Design LinkedIn for Blue collar workers – PM Interview question

1️⃣ Clarify the Problem

Before proposing solutions, clarify scope:

Are we building a new product experience tailored for blue-collar workers, or extending LinkedIn?
→ Assumption: A new LinkedIn product experience leveraging the ecosystem but customised for blue-collar needs.

Who is the target geography? Is this meant to be a global solution, or should we focus on a specific market first?

→ Assumption: I’ll assume India — it has one of the largest blue-collar workforces and is also a market I’m deeply familiar with.

“Which platform should we focus on — web, mobile, or both?

→ Assumption: I’ll assume a mobile-first Android app, since most blue-collar workers in India primarily use Android devices.

Key goals:

• Easy discovery of jobs
• Build community & skill visibility

Define the Problem Statement:

Design a new LinkedIn experience tailored for blue-collar workers in India, leveraging LinkedIn’s ecosystem but customized for their needs. The platform should enable easy job discovery, showcase skills, and build a trusted community.

2️⃣ Ecosystem Players

Primary Users (Workers):

• Blue-collar workers (delivery partners, drivers, technicians, field staff, factory workers, security guards, etc.).
• Need easy job discovery, skill visibility, and trust in the platform.

Secondary Users (Employers/Recruiters):

• Companies looking to hire verified blue-collar workers efficiently.
• Need credible candidate profiles, reliable applications, and reduced recruitment friction.

Platform / Product:

• LinkedIn’s mobile app (Android-focused), hosting profiles, job postings, messaging, and notifications.

Rationale for Focusing on Workers:

We are focusing on blue-collar workers because they are the primary beneficiaries of the platform. Addressing their key needs—easy job discovery, skill visibility, and trust—ensures the product delivers immediate value. Prioritizing this user group also allows us to design a solution that is inclusive and scalable across different job types, experience levels, and digital literacy, before expanding to other ecosystem players like employers or community networks.

3️⃣ User Segments

Digitally Savvy Workers

• Examples: Delivery partners, drivers, technicians who already use apps like Facebook, WhatsApp.
• Comfortable with mobile apps, can navigate digital workflows with minimal assistance.

Semi-Digital Workers

• Examples: Factory or security staff who use WhatsApp or YouTube but are not familiar with formal apps.
• May need simpler interfaces and guidance for onboarding and applications.

Low-Literacy / New-to-Digital Workers

• Examples: Workers who rely on assisted usage via family members or agents.
• Require highly intuitive UI, voice support, and step-by-step guidance.

Why Segmentation Matters: Understanding these groups helps design an inclusive and scalable experience, ensuring the platform meets the needs of workers across different levels of digital literacy and tech exposure.

Rationale for Focusing on Digitally Savvy Workers:

We are focusing on digitally savvy blue-collar workers because they are most likely to adopt and engage with a mobile-first platform. They already use apps like Facebook and WhatsApp, so onboarding and navigation will be easier, allowing us to validate features quickly. Prioritizing this segment ensures early traction and provides insights before expanding to semi-digital or low-literacy workers.

4️⃣ Identify Pain Points (Digitally Savvy Workers)

• Complex Apps: Many platforms are not intuitive, creating friction despite basic digital literacy.
• Literacy & Language Barriers: English-heavy apps make navigation difficult.
• Job Scams & Fraud: Workers struggle to identify trustworthy employers and postings.
• Lengthy Application Processes: Long forms and repeated data entry discourage applications.
• Salary Transparency: Critical factor—workers need clear information on pay, benefits, and incentives.
• Notification Limitations: Checking emails is cumbersome; in-app or WhatsApp/SMS alerts are preferred.

5️⃣ Proposed Features / Solutions (Digitally Savvy Workers)

Simple & Intuitive Interface

• Reduce complexity with clean, visual-first UI and minimal navigation steps.
• Large buttons, clear icons, and guided flows for applications.

