We followed a tried-and-tested service design trajectory. Led by a dedicated team consisting of a digital strategist, service designer, tech analyst and privacy expert, and in close collaboration with ProRail’s subject matter experts, we went through the following phases: 

• Needs analysis and interviews: We conducted 32 interviews with stakeholders, ranging from applicants to recruiters, HR staff and hiring managers. This helped us identify pain points and opportunities from multiple perspectives. 

• Journey mapping: We visualized both the current and desired candidate journeys, divided into six phases (from awareness to onboarding), including personas, systems and touchpoints. 

• Co-creation and validation: Through four workshops, we worked with ProRail to develop concrete improvement concepts and a service blueprint for the desired candidate journey. Special attention was paid to GDPR, roles and permissions, and smart use of existing and new technologies. 

• Future vision and tooling: The insights now directly inform the selection and implementation of a new ATS. We provided specific recommendations on must-have and nice-to-have functionalities, from talent pooling to dashboarding and smart matching. 

One of the key deliverables of the project was the creation of service blueprints for recruitment, onboarding and external hiring. A service blueprint is a visual and strategic representation of the ideal candidate journey, including all underlying processes, systems, roles and interactions. 

The blueprint maps out each phase of the journey—from awareness to onboarding—showing what happens at the front end (for the candidate) and at the back end (internally at ProRail). This includes systems, responsibilities, communications and decision points. 

This integrated view not only provides ProRail with insight into where improvements are possible, but also serves as the foundation for: 

• Defining requirements for the new ATS; 
  

• Internal alignment between HR, recruitment, IT and compliance; 

• A shared vision of the desired candidate experience. 

The service blueprint is therefore not just a result, but also a practical steering tool for the years ahead. 

In addition to mapping the current journey, we worked with ProRail to develop tangible design proposals to support the ideal future state. These designs made the abstract vision more concrete and immediately usable for next steps. Examples include: 

• A personalized application environment: depending on the candidate’s stage in the journey, they receive relevant information, helpful preparation tips and clear next steps. This creates a consistent, positive experience that builds trust and saves time. 

• A strategic dashboard for recruiters: this dashboard provides real-time insight into where candidates are in the funnel, where bottlenecks may arise and what the expected lead times are. Predictive data is also used to flag potential drop-off and advise the business proactively as part of strategic workforce planning. 

These design proposals were developed into wireframes and flows, validated with users, and now form a key building block for the new ATS and ProRail’s long-term recruitment vision.