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For what it’s worth… here’s my UX recruiting & hiring philosophy
Having time on both sides of the recruiting table, I like to think I’ve learned a thing or two about how to do this little two-step that shows up on our dance cards every once in a while. I’m not professing to be an expert in HR or recruiting, but maybe it will save time or shift mindsets.
What follows is a collection of thoughts, lists, and frameworks — some created from scratch, but most of it curated over time from people far wiser than yours truly. In the words of Matt Mercer:
And I also invite leaders, recruiters, hiring managers, career coaches, candidates — anyone — to comment, contribute, or critique. I love being wrong; it’s how I learn!
THE RUBRIC
UX is about understanding customer needs and pains to facilitate an optimal journey toward their desired outcomes. We don’t just do UX, we think UX — we habitually examine our beliefs and choices through the candid lens of colleagues and customers, we “work out loud” to avoid becoming so in love with our ideas that we lose perspective, and we seek first to understand by asking questions like “why”, “what-if”, “what-else”, “what-next”, and “how-might-we”.
To this end, we focus on evaluating the following attributes in UX candidates (in this order):
1. PASSION
Someone who inherently sees a career in UX as “a calling”, regardless of where they work, is preferable to one who sees it merely as “a job”. Driven, lifelong learners and makers.
2. INTEGRITY
Someone who consistently follows their ethical compass and does the right thing in all circumstances, even if no one is watching (and even if it is to their detriment).
3. GRIT
Someone who holds steadfast to the pursuit of long-term goals they deeply care about. Even when progress toward that goal is halting or slow. Even when they screw up.
4. POTENTIAL
Someone who has latent abilities or qualities (in UX or otherwise) yet to come forth, but may emerge and develop if given the right environment to flourish.
