If you haven’t heard of First Advantage, they’re a leading global background check company headquartered in Atlanta, GA. They work with over 35,000 organizations worldwide, helping employers and housing providers reduce
risk and stay compliant while dramatically improving the quality of talent and reliability of renters. Yep—they’re kind of a big deal.
We had the pleasure of meeting Kristopher Kinlen a few years back when he engaged 3Ci as a candidate when he was looking to make a career change. Today, he serves as the Director of User Experience for First Advantage. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to help Kristopher when he approached us with a problem.
While Kristopher recognized the power of designing and developing products with users’ best interest at the foundation, his executive team was understandably unsure. As a result, Kristopher and his team were not receiving the budget they needed to make a real impact through UX.
To reach their goals, Kristopher and his team would need to gain buy-in from the rest of the organization by proving the value of user-centered design. They needed an expert, an advocate, and a partner that could take their UX design program to the next level. Lucky for us, Kristopher remembered the great experience he had with 3Ci as a candidate and reached out to our team for help—this time as a client.
Because 3Ci follows design thinking in every project we take on, our team first turned to research to develop empathy and identify the root of the problem. After sitting down with Kristopher and his team, we were able to gather valuable insights about their UX goals and First Advantage’s broader business goals. Based on these conversations, we developed a roadmap to balance the two and got to work.
Though it was clear that First Advantage needed to hire the right UX Design talent to execute their UX Design strategy, we also helped Kristopher identify the importance of evangelizing the ROI of his program. To reach his ultimate goals, Kristopher would need buy-in from the executive team. By generating success through small wins upfront (and communicating the value of those wins), Kristopher and his team would be able to make the biggest impact within their organization.
We used our proven process (video interviews, technical evaluations, and behavioral assessments) to help First Advantage place the best UX design talent. We still work closely with the First Advantage UX design team.
Here’s what Kristopher had to say about what it was like working with 3Ci compared to other firms.
“What I think is different is their approach and their value system. It’s not the big, faceless firm. It’s very high-touch, almost boutique, in nature. They’re members of the community, not just an organization that serves the community. The approach was very much a partnership rather than just a transaction.”
Kristopher Kinlen, Director of User Experience at First Advantage
Thanks, Kristopher! We like you too.
Want to tackle your next UX design project with confidence? Learn more and reach out to the UX design experts at 3Ci today.