TalentReef – Location Cloning Associations
When opening a new location, managers had to leave the product entirely to file a manual support ticket. We brought the entire flow inside — self-service where possible, automated where not.
TalentReef – Location Cloning Associations
Senior Product Designer
Mitratech
Operational Workflow Automation
HR Managers & Enterprise Admins
Quick Story
When a restaurant or retail chain opens a new location, managers need to replicate everything — departments, positions, forms, background checks.
Previously, that meant leaving TalentReef entirely, navigating to a separate support portal, compiling every detail manually and filing a ticket. Then waiting.
Customer feedback flagged it. NPS confirmed it.
The ask was clear: bring it inside the product, make it self-service, automate the rest.
The design challenge wasn't the flow itself.
It was the distinction between what the system could clone automatically and what it couldn't — and making that honest, complex reality feel simple and transparent to a non-technical manager opening their tenth new location this quarter.
Context
TalentReef serves restaurant and retail organisations managing high-volume workforce operations across multiple locations.
When a new location opens, it needs to be fully configured before it can recruit, hire, and onboard. That configuration requires replicating associations — departments, positions, forms, background checks — from an existing location.
Previously, this was entirely manual and entirely outside the product. Every new location meant the same friction. Every time.
The Problem
The existing process required managers to navigate to a separate support portal, compile all details about which location was being cloned, which elements needed replicating, and submit a case — all outside TalentReef.
Customer feedback and NPS data surfaced this consistently as a pain point.
But the problem had a hidden complexity: not everything can be cloned automatically. Some associations — Background Checks, E-Verify, Payroll Mappings — require support team involvement.
Making that distinction legible to a non-technical manager, without overwhelming them or hiding what's happening behind the scenes, was the core design challenge.
5
Distinct system states — selection through activation
0
External portals needed — entire flow within TalentReef
2
Association types distinguished — self-service vs support-required
Process
Research & Discovery: This project was driven by validated customer signal — recurring feedback and NPS data surfaced by the PM.
Rather than running a primary research cycle, I worked directly from the established customer signal and focused on translating the requirement into a clear, self-service design solution.
To validate design decisions, I ran internal design reviews with HR team members and Circa team members who had no design background — checking whether the checklist distinction, processing states and review results screen made sense to someone seeing it for the first time.
The key finding: the "Ready to clone" vs "Submit a support ticket" label distinction read clearly on first scan without explanation. No prompting needed.
Key Insight: "Self-service isn't just about removing steps. It's about removing the right steps — the ones that create friction without adding value. When the system has genuine limitations, the design still has to make them feel manageable."
Design thinking:
Transparency over simplification — show what the system can and can't do
No surprises — users know what happens next before they click anything
In-product completion — entire journey stays inside TalentReef
Automate what can be automated — generate support tickets without user effort
Calibrate validation to the problem — internal review was the right method here
Design Decisions:
Decision 1 — Labelled checklist distinction: Every association item clearly labelled — "Ready to clone" or "Submit a support ticket" — before selection. No ambiguity about what happens next.
Decision 2 — Automated Salesforce case generation: Support-required associations automatically generate pre-populated Salesforce cases — no manual compilation, no separate portal navigation.
Decision 3 — Transparent review results: Step 3 shows Success, In Progress, or Failure per item — with clear next steps for anything incomplete and confirmation that support tickets have been auto-created.
Decision 4 — Activate location with disclaimer: Step 4 includes billing disclaimer acknowledgement before activation — legal requirement handled clearly without creating anxiety.
"The most honest design decision on this project was choosing not to hide the system's limitations. Users can handle complexity when it's presented clearly. What they can't handle is discovering it unexpectedly."
Solution Summary
Complete 5-step self-service location cloning flow inside TalentReef
Labelled checklist distinguishing self-service vs support-required associations
Automated Salesforce case generation for support-required items
Transparent review results with per-item status and next steps
Billing disclaimer acknowledgement before activation
Zero external portals required — entire journey inside the product
Additional outcomes:
Internal design review participants understood the flow without prompting
"Ready to clone" vs "Submit a support ticket" distinction read clearly on first scan
Support team receives pre-populated Salesforce cases automatically — no back-and-forth
WHAT I'D DO NEXTRun usability testing with real location managers on the checklist distinction clarity
Track override rates on support-required items — do managers skip them or engage with them?
Measure support ticket completeness post-launch — are auto-generated cases arriving with all needed information?
View All Work