Challenge: Traditional job portals relied heavily on email-centric application processes, often resulting in delayed responses and cumbersome interactions. Glints aimed to differentiate itself by adopting a chat-based interface, allowing job seekers to engage directly with hiring managers in real-time conversations.
Strategy: Ying Cong Seah spearheaded Glints' transition towards a chat-based recruitment model, leveraging technologies like Stream Chat's Flutter and React SDKs for frontend and backend integration. This approach facilitated seamless communication between job seekers and hiring managers, enhancing user experience and expediting the hiring process.
Result: Glints strategically implemented the chat feature in two phases. Initially, they launched a mobile app focused on real-time notifications and integrated chat-to-apply functionality across mobile and web platforms. Despite the project's complexity, Glints' dedicated team efficiently executed the implementation within a month, showcasing their agility and commitment to innovation.
Glints, a leading recruitment platform, embarked on a transformative journey to revolutionize traditional job portals through innovative chat-based interactions. Co-founded by Ying Cong Seah, Glints identified a unique opportunity to enhance user engagement and streamline recruitment by integrating chat directly into its platform.
The co-founder of Glints says, "We are at half a million MAU, and our user base is spread across southeast Asia. The two biggest markets for us are Indonesia and Vietnam, and our user base is primarily young working adults and hiring managers, ranging from millennials to Gen Z; chat is a very native interaction mode for them. So that's why we picked this form of interaction instead of the traditional email application structure."
Weighing Options & Choosing Stream
When asked about other chat solutions Glints evaluated, Ying Cong Seah shared that they vetted a few other API providers, including Sendbird, and considered taking the project in-house. He says, "At one point, we considered building an in-house solution. But, the developer experience, the cost, and the maintenance associated with that weren't right for us. We wanted to deliver a reliable, full-featured chat solution with low latency and high performance."
After thoroughly reviewing the API competitor landscape, Ying Cong Seah says, "Three things made us choose Stream. The first is Stream's developer experience, specifically the comprehensiveness of the documentation. The second is the UI kit and the level of customization you can achieve. And the third is the performance."
After choosing Stream, it was time to integrate the Chat API and SDKs with Glints. Ying Cong Seah recalls, "We went through two phases of integration. The first phase was when we first launched our mobile app and used Stream to mainly power our notifications, which one developer implemented. The second phase happened as the product evolved and we decided to launch chat. One developer worked on the mobile app and one on the web app and they completed it within one month. Everyone at the company was amazed at how fast they got it done because they know how much typically goes into building a chat feature."
Key Features
The three features of Stream Chat appealed to Glints from the start and enabled them to create the exact chat experience for users they envisioned in record time.
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Customizable Chat Interface: Glints tailored the chat interface to accommodate specific recruitment interactions, such as sharing CVs and requesting additional information, ensuring a personalized user experience.
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Advanced Custom Filtering: Stream's robust filtering capabilities empowered Glints to implement custom field filtering, enabling efficient candidate screening and matching based on unique job requirements.
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Comprehensive Documentation: Stream's developer-friendly documentation facilitated seamless integration and API utilization, empowering Glints' team to leverage chat functionalities effectively.
Results
Glints now enjoys the benefits of integrating Stream Chat and its positive impact on key business metrics like user engagement and its shortlisting rates.
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Enhanced User Engagement: Glints experienced a significant increase in user engagement, with a 30% surge in application per-applicant rates attributed to the intuitive chat-based interface.
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Improved Shortlisting Rate: Implementing the chat-to-apply feature nearly doubled shortlisting rates, demonstrating its effectiveness in facilitating direct communication between candidates and employers.
Future Outlook
Glints lauds Stream's exceptional customer service and flexible billing options, highlighting their responsiveness and commitment to client satisfaction. Stream's proactive support and user-friendly interface contributed to a seamless integration experience for Glints.
Ying Cong Seah says, "I would definitely recommend Stream. We did quite a comprehensive scan of the market, and it was the best option. It is not the cheapest option, but everything considered, the reliability, performance, and ease of integration, I think it is the best option."
With the successful adoption of chat-based recruitment, Glints solidified its position as an industry leader in Southeast Asia. The platform continues to innovate and refine its offerings, driven by a commitment to revolutionize the recruitment landscape through cutting-edge technologies and user-centric solutions powered in part by Stream Chat.
