Helen Kärt Käbin

Design
Art
About
Contact
Menu

Service design challenge

As part of the International Service Design Challenge, we are looking for ways to reduce gender discrimination in the recruitment process.

 

The project is currently ongoing and is being developed every day.

Service design

User research

Miro

Brief

From the five submitted briefs, our team selected the IBM challenge, which focuses on identifying and addressing bias.

 

Key points from the brief are:

 

Identify bias: help users recognize sources of bias in data, processes, and services.


Challenge and navigate bias: equip users with tools to question and mitigate biases, promoting fair outcomes.


Promote equity: ensure inclusion and accessibility across underserved or marginalized groups.


Build trust: foster confidence through transparency, ethical practices, and user empowerment.

Context

Timeframe

Team

Student Service Design Challenge with IBM

5 months

Helen Kärt Käbin, Gabriella Tarja, Kairiin Koddala, Hanna Milk, Paula Maria Mengel, Laura Sööt

Desk research

The main insights from the desk research were:

  • Estonia has the largest pay gap in Europe, at 13.1%
  • The pay gap also affects pensions and social security
  • The concepts of “motherhood penalty” and “paternity premium”
Insights from desk research in Miro

System mapping

When mapping the system, we first wrote down all the thoughts we had about the pay gap, gender discrimination, and applying for a job.

 

At the end of the process, a system map was completed, where the centerpoints are:

  • having a baby
  • society
  • inequality
  • biases
  • applying for a job
Mapping the system
System map in Miro

Video

By the end of the first research phase, we created a video that illustrates the problem, provides real-life examples, and also introduces our group.

Field research

For field research, we conducted a survey to identify the extent of the problem.

 

We also mapped the perspectives of different parties and interviewed recruiters, the Equality Commissioner’s Advisor, and investor and mentor Kristi Saare.

 

Additionally, we attended Bolt’s “Women in tech” lecture, which revealed that companies with gender balanced teams are 39% more likely to be profitable.

Insights

Main insights from the field research were: 

  • Many company leaders and male employees seem to fail to recognize the full scope of the gender inequality issue
  • Men and women both get asked about personal relationships and children during interviews but the reasons behind it may differ
  • Mothers are advised to avoid mentioning their children when applying for a job
  • There isn’t an advanced and convenient system for parents returning from parental leave, nor are there many part-time job opportunities.
  • Company managers have the most power/make the final decision – but they often lack the knowledge of hiring
  • The problem is more significant in smaller companies 
Insights from interviews and the survey