TEAMSHARES LEADERSHIP ATS
TEAMSHARES LEADERSHIP ATS
TEAMSHARES LEADERSHIP ATS
A hiring engine for a company of companies
A hiring engine for a company of companies
A hiring engine for a company of companies
As the first designer on a new initiative, I led the creation of a custom Applicant Tracking System (ATS) for Teamshares to help our recruiting team place Presidents across 90+ acquired small businesses. Through deep discovery, iterative design, and tight collaboration with PM and engineering, we built a product that became the single source of truth for executive hiring—reducing time-to-hire, streamlining workflows, and increasing recruiter confidence and throughput.
As the first designer on a new initiative, I led the creation of a custom Applicant Tracking System (ATS) for Teamshares to help our recruiting team place Presidents across 90+ acquired small businesses. Through deep discovery, iterative design, and tight collaboration with PM and engineering, we built a product that became the single source of truth for executive hiring—reducing time-to-hire, streamlining workflows, and increasing recruiter confidence and throughput.
20+
leaders
hired
10+
qualified leaders
identified
Key capabilities demonstrated
Key capabilities demonstrated
Key capabilities demonstrated
Stakeholder Research
Workflow Analysis
Information Architecture
Business Impact Measurement
Cross-functional Leadership
Background
Background
Background
Teamshares is a unique financial platform that buys profitable small businesses and transitions them to employee ownership. Each acquired company needs a new President—a critical leadership role.
Executive hiring processes on average take between 2-6 months. Upon my arrival at Teamshares, there were roughly 80 Network Companies acquired, with some Network Presidents playing double-duty between 2 companies. Teamshares had a goal of having a queue of qualified leaders ready for placement.
Recruiting efforts were fragmented across spreadsheets, email chains, and external tools like Lever and LinkedIn. There was no centralized workflow, no visibility into candidate status, and no product dedicated to internal talent operations.
Teamshares is a unique financial platform that buys profitable small businesses and transitions them to employee ownership. Each acquired company needs a new President—a critical leadership role.
Executive hiring processes on average take between 2-6 months. Upon my arrival at Teamshares, there were roughly 80 Network Companies acquired, with some Network Presidents playing double-duty between 2 companies. Teamshares had a goal of having a queue of qualified leaders ready for placement.
Recruiting efforts were fragmented across spreadsheets, email chains, and external tools like Lever and LinkedIn. There was no centralized workflow, no visibility into candidate status, and no product dedicated to internal talent operations.
Early findings
Early findings
Early findings
To uncover the right product opportunity, I facilitated in-depth interviews with our internal recruiters. Key insights emerged:
To uncover the right product opportunity, I facilitated in-depth interviews with our internal recruiters. Key insights emerged:
High friction and context-switching: Recruiters managed data across multiple tools without automation or visibility
High friction and context-switching: Recruiters managed data across multiple tools without automation or visibility
High friction and context-switching: Recruiters managed data across multiple tools without automation or visibility
High friction and context-switching: Recruiters managed data across multiple tools without automation or visibility
No structured workflow: There was no way to track applicant stages or progress consistently
No structured workflow: There was no way to track applicant stages or progress consistently
No structured workflow: There was no way to track applicant stages or progress consistently
No structured workflow: There was no way to track applicant stages or progress consistently
Urgency in hiring: Presidents were critical for operational continuity at newly acquired businesses
Urgency in hiring: Presidents were critical for operational continuity at newly acquired businesses
Urgency in hiring: Presidents were critical for operational continuity at newly acquired businesses
Urgency in hiring: Presidents were critical for operational continuity at newly acquired businesses
I also audited third-party ATS tools to understand patterns in information architecture and candidate pipeline design—but we needed something custom.
I also audited third-party ATS tools to understand patterns in information architecture and candidate pipeline design—but we needed something custom.
