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The RBC Tech
Transitions Hub
Designing for RBC's largest bank acquisition to date.
The Problem
The Solution
Background
RBC was onboarding 4,500 HSBC employees as new RBC employees and required onboarding materials for a seamless tech experience for new hires.
A one stop place to ensure a seamless transition from HSBC to RBC.
Back in 2024 RBC acquired HSBC welcoming 4,500 new employees and 780,000 new clients. This was the bank’s largest acquisition resulting in 4,500 new employees that had to be onboarded onto RBC servers and systems. We set out to update our preexisting onboarding materials to focus specifically on HSBC employees but we soon realized there would be more than a couple updates on pre-existing onboarding guides.
Research
Our team started with defining the problem and figuring out what our version of “success” looked like. I looked at pre-existing onboarding materials and performed a small content audit to make sure all the content in the guides were correct and up to date. We then removed all company branding from the material and utilized a user testing website to see how people outside RBC interpreted the guide’s instructions and information. This was helpful because the team is familiar with the company's programs and processes. It could have been easy for us to overlook any simple process as it is part of our daily routine.
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Understanding stakeholder goals and user needs
Stakeholders wanted something that showed new employees our applications and tech tools we use for everyday work at RBC, while reducing the amount of anticipated calls to our tech help desk. They wanted to place an emphasis on self-serve tech support resources that the bank has to offer.
We reached out to HSBC employees to ask if there was anything we could do to make this transition easier for them. They wished to receive resources before the “legal day one” switch from HSBC to RBC. This proved to be a challenge as all of our onboarding material was either in PDF form or housed on internal servers which they wouldn’t have access to until day one. We didn’t want to combine all the information into a PDF because that would have been numerous pages of information to scroll through.
Taking all of this into consideration we decided it would be beneficial to create two content items. First, a printed pamphlet that we created out of our preexisting onboarding material. We called this the tech handbook that gave employees instructions on how to login to the system for the first time, connect their VPN token, etc. The handbook was given to employees before legal day one so that they could prepare appropriately. Second was a subsite on oneRBC (a site that allows RBC employees to access certain content off RBC servers) to make tech onboarding information and material (with more extensive information and links) available to those who wished to access it outside the RBC servers after day one.
User Interviews
When talking to HSBC employees we focused on learning their needs, frustrations and preferences so that we could better understand how to support their transition. We noticed some common themes in their answers. They wanted an easy transition with a clear place to ask questions. They did not want to waste time looking for answers as they were already going to be busy trying to set up accounts, talking to clients, learning new applications, etc.
Define
How might we statement: How might we design a comprehensive technology onboarding experience for new hires transitioning from HSBC to RBC?
Ideation
Merging Goals and User Insights to Drive site Design: It was clear from user reach and stakeholder conversations that we were going to have a lot of information to organize. To prioritize the content flow and organization we created a rough road/site map.
Design
Crafting a seamless and inviting user experience: We created the Tech Transitions Hub, a one stop place to ensure a seamless transition from HSBC to RBC. We organized the information into three main categories. The first category “your first day & first steps” was where the tech instructions and video tutorials were housed (connecting to wifi, setting up their corporate phone, etc). The second category “Your software and applications” was dedicated to software and applications (downloading/installing applications, printer/fax setups, etc). Last was the “Get Tech Support” page, this is where users could find links to our tech support chatbot and explore self-serve resources. When creating the site we focused on keeping the copy friendly and simple. We wanted to keep the design simple ensuring easy navigation and making sure all the new information did not overwhelm users. Lastly, we ensured RBC’s branding guidelines were followed so that all the new material and content they received was consistent.
Testing and Iterations
To validate our design’s usability we turned back to the user testing site we used at the beginning of our journey. We ran through situational and task based testing questions and observed how users interacted with the Figma prototype. The overall response to the design was positive but of course there is room for improvement! We had minor layout adjustments in terms of how to display instructional videos and what the best way to display those videos were (on the page side by side or linked out to an entirely new page). We also reformatted the tech support resources page. Originally the page displayed all the self-serve videos linking to the proper channels employees can go to for help. Users found this design was too cramped and indicated the information on the page was overwhelming. By identifying a way to separate the self-serve/how-to videos from the other self-serve resources we were able to avoid confusion and information dumping on our users which was our goal from the very start. Another site page was created called “Tech Support Videos” which solved that problem!
Results and Final Thoughts
On day one of the transition, the Tech Transitions Hub received 4,573 page views and 3,818 unique page views across the four pages showcasing the hub as a central onboarding resource. There was an average of 2 minutes and 12 seconds spent on each page reflecting the value and engagement of the onboarding content provided. There were 80% fewer unique callers than anticipated, showcasing efficient problem resolution and self-serve support options presented within the hub alongside reduced incident reports by 23% surpassing our performance expectations!
