land your ux dream job: tales from a hiring manager
TRANSCRIPT
LAND YOUR UX DREAM JOB
TALES FROM A HIRING MANAGER
Ashley Halsey Hemingway Director of User Experience
May 5, 2015
Ashley HHOhio → NYC
@halsey_During the few minutes a day I am not online, I can be found indulging in too much television, curiosity and cheese
Ashley HHOhio → NYC
@halsey_During the few minutes a day I am not online, I can be found indulging in too much television, curiosity and cheese
PREVIOUSLY
Studied Digital Design @ DAAP, University of Cincinnati
Many company types: Agencies Enterprise Freelance
Many types of design: Branding Marketing
Website Design Application Design
Ashley HHOhio → NYC
@halsey_During the few minutes a day I am not online, I can be found indulging in too much television, curiosity and cheese
PREVIOUSLY
Studied Digital Design @ DAAP, University of Cincinnati
Many company types: Agencies Enterprise Freelance
Many types of design: Branding Marketing
Website Design Application Design
CURRENTLY
Director of UX @ AppNexus
Team of 7 9 (Design + Research)
Currently hiring for 7 5 reqs: Designers
ResearchersTeam Leads
Have reviewed at least 300 applicants over the past 6 months
Ashley HHOhio → NYC
@halsey_During the few minutes a day I am not online, I can be found indulging in too much television, curiosity and cheese
PREVIOUSLY
Studied Digital Design @ DAAP, University of Cincinnati
Many company types: Agencies Enterprise Freelance
Many types of design: Branding Marketing
Website Design Application Design
CURRENTLY
Director of UX @ AppNexus
Team of 7 9 (Design + Research)
Currently hiring for 7 5 reqs: Designers
ResearchersTeam Leads
Have reviewed at least 300 applicants over the past 6 months
AppNexus is a B2B advertising technology platform. “We power the advertising that powers the internet.”
900+ AppNexians (93 hired in Q1 2015) 23 offices and counting…
ABOUT APPNEXUS
WORKFLOWS OF KEY PLAYERS
Candidate
Update resume and portfolio
Set goals for the next role
Identify target companies and
roles
Write cover letters
Submit applications
Showcase skills, work style and
past experience
Vet company
Review offer and complete official
documents
1. PREP 2. SEARCH 3. APPLY 4. INTERVIEW 5. ACCEPT 6. ONBOARD
Prepare to join a new team
WORKFLOWS OF KEY PLAYERS
Candidate
Update resume and portfolio
Set goals for the next role
Identify target companies and
roles
Write cover letters
Submit applications
Showcase skills, work style and
past experience
Vet company
Review offer and complete official
documents
1. PREP 2. SEARCH 3. APPLY 4. INTERVIEW 5. ACCEPT 6. ONBOARD
Prepare to join a new team
1. PREP 2. SEARCH 3. SCREEN 4. INTERVIEW 5. OFFER 6. ONBOARDManagerGet approval to
open the req
Write role description
Plan screening and interviewing
Review applications
Conduct phone screens
Send out and review design/
research challenges
Interview for core competencies
Review feedback from interviewers
Make hiring decision
Draft and extend offer to candidate
Set start date
Confirm onboarding and mentor are in
place
Post position to website and other
venues
Actively recruit candidates from
key venues
WORKFLOWS OF KEY PLAYERS
Candidate
Update resume and portfolio
Set goals for the next role
Identify target companies and
roles
Write cover letters
Submit applications
Showcase skills, work style and
past experience
Vet company
Review offer and complete official
documents
1. PREP 2. SEARCH 3. APPLY 4. INTERVIEW 5. ACCEPT 6. ONBOARD
Prepare to join a new team
1. PREP 2. SEARCH 3. SCREEN 4. INTERVIEW 5. OFFER 6. ONBOARDManagerGet approval to
open the req
Write role description
Plan screening and interviewing
Review applications
Conduct phone screens
Send out and review design/
research challenges
Interview for core competencies
Review feedback from interviewers
Make hiring decision
Draft and extend offer to candidate
Set start date
Confirm onboarding and mentor are in
place
Post position to website and other
venues
Actively recruit candidates from
key venues
SNAPSHOT OF A HIRING MANAGER
“Hiring is a top priority for me, but many other time-sensitive commitments often take time away from my focus on hiring.”
