 s without a single click. Every fact scannable, nothing interactive required.
- **Deep lane (P2/P4):** project case studies and experience detail, one click away, each readable in 3–5 minutes with skimmable structure (headings carry the argument; diagrams before prose).
- Lanes must not interleave: no case-study prose on the homepage beyond a 2-line teaser; no marketing fluff inside case studies.

## 4. Norway-market specifics

- **Understatement wins.** "Senior rockstar ninja" framing actively harms with Norwegian evaluators. Use concrete competence statements: "Åtte års erfaring med systemutvikling i britisk offentlig sektor."
- **Public sector experience is an asset** — Warwickshire County Council maps mentally to kommune/fylkeskommune IT. Frame it that way in Norwegian copy.
- **Language effort is a first-class signal.** A natively-written Bokmål site says more than "Norwegian: B1" ever can. Never machine-mirror; write shorter, plainer Norwegian rather than translated English sentence structures.
- **Practicalities beat charisma:** permit, location (Tønsberg — commutable to Oslo south corridor, Horten, Sandefjord tech), remote readiness, start availability.

## 5. Measurable success criteria for the design (Phase 1 acceptance)

| # | Criterion | Test |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Identity, role, stack, location, permit, availability all visible in first desktop viewport (1440×900) and first two mobile screens | Mockup review |
| 2 | Headings alone tell the hire story | Read H-tags only |
| 3 | CV (correct language) reachable in ≤ 1 interaction from any scroll position | Mockup review |
| 4 | A technical reader can find an architecture diagram in ≤ 2 clicks | Journey walkthrough |
| 5 | Language switch discoverable in ≤ 5 s, state obvious | Mockup review |
| 6 | Nothing moves without user intent except one hero identity moment (≤ 800 ms, reduced-motion safe) | Motion spec |
| 7 | All text ≥ 4.5:1 contrast in both themes | Colour system audit |