.png)
The RBC Tech
Transitions Hub
Designing for RBC's largest bank acquisition to date.
The Problem
The Solution
A one stop place to ensure a seamless transition from HSBC to RBC.
Background
Back in 2024 RBC acquired HSBC welcoming 4,500 new employees and 780,000 new clients. This was the bank’s largest acquisition resulting in 4,500 new employees that had to be onboarded onto RBC servers and systems. We set out to update our preexisting onboarding materials to focus specifically on HSBC employees but we soon realized there would be more than a couple updates on pre-existing onboarding guides.
RBC was onboarding 4,500 HSBC employees as new RBC employees and required onboarding materials for a seamless tech experience for new hires.
Research
Our team started with defining the problem and figuring out what our version of “success” looked like. I looked at pre-existing onboarding materials and performed a small content audit to make sure all the content in the guides were correct and up to date. We then removed all company branding from the material and utilized a user testing website to see how people outside RBC interpreted the guide’s instructions and information. This was helpful because the team is familiar with the company's programs and processes. It could have been easy for us to overlook any simple process as it is part of our daily routine.
Understanding stakeholder goals and user needs
Stakeholders wanted something that showed new employees our applications and tech tools we use for everyday work at RBC, while reducing the amount of anticipated calls to our tech help desk. They wanted to place an emphasis on self-serve tech support resources that the bank has to offer.
We reached out to HSBC employees to ask if there was anything we could do to make this transition easier for them. They wished to receive resources before the “legal day one” switch from HSBC to RBC. This proved to be a challenge as all of our onboarding material was either in PDF form or housed on internal servers which they wouldn’t have access to until day one. We didn’t want to combine all the information into a PDF because that would have been numerous pages of information to scroll through.
Taking all of this into consideration we decided it would be beneficial to create two content items. First, a printed pamphlet that we created out of our preexisting onboarding material. We called this the tech handbook that gave employees instructions on how to login to the system for the first time, connect their VPN token, etc. The handbook was given to employees before legal day one so that they could prepare appropriately. Second was a subsite on oneRBC (a site that allows RBC employees to access certain content off RBC servers) to make tech onboarding information and material (with more extensive information and links) available to those who wished to access it outside the RBC servers after day one.
User Interviews
When talking to HSBC employees we focused on learning their needs, frustrations and preferences so that we could better understand how to support their transition. We noticed some common themes in their answers. They wanted an easy transition with a clear place to ask questions. They did not want to waste time looking for answers as they were already going to be busy trying to set up accounts, talking to clients, learning new applications, etc.
Define
How might we statement: How might we design a comprehensive technology onboarding experience for new hires transitioning from HSBC to RBC?
Ideation
Merging Goals and User Insights to Drive site Design: It was clear from user reach and stakeholder conversations that we were going to have a lot of information to organize. To prioritize the content flow and organization we created a rough road/site map.
Design
Crafting a seamless and inviting user experience: We created the Tech Transitions Hub, a one stop place to ensure a seamless transition from HSBC to RBC. We organized the information into three main categories. The first category “your first day & first steps” was where the tech instructions and video tutorials were housed (connecting to wifi, setting up their corporate phone, etc). The second category “Your software and applications” was dedicated to software and applications (downloading/installing applications, printer/fax setups, etc). Last was the “Get Tech Support” page, this is where users could find links to our tech support chatbot and explore self-serve resources. When creating the site we focused on keeping the copy friendly and simple. We wanted to keep the design simple ensuring easy navigation and making sure all the new information did not overwhelm users. Lastly, we ensured RBC’s branding guidelines were followed so that all the new material and content they received was consistent.
Testing and Iterations
To validate our design’s usability we turned back to the user testing site we used at the beginning of our journey. We ran through situational and task based testing questions and observed how users interacted with the Figma prototype. The overall response to the design was positive but of course there is room for improvement! We had minor layout adjustments in terms of how to display instructional videos and what the best way to display those videos were (on the page side by side or linked out to an entirely new page). We also reformatted the tech support resources page. Originally the page displayed all the self-serve videos linking to the proper channels employees can go to for help. Users found this design was too cramped and indicated the information on the page was overwhelming. By identifying a way to separate the self-serve/how-to videos from the other self-serve resources we were able to avoid confusion and information dumping on our users which was our goal from the very start. Another site page was created called “Tech Support Videos” which solved that problem!
Results and Final Thoughts
On day one of the transition, the Tech Transitions Hub received 4,573 page views and 3,818 unique page views across the four pages showcasing the hub as a central onboarding resource. There was an average of 2 minutes and 12 seconds spent on each page reflecting the value and engagement of the onboarding content provided. There were 80% fewer unique callers than anticipated, showcasing efficient problem resolution and self-serve support options presented within the hub alongside reduced incident reports by 23% surpassing our performance expectations!
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