Wagex
Redesigning Employer Onboarding to Reduce Drop-offs Without Removing Critical Business Requirements
Redesigning Employer Onboarding to Reduce Drop-offs Without Removing Critical Business Requirements
3 weeks
UX/UI Deesign
UX Researcher
Project Summary
WageX is a Nigerian financial platform that enables employees to access earned wages before payday through their employers.
WageX is a Nigerian financial platform that enables employees to access earned wages before payday through their employers.
The employer onboarding experience was creating friction. Businesses were abandoning the setup process before completion, preventing them from using the platform and ultimately affecting adoption.
The employer onboarding experience was creating friction. Businesses were abandoning the setup process before completion, preventing them from using the platform and ultimately affecting adoption.
The goal was to help employers complete onboarding faster while preserving every business requirement necessary for loan processing.
The goal was to help employers complete onboarding faster while preserving every business requirement necessary for loan processing.
The Challenge
Employers were dropping off during onboarding. But the team didn't yet understand why.
Employers were dropping off during onboarding. But the team didn't yet understand why.
The business had already identified the symptom. But what is the problem and how do we solve it?
The business had already identified the symptom. But what is the problem and how do we solve it?
My first instinct was to find out What can be removed? After working through the requirements with stakeholders, I realized that wasn't an option.
My first instinct was to find out What can be removed? After working through the requirements with stakeholders, I realized that wasn't an option.
Every question in the onboarding flow was tied to a downstream business process—from verifying employer information to employee setup and determining employee loan eligibility. Stripping out fields would have reduced friction on the surface, but it would have created operational gaps later in the journey.
Every question in the onboarding flow was tied to a downstream business process—from verifying employer information to employee setup and determining employee loan eligibility. Stripping out fields would have reduced friction on the surface, but it would have created operational gaps later in the journey.
This became the defining constraint of the project. Rather than reducing the amount of information collected, I needed to rethink how it was collected. The objective shifted from shortening the onboarding to making it feel shorter by reducing cognitive load, giving users more control, and breaking complex tasks into manageable steps.
This became the defining constraint of the project. Rather than reducing the amount of information collected, I needed to rethink how it was collected. The objective shifted from shortening the onboarding to making it feel shorter by reducing cognitive load, giving users more control, and breaking complex tasks into manageable steps.
The Challenge
How might we make a mandatory onboarding process feel faster, lighter, and easier without reducing the information collected?
How might we make a mandatory onboarding process feel faster, lighter, and easier without reducing the information collected?
Understanding the Problem
Experiencing the product exactly as an employer would.
Experiencing the product exactly as an employer would.
I conducted a complete UX audit of the onboarding experience, focusing on: Points of friction, Moments of hesitation, Areas causing cognitive overload, and Opportunities to improve flow without changing business logic
I conducted a complete UX audit of the onboarding experience, focusing on: Points of friction, Moments of hesitation, Areas causing cognitive overload, and Opportunities to improve flow without changing business logic
Stepping into the users shoes
I built a representative persona using existing customer insights.
I built a representative persona using existing customer insights.
I role-played the entire journey as Adunni. Instead of only documenting screens, I documented what he would likely be thinking at each step.
I role-played the entire journey as Adunni. Instead of only documenting screens, I documented what he would likely be thinking at each step.
Persona
Sign Up
Nothing about the registration flow was particularly frustrating
Nothing about the registration flow was particularly frustrating
However, it introduced an early psychological commitment—the sense that creating an account meant committing to a long onboarding journey. For busy employers, that perception alone can become a point of hesitation.
However, it introduced an early psychological commitment—the sense that creating an account meant committing to a long onboarding journey. For busy employers, that perception alone can become a point of hesitation.
"Hopefully this doesn't turn into another long setup process."
"Hopefully this doesn't turn into another long setup process."
Onboarding
The progress tracker immediately communicated that onboarding would require multiple steps.
The progress tracker immediately communicated that onboarding would require multiple steps.
While this created transparency, it also introduced psychological commitment.
While this created transparency, it also introduced psychological commitment.
"This looks like it'll take a while…"
"This looks like it'll take a while…"
The next step
The initial screens were simple and easy to complete.
Momentum felt good.
Momentum felt good.
Breaking Point
The Employer Information section introduced a long, dense form requiring information that couldn't easily be scanned
The Employer Information section introduced a long, dense form requiring information that couldn't easily be scanned
Instead of continuing, Adunni mentally postponed the task.
Instead of continuing, Adunni mentally postponed the task.
"I'll come back when I have time."
"I'll come back when I have time."
Without that urgency, he likely wouldn't have returned.
Without that urgency, he likely wouldn't have returned.
What I Learned
The onboarding wasn't objectively difficult. It was mentally expensive.
The onboarding wasn't objectively difficult. It was mentally expensive.
The onboarding challenge wasn't the amount of information required—it was how and when users were asked to provide it. Employers had to complete a lengthy onboarding process before they could experience any value from the product, creating high cognitive load, reducing their sense of control, and increasing the likelihood of abandonment.
The onboarding challenge wasn't the amount of information required—it was how and when users were asked to provide it. Employers had to complete a lengthy onboarding process before they could experience any value from the product, creating high cognitive load, reducing their sense of control, and increasing the likelihood of abandonment.
Design Principle
To balance business goals with user needs, I mapped both perspectives.
To balance business goals with user needs, I mapped both perspectives.
The redesign focused on meeting both sets of goals simultaneously.
The redesign focused on meeting both sets of goals simultaneously.
Deign Principle
To balance business goals with user needs, I mapped both perspectives.
