How to Hire a UX Designer
It’s hard to imagine life without smartphones, apps, mobile food delivery, on-demand car services, online banking and so on. Over the past decade these things have become not only normal, but vital to the way we live. You’ve probably experienced an app or site that is so intuitive that you interact with it almost effortlessly. On the other hand, you may have also experienced the other side of the coin. An app’s user experience, or UX, isn’t accidental, it is created by UX designers. These IT professionals develop creative and technical solutions to improve the way we interact with their platform, and they are in high demand. This level of demand presents many challenges to recruiters and hiring managers who are filling UX design positions.
How do you find the right candidate to fill your vacancy? The interview is a cornerstone in the process. You must ask the right questions and drill down to uncover solid candidates. I like to breakdown the questions into two categories – competency and fit. Build a story with your competency questions. For example, you may start by asking the candidate how they got into UX design. Then move into a few abstract questions. Ask them to describe what UX means to them and how it compares with graphic design or front-end coding. Finally, ask them a few questions that demonstrate their level of experience and skill. You review their portfolio to back up their answers.
After you have completed the competency portion of the interview it’s a good time to talk about culture. Even if you find the most skilled candidate you’ve ever interviewed, it will not end well if they don’t fit into your company’s culture. You’ll want to learn how they prefer to work. Do they perform better alone or in a team environment? Does their philosophy of design align with the organization’s? What are their expectations from the company?
Lastly, don’t overlook the importance of soft skills. UX designers have to effectively communicate with a lot of people. They work closely with your graphic designers, front end coders, back end coders, and even your clients. They have to interpret the needs of all of these people, manage expectations, and occasionally deliver a few miracles. If you have the time to conduct a social interview with the candidate and a few people from your team that can be valuable in assessing their soft skills.
Danielle Foppe is a Recruitment Manager at Business Centric Technology. If you are interested in learning more about how to get the best IT talent in the Dallas metroplex, contact Danielle specializes in recruiting IT talent in Dallas, Ft. Worth and North Texas. If you are looking for a rewarding career contact us today.