Personnel
Design lead (myself)
Design lead (myself)
Design lead (myself)
Design lead (myself)
1 Product Manager
1 Product Manager
1 Product Manager
1 Product Manager
2 Engineers
2 Engineers
2 Engineers
2 Engineers
Recruiting Team
Recruiting Team
Recruiting Team
Recruiting Team
C-suite Stakeholder
C-suite Stakeholder
C-suite Stakeholder
C-suite Stakeholder
What I did
End-to-end product design from discovery through iteration and implementation
End-to-end product design from discovery through iteration and implementation
Strategic goals
Strategic goals
Strategic goals
Centralize applicant data into a single internal product
Centralize applicant data into a single internal product
Centralize applicant data into a single internal product
Streamline workflows and reduce time spent per applicant
Streamline workflows and reduce time spent per applicant
Streamline workflows and reduce time spent per applicant
Enable recruiters to create candidate shortlists and take action quickly
Enable recruiters to create candidate shortlists and take action quickly
Enable recruiters to create candidate shortlists and take action quickly
Support cross-functional collaboration with engineering and recruiting from day one
Support cross-functional collaboration with engineering and recruiting from day one
Support cross-functional collaboration with engineering and recruiting from day one
Design process
Design process
Design process
I led the design effort through several core explorations:
I led the design effort through several core explorations:
Candidate Detail Views
Created responsive layouts optimized for recruiters working on desktops and candidates applying on mobile. Designed views to surface high-signal data—resumes, notes, pipeline stage—with minimal clicks.
Candidate Detail Views
Created responsive layouts optimized for recruiters working on desktops and candidates applying on mobile. Designed views to surface high-signal data—resumes, notes, pipeline stage—with minimal clicks.
Candidate Detail Views
Created responsive layouts optimized for recruiters working on desktops and candidates applying on mobile. Designed views to surface high-signal data—resumes, notes, pipeline stage—with minimal clicks.
Application Submissions (Applicant View)
Focused on simplicity and accessibility. We learned that many applicants were first-time executives—so clear calls to action, mobile support, and transparency were critical.
Application Submissions (Applicant View)
Focused on simplicity and accessibility. We learned that many applicants were first-time executives—so clear calls to action, mobile support, and transparency were critical.
Application Submissions (Applicant View)
Focused on simplicity and accessibility. We learned that many applicants were first-time executives—so clear calls to action, mobile support, and transparency were critical.
Status Tiles & Pipeline Visibility
Designed visual indicators for each stage of the hiring funnel. Recruiters could now filter, search, and prioritize candidates based on their pipeline stage.
Status Tiles & Pipeline Visibility
Designed visual indicators for each stage of the hiring funnel. Recruiters could now filter, search, and prioritize candidates based on their pipeline stage.
Status Tiles & Pipeline Visibility
Designed visual indicators for each stage of the hiring funnel. Recruiters could now filter, search, and prioritize candidates based on their pipeline stage.
Assignment Switching
Built intuitive controls for recruiters to reassign candidates across open roles—supporting rapid internal reshuffling.
Assignment Switching
Built intuitive controls for recruiters to reassign candidates across open roles—supporting rapid internal reshuffling.
Assignment Switching
Built intuitive controls for recruiters to reassign candidates across open roles—supporting rapid internal reshuffling.
Custom Landing Page
We added a branded landing experience for applicants—conveying our mission of employee ownership and how being a President fits into that narrative.
Custom Landing Page
We added a branded landing experience for applicants—conveying our mission of employee ownership and how being a President fits into that narrative.
Custom Landing Page
We added a branded landing experience for applicants—conveying our mission of employee ownership and how being a President fits into that narrative.
Evolving the product
Evolving the product
Evolving the product
Candidate detail
Archiving openings
Bulk editing candidates
Further evolution: candidate scoring
What we shipped
What we shipped
What we shipped
Within a few months, we evolved Teamshares Leadership from a barebones applicant list and application to include:
Within a few months, we evolved Teamshares Leadership from a barebones applicant list and application to include:
A structured applicant database
A structured applicant database
A structured applicant database
Custom filters and status views
Custom filters and status views
Custom filters and status views
Admin tools for recruiters to manage assignments
Admin tools for recruiters to manage assignments
Admin tools for recruiters to manage assignments
Mobile-first application experience for candidates
Mobile-first application experience for candidates
Mobile-first application experience for candidates
Candidate evaluation with scoring rubrik
Candidate evaluation with scoring rubrik
Candidate evaluation with scoring rubrik
Strategic trade-offs & future vision
Strategic trade-offs & future vision
Strategic trade-offs & future vision
In the interest of delivering value quickly, we made deliberate trade-offs to focus on recruiter efficiency first. Some planned features—like an applicant-facing dashboard to manage submissions and materials—were deprioritized to accelerate the MVP.
