The UX of hiring UX in 2020

It’s amazing to me that nearing 2020, 25 years into the maturation of the industry and I see UX job postings and hear of hiring processes that are so out of touch with the actual skillsets that make a great designer that Don Norman would be rolling over in his grave — Yes, I know he isn’t dead, but proper user testing was required.

The problem with UX is that it isn’t as clearly defined as most other jobs. There is certainly a lot of ambiguity of what we do on the day to day, and the path that some take to get there. However, “Rocket surgeon” is still not a descriptor that should ever be used to describe someone with a collaborative mentality and ability to execute designs based on carefully constructed research and strategy.

If you want that perfect match, there are some things you’ll need to understand from both the employer side, and that of the UX practitioner.

Employers

1) Don’t Sell, Relate.

We all want to have the best talent occupy the open reqs we have. That’s nothing new, but I’m proposing you take your interviews as a chance to hone your listening skills, and to not oversell your company or open positions as something it isn’t. That’s just good hiring practice. It will result in finding the right personalities to solve your unique needs and will most certainly cause less turnover.

Sure, free snacks and ping-pong tables are cool and all, but if I hired an employee on their eating prowess and table tennis…