Regional Language Support

• Offer the app in local languages in addition to English.
• Use simple, conversational text for instructions and notifications.

Verified Employers & Anti-Fraud Layer

• Badge system for verified employers.
• Ratings and reviews from other workers to build trust.

Pre-Filled / Quick Applications

• Auto-populate forms using profile data to reduce repetitive entry.
• One-click application to streamline the process.

Salary Transparency

• Display clear salary, incentives, and benefits on job listings.
• Include filters for pay range to help workers find suitable opportunities quickly.

In-App & WhatsApp/SMS Notifications

• Job alerts, application status updates, and interview reminders via WhatsApp/SMS and push notifications.
• Reduces dependence on email and ensures timely communication.

6️⃣ Feature Prioritization (Digitally Savvy Workers)

Feature	Reach	Impact	Confidence	Effort	RICE Score	Rationale
Simple & Intuitive Interface	9/10	9/10	9/10	5	32.4	Core for adoption; reduces friction and ensures workers navigate the app easily.
Regional Language Support	9/10	8/10	9/10	5	28.8	Boosts accessibility and engagement across diverse regions; inclusive for all users.
Pre-Filled / Quick Applications	8/10	7/10	8/10	4	28	Speeds up applications, reduces repetitive entry, increases activation/completion.
Salary Transparency	8/10	7/10	8/10	3	31.2	Addresses a critical need; helps workers filter jobs efficiently and make informed choices.
Verified Employers & Anti-Fraud	6/10	5/10	8/10	6	11.7	Builds trust and reduces scams; lower impact for digitally savvy workers who can assess credibility.
In-App & WhatsApp/SMS Notifications	7/10	6/10	8/10	4	15.8	Ensures timely communication, aligns with existing habits, improves engagement.

Here, Simple & Intuitive Interface and Regional Language Support clearly come out on top as MVP priorities.

Rationale:

Simple & Intuitive Interface and Regional Language Support are prioritized because they directly drive adoption and engagement, ensuring workers can navigate the app easily. They also address accessibility and usability barriers, making the platform inclusive for a diverse blue-collar workforce.

7️⃣ Trade-offs

Simplicity vs Feature Richness

• Prioritizing a simple, intuitive interface may mean delaying advanced features like detailed analytics, multi-step applications, or social networking functionalities.
• Trade-off: Easier adoption and smoother experience vs. having more features.

Regional Language Support vs Development Speed

• Supporting multiple local languages increases development and maintenance effort.
• Trade-off: Higher inclusivity vs. longer initial rollout time.

8️⃣ Metrics for Success

Adoption & Onboarding

• % of digitally savvy workers who successfully create a profile and complete onboarding.
• Target: >70% completion within first week of signup.

Job Application Rate

• % of users who apply to at least one job per week.
• Target: 50–60% of active users applying weekly.

Ease of Use / User Satisfaction

• Measured via in-app surveys or Net Promoter Score (NPS).
• Target: NPS > 50 and positive feedback on simplicity and language support.

9️⃣ Summary:

We are designing a new LinkedIn experience tailored for blue-collar workers in India, focused on enabling easy job discovery, skill visibility, and building a trusted community. The primary users are digitally savvy workers like delivery partners, drivers, and technicians, as they are most likely to adopt a mobile-first Android platform, allowing us to validate features quickly.

The key pain points we addressed include complex apps, language barriers, job scams, lengthy applications, salary transparency, and ineffective notifications. To solve these, we prioritize Simple & Intuitive Interface and Regional Language Support as MVP features, supported by pre-filled applications, salary transparency, verified employers, and in-app/WhatsApp notifications.

We recognize trade-offs such as simplicity vs feature richness and language support vs development speed, ensuring early adoption while maintaining inclusivity. Success will be measured through adoption/onboarding rates, job application rates, and user satisfaction (NPS), with clear targets to track engagement and usability.

In short, this approach balances usability, accessibility, and trust, delivering immediate value to blue-collar workers while laying a foundation for future enhancements.