We also explored a longer-term vision: integrating President hires with TeamsharesOS and our Financial Products platform. This would have created tighter connective tissue between leadership hiring, company operations, and the broader ownership ecosystem—laying the groundwork for a more unified product strategy.
To deliver impact quickly, we deliberately scoped the MVP around recruiter workflows. Features like an applicant dashboard and deeper integration with TeamsharesOS were part of my broader product vision—but postponed to focus on speed and operational adoption first.
In the interest of delivering value quickly, we made deliberate trade-offs to focus on recruiter efficiency first. Some planned features—like an applicant-facing dashboard to manage submissions and materials—were deprioritized to accelerate the MVP.
We also explored a longer-term vision: integrating President hires with TeamsharesOS and our Financial Products platform. This would have created tighter connective tissue between leadership hiring, company operations, and the broader ownership ecosystem—laying the groundwork for a more unified product strategy.
Outcomes
Outcomes
Outcomes
Single source of truth: All applicant management now happens within Teamshares, replacing Lever and spreadsheets.
Single source of truth: All applicant management now happens within Teamshares, replacing Lever and spreadsheets.
Single source of truth: All applicant management now happens within Teamshares, replacing Lever and spreadsheets.
Increased throughput: Recruiters built and managed President shortlists faster with clearer workflows.
Increased throughput: Recruiters built and managed President shortlists faster with clearer workflows.
Increased throughput: Recruiters built and managed President shortlists faster with clearer workflows.
Improved candidate experience: Mobile-first application flow improved completion rates.
Improved candidate experience: Mobile-first application flow improved completion rates.
Improved candidate experience: Mobile-first application flow improved completion rates.
Product maturity: The ATS became core infrastructure—used daily until the team was dissolved during a company-wide reorganization.
Product maturity: The ATS became core infrastructure—used daily until the team was dissolved during a company-wide reorganization.
Product maturity: The ATS became core infrastructure—used daily until the team was dissolved during a company-wide reorganization.
Using a the Lean UX methodology allowed us to move at velocity to evolve the product to maturity.
Using a the Lean UX methodology allowed us to move at velocity to evolve the product to maturity.
Impact
Impact
Impact
Shaped the product vision from zero to MVP through close partnership with Recruiting and PM
Shaped the product vision from zero to MVP through close partnership with Recruiting and PM
Shaped the product vision from zero to MVP through close partnership with Recruiting and PM
Drove trade-offs and prioritization (e.g., deprioritized integrations to ship faster)
Drove trade-offs and prioritization (e.g., deprioritized integrations to ship faster)
Drove trade-offs and prioritization (e.g., deprioritized integrations to ship faster)
Built for scale, not just speed—design components were reused across internal tools
Built for scale, not just speed—design components were reused across internal tools
Built for scale, not just speed—design components were reused across internal tools
Influenced culture: Introduced early product rituals with Recruiting (e.g., feedback rounds, async design reviews)
Influenced culture: Introduced early product rituals with Recruiting (e.g., feedback rounds, async design reviews)
Influenced culture: Introduced early product rituals with Recruiting (e.g., feedback rounds, async design reviews)
Why this effort matters
Why this effort matters
Why this effort matters
This wasn't just an internal tool—it was the infrastructure that enabled Teamshares to scale leadership placement, unlock employee ownership, and drive long-term transformation across small businesses nationwide.
This wasn't just an internal tool—it was the infrastructure that enabled Teamshares to scale leadership placement, unlock employee ownership, and drive long-term transformation across small businesses nationwide.
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