freee HR Document Request Form CVR Improvement
Removing Psychological Barriers by Redesigning to a Step-Based Form
+197%
Document Download CVR
vs. original design
+426%
Form Initial Input Rate
vs. original design
Primary CV
Document Download
Client
freee K.K.
Page
freee HR
Initiative Type
EFO / A/B Test
Approach
Expert Review
Background
"Reaching the form — but not completing it"
The freee HR document request form was built as a conventional single-page form, displaying all input fields — name, company, email, phone number, headcount — on a single screen.
Despite a consistent volume of users reaching the form page, the completion rate remained persistently low. The problem, I suspected, lay in the psychological barrier created by the form's structure itself.
Problem Analysis
Sometimes experience tells you what data takes time to confirm
On this project, I started with an expert review drawing on experience across numerous past EFO projects, rather than waiting for quantitative tool data.
When you see a single-page form, there is something experience tells you with near certainty: a form that displays all its fields at once makes the full cost of completion visible the moment the page loads. The result is a high rate of users who, despite reaching the form, never begin filling in the first field — and I formed the hypothesis that this was the primary driver behind the low completion rate.
In other words, drop-off was likely not happening "mid-way through filling in" — it was happening before the process even started. With the conviction that raising the initial input rate was the most direct route to maximizing completion, I moved into the redesign.
Hypothesis from expert review
The psychological burden on first impression created by the single-page form structure is suppressing initial input rate and creating the completion rate bottleneck. Conclusion: raising initial input rate is the key to maximizing CVR.
Solution
Design that hides the full load — making the first step easier to take
The direction was clear: visually erase the sense of effort felt the moment the page opens. Instead of showing all fields at once, we redesigned to a step-based form that presents 1–3 fields at a time.
Before ー Single-page
All fields visible at once
The full cost of completion is visible the moment the page loads. The "this looks like a hassle" first impression drives users away.
After ー Step-based
1–3 fields presented at a time
The first screen is simple. A progress bar keeps the current step visible, sustaining the feeling that "just a little more to go."
We also introduced a progress bar so users always know which step they are on. The intent was to reduce mid-form drop-off by giving users a clear sense of how close they were to finishing — an application of the goal gradient effect from behavioral economics: behavior accelerates as users get closer to the goal.
Process
STEP 01
Expert Review: Problem Identification & Hypothesis
Evaluated the current form using accumulated EFO expertise. Formulated the hypothesis that initial input rate was the bottleneck for completion rate.
STEP 02
EFO Design & Step Structure Planning
Designed field grouping and display order. Selected the number and type of fields for the first step to minimize psychological load.
STEP 03
Step-Based Form UI Design (Figma)
Designed progress bar, per-step layout, and error states in Figma. Created A/B test variants.
STEP 04
A/B Test Design, Execution & Monitoring
Owned end-to-end: test design, sample size calculation, execution, and statistical significance validation.
STEP 05
Analysis, Reporting & Production Rollout
After confirming significance, rolled out the winning variant to production and reported the improvement process and learnings to the team.
Insight
The key driver of form CVR is the initial input rate
Form optimization discussions often focus on changing button copy or reducing field count. But what this analysis revealed was a more fundamental truth: users decide to leave the moment they sense that "this looks like a hassle" — and that judgment happens within seconds of the page loading.
CRO principle applied
The biggest bottleneck in form CVR is not mid-form drop-off — it is the initial input rate. How much you reduce the psychological burden on first impression is the shortest path to maximizing completion. Redesigning to a step-based layout and introducing a progress bar simultaneously designs for ease of starting and ease of continuing.
Results
Statistical significance confirmed in A/B test, rolled out to production
+197%
Document Download CVR
vs. original design
+426%
Form Initial Input Rate
vs. original design
Next Steps
Each of these case studies follows the same end-to-end process: analysis → design → implementation.