Design Decisions
Simplified Registration
Simplified Registration
Instead of asking users to provide multiple personal details upfront, registration was reduced to only the essentials: their name and a preferred verification method—either email or phone number. This lowered the barrier to entry, gave users flexibility, and allowed them to start using the product with minimal effort.
Instead of asking users to provide multiple personal details upfront, registration was reduced to only the essentials: their name and a preferred verification method—either email or phone number. This lowered the barrier to entry, gave users flexibility, and allowed them to start using the product with minimal effort.
Lower effort before entering the product.
Lower effort before entering the product.
Dashboard First
Dashboard First
Rather than trapping users inside onboarding, employers landed in their dashboard immediately after account creation.
Rather than trapping users inside onboarding, employers landed in their dashboard immediately after account creation.
Although key actions remained locked until onboarding was complete, users now felt they already owned an account
Although key actions remained locked until onboarding was complete, users now felt they already owned an account
The experience shifted from: "Complete this before entering." to
"You're already in—here's what remains before you can start."
This subtle psychological shift increased perceived progress and user control.
This subtle psychological shift increased perceived progress and user control.
Progressive Onboarding
Progressive Onboarding
Instead of forcing users to finish everything in one sitting, onboarding became progressive. Users could:
Instead of forcing users to finish everything in one sitting, onboarding became progressive. Users could:
Leave anytime
Return later
Save progress
Decide their own pace
Control moved from the system back to the user.
Breaking Down Complex Forms
Breaking Down Complex Forms
The longest form on the flow was the "employer Information" this section was broken into two(2) with the other half moved to the next section. This section was broken into "Company Basic Information" & "Company Address". Additional improvements included:
Better grouping
Simpler button hierarchy
Dropdowns where appropriate
Improved scanning
Smarter Inputs
Smarter Inputs
With the "Payroll Section" moved to the next step some of the actions were automated to ensure it is faster and easier for the employers.
Instead of asking employers to manually calculate average employee salaries, like the system used to do, WageX performed the calculation automatically after collecting relevant payroll data.gest form became three smaller sections.
Although the amount of information increased, the experience felt significantly lighter. Since it was automated and was a new section mentally. And these changes;
Reduced effort
Reduced mistakes
Increased confidence
Usability Testing
To validate the redesign, I conducted usability testing with two groups of participants.
To validate the redesign, I conducted usability testing with two groups of participants.
The first group consisted of existing WageX employers who were familiar with the platform. The objective was to evaluate whether the redesigned onboarding addressed the friction they had previously experienced.
The first group consisted of existing WageX employers who were familiar with the platform. The objective was to evaluate whether the redesigned onboarding addressed the friction they had previously experienced.
Across sessions, participants consistently described the experience as:
Across sessions, participants consistently described the experience as:
Faster to complete
Less overwhelming
Easier to follow
More in their control
Although the amount of information collected remained the same, breaking complex forms into smaller sections, introducing progressive onboarding, and allowing users to save their progress significantly reduced the perceived effort required to complete the process.
The second group consisted of participants who had little to no prior experience with WageX or payroll management systems.
The second group consisted of participants who had little to no prior experience with WageX or payroll management systems.
Rather than evaluating domain knowledge, the goal was to determine whether the interface was intuitive enough for first-time users to navigate independently.
Rather than evaluating domain knowledge, the goal was to determine whether the interface was intuitive enough for first-time users to navigate independently.
Participants successfully completed the onboarding flow with minimal assistance. The only questions raised were contextual to payroll and employer operations—not the interface itself—indicating that the product's navigation, structure, and language were easy to understand.
Participants successfully completed the onboarding flow with minimal assistance. The only questions raised were contextual to payroll and employer operations—not the interface itself—indicating that the product's navigation, structure, and language were easy to understand.
Key Insight
Testing with both experienced and first-time users reinforced an important design principle.
Testing with both experienced and first-time users reinforced an important design principle.
When a product can be confidently navigated by people with little familiarity, experienced users benefit as well.
This reflects the Curb-Cut Effect—designing experiences that are accessible to less experienced users often creates a simpler, more intuitive experience for everyone. Rather than reducing functionality, the redesign reduced cognitive effort, making the onboarding feel faster while preserving every business requirement.
When a product can be confidently navigated by people with little familiarity, experienced users benefit as well.
This reflects the Curb-Cut Effect—designing experiences that are accessible to less experienced users often creates a simpler, more intuitive experience for everyone. Rather than reducing functionality, the redesign reduced cognitive effort, making the onboarding feel faster while preserving every business requirement.
Outcome
Participants completed onboarding in 50% less time, while 91% successfully completed the flow and 93% reported feeling in control throughout the experience.
Participants completed onboarding in 50% less time, while 91% successfully completed the flow and 93% reported feeling in control throughout the experience.
These findings validated that simplifying the experience, without removing critical business information, made onboarding feel faster, clearer, and significantly less overwhelming.
These findings validated that simplifying the experience, without removing critical business information, made onboarding feel faster, clearer, and significantly less overwhelming.
Reflection
This project changed the way I think about onboarding. I learned that reducing friction doesn't always mean reducing steps. Sometimes the information is non-negotiable.
This project changed the way I think about onboarding. I learned that reducing friction doesn't always mean reducing steps. Sometimes the information is non-negotiable.
By shifting the experience from obligation to progression, the redesign preserved every business requirement while making onboarding feel faster, more manageable, and more user-centered.
By shifting the experience from obligation to progression, the redesign preserved every business requirement while making onboarding feel faster, more manageable, and more user-centered.
The real opportunity lies in changing how users experience the task they're being asked to do.
The real opportunity lies in changing how users experience the task they're being asked to do.
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Ready to build something amazing?
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