ResumeSite/docs/design/01-research/RECRUITER_BEHAVIOUR_ANALYSIS.md

RECRUITER_BEHAVIOUR_ANALYSIS.md

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

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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