“Anywhere from 1-5 applications might come in on a given day between my open reqs. My goal is to look at all candidates in the pipeline by EOW, but that doesn’t always happen.”
“I am hiring for multiple roles with different seniority levels, so I am constantly having to re-calibrate my expectations and what I am really looking for.”
“I often look at resume / cover letter / portfolio in various orders. I will usually check the cover letter first, and then their portfolio, since portfolios are often a kind of a resume - and since cover letters often reference the portfolio and have a link. If there is no cover letter, I have to go into the resume to find the portfolio link, so I will scan the resume quickly and not bother with the portfolio if the resume doesn’t look like a possible match for the role.”
Collaborators
TAG Recruiter: Helps me with sourcing, phone screening, writing offers, closing candidates, etc.
TAG Scheduler: Helps with logistics of setting up calls and interviews, ensures a great candidate experience
UX Team: My team (esp. Sr. members) helps me with screening and interviewing
My Manager: I provide my manager with status updates on hiring and brainstorm hiring issues
Project Teams: I provide project teams with status updates on hiring for their projects. They may help interview
Priorities and Concerns
Frequent ToolsJobvite, Evernote, Email, Excel, Pen/Paper (in interviews)
My Top 5 Screening Painpoints
I can’t get a complete picture of the candidate1
2
3
4
5
I can’t get a clear picture of the candidate
My Top 5 Screening Painpoints
I can’t get a complete picture of the candidate1
2
3
4
5
I can’t get a clear picture of the candidate
The candidate doesn’t understand the role or the company
My Top 5 Screening Painpoints
I can’t get a complete picture of the candidate1
2
3
4
5
I can’t get a clear picture of the candidate
The candidate doesn’t understand the role or the company
The application package submitted does not relate to the role
My Top 5 Screening Painpoints
I can’t get a complete picture of the candidate1
2
3
4
5
I can’t get a clear picture of the candidate
The candidate doesn’t understand the role or the company
The application package submitted does not relate to the role
The candidate shows their deliverables, but not their process or results
RESUME WorkExperience
COVER LETTER
Who You Are,What You Want
1 I can’t get a complete picture of the candidate
RESUME WorkExperience PORTFOLIOSkills +
Process
COVER LETTER
Who You Are,What You Want
1 I can’t get a complete picture of the candidate
RESUME WorkExperience PORTFOLIOSkills +
Process
COVER LETTER
Who You Are,What You Want
1
CompletePicture
I can’t get a complete picture of the candidate
1
If sharing your work is sensitive…
• Restrict access • Password protect it • Or attach a PDF to your application
• Genericize it • Remove or replace all identifying information • Convert any stats about the project to %
• Do outside work
I can’t get a complete picture of the candidate
1
If you don’t have enough work to show…
• Do hypothetical projects • But relate it to the real world. • Real users. • Real testing.
• Volunteer for a cause you care about • Can be for a non-profit • Or your friend’s improv club • Or your family reunion video library
I can’t get a complete picture of the candidate
• Get a general overview of the candidate’s career progression, skills and approach to work
PAINPOINT CAUSES CANDIDATE TAKEAWAYS
1. Missing application materialsWhy are the leaving this out? Was it an accident? Are they hoping to hide something? Are they lazy? Is this candidate actually interested in our company or are they just spamming hundreds of resumes out into the world?
Always include a resume, cover letter and link to portfolio. Always.
1
HIRING MANAGER GOALS
I can’t get a complete picture of the candidate
I can’t get a clear picture of the candidate2
“I have been a designer from the moment I
picked up my first crayon at the age of 3. When I was 5, I enrolled in a
painting class…”
• Get a general overview of the candidate’s career progression, skills and approach to work
PAINPOINT CAUSES CANDIDATE TAKEAWAYS
1. TMIWhere is the relevant information?
Edit yourself. Think about the top 1-3 messages you want to get across, and make sure those are the focus. Write clearly, but also concisely where possible.
2
HIRING MANAGER GOALS
2. Can’t scan the infoWhere is the relevant information?
Use formatting to help organize your content and give it a hierarchy.
Round out your application with your approach, your passions and what you bring to the table.
3. Not personal or memorableWould this person work well within this team? What motivates them?
I can’t get a clear picture of the candidate
“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out
and remove all doubt.”
But even better to not be a fool.
