From Simple Job Board to HR Tech Pioneer: Inside Story of Rocken.jobs Development

Discover how a Swiss recruitment platform transformed from a simple concept to a revolutionary HR tech solution, reshaping the industry - insights from the Che IT Group team who made it happen.

From Vision to Reality: Revolutionizing Recruitment

In 2019, Che IT Group embarked on a transformative journey when a visionary Swiss recruitment expert approached us. This entrepreneur, who had already achieved success in traditional recruitment, sought to disrupt the industry with technology rather than create just another job board.

"The founder approached us with boundless energy and innovative ideas", says Alex, CEO at Che IT Group. "His vision extended beyond conventional recruitment methods to create a platform to reshape connections between companies and candidates".

The Birth of an Ambitious Vision

The project's scope expanded dramatically from the initial discussions during a two-day workshop in Kyiv, which Che IT Group understood as a straightforward job listing site transformed into a much bolder ambition - Rocken.jobs - under the visionary's guidance.

"I presented what I thought was an existing CRM integration plan during our workshop summary", Alex explains. "The Swiss entrepreneur immediately interrupted with, "No, that's not what I want". His vision required building everything from scratch - a flexible, customizable system able to evolve alongside his business".

Recognizing the project's potential, Alex dove in completely. "This project consumed my thoughts day and night. I woke at 6 AM, walked, contemplated functionality, and prepared questions for the project owner. We held morning calls to discuss ideas, often followed by evening follow-ups. The idea backlog grew incredibly fast".

Technical Transformation: From Quick Launch to Complete Rebuild

The team launched the initial MVP in June 2019 - an achievement but only the first step. "Startups requiring rapid movement often compromise on structural elements and code", Alex notes. "The growing business eventually demanded a more robust foundation".

The decision to rebuild everything faced significant technical justification. Julia, the project manager who later took over, explained: "Our team lead pointed out that we built the product on YII 2, which was already a not extendable framework then. Nobody supported or learned it anymore, making it extremely difficult to find qualified developers. We needed something more flexible with constantly growing client requests for integrations and features".

The projected six-month rewrite was extended to two years and included three complete redesigns. "Each redesign involved more than appearances", Alex emphasizes. "We added new functionality, removed features, and added different ones in a continuous evolution process".

This extended timeline created challenges that Julia candidly discusses: "Our initial estimation proved unrealistic, and the scope kept expanding. The client added requirements while we rewrote the system, and we even changed designers multiple times during the process".

Behind the Scenes: Project Management Evolution

The leadership transition from CEO to Project Manager revealed essential insights about documentation and processes. Julia recalls with a smile: "Alex jokes that after intensely focusing on the project for months, he finally handed it to me and immediately took his well-deserved vacation. It became a running joke between us that I was thrown into the deep end - but sometimes that's the best way to learn to swim quickly".

The absence of documentation created significant hurdles. "We lacked project documentation, workflow schemas, or dependency charts. We used Trello without epics or task hierarchies to understand sequences", Julia explains. "Fortunately, our partner helped tremendously in explaining how things worked through many calls and close communication".

The team's management approach evolved dramatically over time. "Initially, everything operated chaotically. The development team communicated directly with all client team members in a single chat, consuming excessive developer time", Julia shared. "We gradually implemented a structured approach with planned sprints, separated development from support tasks, and created proper documentation".

Innovation in a Traditional Market

Despite Switzerland's progressive reputation, the recruitment sector remains conservative when adopting new technologies. Rocken.jobs introduced several unprecedented features this market:

Interactive candidate profiles: "We replaced traditional PDF resumes with interactive electronic links", Alex explains. "End users could directly ask questions, schedule interviews, or save profiles - everything in one centralized location".
One-click multi-channel publishing: the recruitment tool simultaneously automates job postings across numerous channels, handling budget allocation and tracking automatically.
Client-centric portal: companies received dedicated dashboards for direct interaction with recruiters and candidates.

"Initial hesitation from users quickly transformed into enthusiasm once they started using these features", Alex notes. "We introduced genuinely innovative solutions to the Swiss recruitment market".

Team Dynamics: Challenges and Reunion Stories

Finding the right team balance proved crucial but challenging. Julia highlights their persistent difficulty: "Our most problematic position remained the team lead. We had three team leads, but none worked well for various reasons. Either they weren't good fits or didn't want the position".

Interestingly, some team members who left eventually returned - a testament to the project's appeal. "After moving to different companies, some developers wanted to return to our familiar team where everything remained stable and predictable", Julia shares.

Alex adds proudly: "They returned despite higher-paying opportunities elsewhere because they missed our project's energy and team spirit. There's no better endorsement than former employees choosing to come back".

The project leadership transition marked another significant milestone. "When Julia took over as PM, she joked that I hired her and immediately disappeared on vacation," Alex laughed. "She quickly established strong relationships with the company founder and eventually transitioned to become their product manager, overseeing not just development but marketing and overall product strategy".

The Leadership Factor: Motivation and Transparency

The client's leadership style created a remarkable team dynamic. "He possesses this rare superpower", Alex explains. "He inspires you after every conversation without ever applying pressure or negative criticism. He naturally energizes everyone around him".

This positive approach maintained team motivation through challenging periods, especially during the complete platform rebuild. They adopted full transparency with the client, openly sharing costs, salaries, and challenges.

Hard-Earned Wisdom: Challenges and Lessons

Julia candidly discusses the rewrite process challenges: "Working primarily on backend development without a staging environment meant the client couldn't see progress or provide feedback. We essentially worked in a vacuum - a suboptimal experience for everyone involved".

The extended timeline and post-launch bugs created inevitable tension. "After two years of development, unexpected bugs appeared when we finally launched. Though not critical, they affected our reputation and led to some finger-pointing", Julia acknowledges.

These experiences yielded valuable lessons:

"We'll never undertake a massive project without detailed estimation for every component".
"We'll involve clients continuously throughout development, making them accountable for decisions".
"Complete rewrites might not always offer the best approach - incremental improvements often work better".

Looking Forward: European Expansion

Rocken.jobs continues its growth trajectory with exciting plans. Julia shares: "We're expanding across Europe, with a Munich office already operational. We support German market features, including currency conversion from Swiss francs to euros".

The team is growing internationally: "We're actively hiring developers in Germany to create a more diverse team. Many projects, including mobile applications, new features, and analytics, await development".

Measurable Success

The web application demonstrates impressive growth metrics:

182% surge in clients (2022);
1000% share growth;
900% increase in interviews;
133% rise in client numbers (2023);
158% surge in conducted interviews.

Essential Takeaways

The Rocken.jobs journey offers valuable insights for similar digital transformations:

Start with a clear MVP, but prepare for evolution;
Invest in documentation and planning from day one;
Maintain complete transparency with project partners;
Involve clients throughout development processes;
Build a cohesive team aligned with your vision;
Carefully evaluate whether complete rewrites serve your goals;
Implement structured project management as you scale.

This case study demonstrates how vision, perseverance, and adaptation can transform a recruitment platform from a simple job board into a comprehensive HR tech solution that disrupts an entire industry. The digital HR system is a testament to what's possible when innovative ideas meet technical expertise and resilient teamwork. As the platform expands across Europe, its journey inspires entrepreneurs and development teams alike: with the right partnership, even the most ambitious digital transformation can become a reality. What groundbreaking HR tech solution will you build next?