At the moment, we show filters in the application list even if they return no results.
For example, we show:
- the ‘deferred’ filter even if there are no deferred offers
- partner organisations from the previous recruitment cycle even if they are not partners in the current recruitment cycle
We also show filters in the application list which do not affect the results.
For example, if the user has already filtered by ‘received’ then we currently still show the ‘interviewing’ filter even if there are no applications in the ‘interviewing’ status.
Showing all the filters at all times means that:
- users can waste time by choosing a filter which is not useful
- the list of filters is very long - we’ve heard users complain about this in research
User needs
What we changed
To stop users seeing filters which are not useful, we’ll:
- only show a filter if it changes the results and does not return zero results
- only show a category if it contains at least one filter
- only show the filter panel if it contains at least one category
Example scenarios that hide any filter that does not return results
Given there are no deferred offers ready to confirm
Then I do not see the ‘deferred offers ready to confirm’ filter
Given I have filtered by the received status
And there are no applications in the received status for biology
Then I do not see the ‘biology’ filter
Given I have filtered by the received status
And there are deferred offers ready to confirm
Then I do not see the ‘deferred offers ready to confirm’ filter
Because applications cannot be both in received status and a deferred offer which is ready to confirm
Given I have filtered by the received status
And I have filtered by the deferred status
And there are deferred offers ready to confirm
Then I do see the ‘deferred offers ready to confirm’ filter
Given I have filtered by 5 days or fewer to make a decision
And there’s an application with 5 days or fewer to make a decision in the received state
And there’s an application with 5 days or fewer to make a decision in the interviewing state
And there’s an application for each possible status
Then I do not see the ‘offered’, ‘conditions pending’, ‘recruited’, ‘deferred’, ‘conditions not met’, ‘declined’, > ‘rejected’, ‘application withdrawn’ or ‘offer withdrawn’ filters
And I do see the ‘received’ and ‘interviewing’ filters
Because a decision is only required for applications in the received and interviewing statuses
Given I work for a training provider
And I ran courses with an accredited body in the previous recruitment cycle
And I do not run courses with them in the current recruitment cycle
And I have filtered by the current recruitment cycle
Then I do not see the accredited body as a filter
And I do not see any locations for that accredited body
Example scenarios that hide any filter that does not change the results
Given there are applications that exist in every status
And I have filtered by the received status
And all applications in the received status have 5 days or fewer to make a decision
Then I cannot see the ‘5 days or fewer to make a decision’ filter
And I can see the filter for every status
Given I have filtered by 5 days or fewer to make a decision
And I have filtered by the interviewing status
And there are applications that exist in every status
Then can see the received filter
And I can see the interviewing filter
And I cannot see the ‘offered’, ‘conditions pending’, ‘recruited’, ‘deferred’, ‘conditions not met’, ‘declined’, > ‘rejected’, ‘application withdrawn’ or ‘offered withdrawn’ filters
Given I have filtered by the rejected status
And all the rejected applications are to a certain location
Then I cannot see the filter for that location
Example scenarios that hide any category which does not contain a filter
Given I have filtered by the offered status
Then I cannot see the important category
Because none of the filters in the important category can apply to an application in the offered status
Given that no application has an assigned user
Then I cannot see the assigned user category
Because filtering by a user name would give zero results and the ‘unassigned’ filter would not change the results
Given I have filtered by a training provider
And all the applications to that provider are full time
Then I cannot see the full time or part time category
Given I have filtered by feedback needed
Then I cannot see the status category
Because only applications in the rejected status can need feedback
Given I have filtered by the received status
And I have filtered by applications assigned to Mary Jane
And there are no received applications assigned to Mary Jane
Then I can see the assigned user category with all the possible users
And the Mary Jane filter is ticked
And I can see the status category with all the possible statuses
And I cannot see all other categories
Further considerations
We may require significant technical changes to make the filters work as proposed without slowing down the service.
We also want to consider showing the number of results next to each filter.