The candidate doesn’t understand the role or the company3
On tone: 1. Be human 2. Be yourself
3. Take cues from the company
3 The candidate doesn’t understand the role or the company
• Quickly get a snapshot of the candidate
• Understand why they want to work here
• Check if our expectations are aligned
PAINPOINT CAUSES CANDIDATE TAKEAWAYS
1. Generic / inaccurate cover letterDid the candidate not take the time to understand the company and the role?
Spend some time reading about the company and the role. Tailor your cover letter to the job posting
3
2. Mismatch in toneIs this the type of environment where the candidate would do well? Are they familiar with our culture?
Get a sense for the workplace environment before drafting your cover letter. Write in a voice similar to your speaking voice. Speak to the hiring manager as a person.
HIRING MANAGER GOALS
The candidate doesn’t understand the role or the company
I do not know what a “Chief User Happiness
Expert” or “Interface Ninja” is.
4 The application package submitted does not match the role
• Confirm that the candidate has the baseline skills required for consideration
PAINPOINT CAUSES CANDIDATE TAKEAWAYS
1. Unusual / unexplained resumeIs the candidate switching careers/location, or are they instead confused about the details of this role?
2. Past roles are unclearWas this previous job experience related to the skills I am looking for?
If your resume is not “typical”, explain why.
Clarify your previous experience and avoid or explain terminology that is specific to your company or industry.
4
HIRING MANAGER GOALS
The application package submitted does not match the role
5
Portfolios can suffer from: WOW Syndrome
The candidate shows their deliverables, but not their process or results
Portfolios can suffer from: Logoitis
5 The candidate shows their deliverables, but not their process or results
Portfolios can suffer from: Multiple skillset disorder
5 The candidate shows their deliverables, but not their process or results
Behavioral-based Interviewing
Behavioral-based Portfolio
5 The candidate shows their deliverables, but not their process or results
Situation
Task
Action
Result
Company X had an e-commerce website, but the shopping cart abandonment rate was high and they didn’t know why.
I was tasked with running a research project in order to make recommendations to improve the site.
I conducted 10 user testing sessions, analyzed both quantitative and qualitative data, and made recommendations to the website team.
As a result of my changes, shopping cart abandonment was reduced by 20%.
5 The candidate shows their deliverables, but not their process or results
Tell the full STAR. Even better, tell the full STUIR.
5 The candidate shows their deliverables, but not their process or results
Situation
Task
User
Iteration
Result
Company X had an e-commerce website, but the shopping cart abandonment rate was high and they didn’t know why.
I was tasked with running a research project in order to make recommendations to improve the site.
I conducted 10 user testing sessions, where we learned that most of the users were travelers, who were unable to check out using their mobile device.
I recommended making the website mobile responsive and considering a native app as well.
As a result of the mobile site, shopping cart abandonment was reduced by 20%.
5 The candidate shows their deliverables, but not their process or results
Don’t be afraid to share challenges and failures.
5 The candidate shows their deliverables, but not their process or results
• Understand the candidate’s unique process and approach to solving problems
• Assess the candidate’s skill level
PAINPOINT CAUSES CANDIDATE TAKEAWAYS
2. Deliverables without contextWhat was the candidate’s role? Why did they make the choices they did? What were the constraints of the project? Are they satisfied with the results?
1. Skills shown don’t match roleDoes this candidate understand the role they applied for? Is it something they are really interested in?
Tell the full STAR.
Ensure your portfolio matches the role you are applying for.
HIRING MANAGER GOALS
3. No sign of the userHow does the user fit into this candidate’s process? Does the candidate simply do what they think is best?
Better yet, tell the full STUIR.
5 The candidate shows their deliverables, but not their process or results
Avoid the Top 5 Screening Painpoints By
Providing a complete picture of yourself1
2
3
4
5
Providing a clear picture of your goals and process
Avoid the Top 5 Screening Painpoints By
Providing a complete picture of yourself1
2
3
4
5
Providing a clear picture of your goals and process
Ensuring you understand the role and the company
Avoid the Top 5 Screening Painpoints By
Providing a complete picture of yourself1
2
3
4
5
Providing a clear picture of your goals and process
Ensuring you understand the role and the company
Relating your application to the role
Avoid the Top 5 Screening Painpoints By
Providing a complete picture of yourself1
2
3
4
5
Providing a clear picture of your goals and process
Ensuring you understand the role and the company
Relating your application to the role
Telling the full STUIR about your process and results rather than simply showing deliverables