One of the threads on UI Stack Exchange is about how to interview applicants for UI/IA positions… here is my answer (posted on the exchange first, posted here for posterity):
- A few key behavioral-type questions (“Describe an actual situation in which you…”), in a phone screen before bringing them in for an interview. Not just basic knowledge, but how they think and work.
- Have them do some prepared design work prior to the interview which they then present to a group at the interview. Need to be able to communicate, persuade, and stay professional and poised in a mixed group.
- Deeper dives into experience, philosophy, and work approach in the interview.
- Finally, have them lead a short design session at the whiteboard around a specific area you are working on now. It’s not only a litmus test for them, it should be fun, and you will get some new ideas from the interview even if you don’t hire.
Spend at least 4 hours with them in the on-site interview – but cut it short gracefully if it isn’t working out.
Here are my favorite phone screen questions:
- What is your specialty? How would you describe your own balance of skills and passion in user research versus design versus evaluation?
- Who are 2 or 3 experts/authors that most shape your philosophy, approach, and techniques in UX?
- Describe a situation where you had to convince a developer of a better way of doing something.
- Describe a situation where you had to convince a product owner, product manager, or marketing person of a better approach.
- What are your thoughts on Agile development? How do key UX deliverables differ in an agile environment versus a waterfall or big design up front environment?
- If you could design your next job, what would it look like? What would be your ideal role in a new job? Why are you looking for a new job?
Here are some example exercises I had them do prior to the interview (when I was doing medical informatics):
- Ask the candidate to bring work products with them to the interview: products resulting from their direct work in UX design; measured results of their UX work on a project, documentation or explanation they developed for a UX process, method, technique, or practice; UX-related standard, guideline, pattern, or style guide they developed; anything else they are proud to show. Remind the candidate not to share any proprietary information that would breach any contractual or legal obligation they have, but do give a sense of their accomplishments, approach, and style.
- Develop a concept for a web site used by a physician’s office to track and maintain information about its patients. The site is used to collect patient demographic information such as contact information, sex, race/ethnicity, and emergency and physician contacts; measurable physical information such as height, weight, blood pressure, and pulse; and clinical lab results such as blood cell counts, blood glucose tests, and cholesterol tests. Prior to the interview, in three pages or less, describe your process for developing the concept, an overview of the concept itself, and any other information you think is relevant for understanding and using the concept. During the interview, walk us through the concept.
- Compare Google Health with Microsoft Health Vault. Prior to your in-person interview, prepare a one page summary of your comparison. At the interview, walk through your summary with the interview team.
Assure the candidate that they retain the intellectual property rights to any of their work for these exercises. Encourage them not to spend more than a few hours in preparation. Explain that we are most interested in understanding their approach, creativity, application of techniques, and communication ability.
In their design work, they should demonstrate at least the following:
- An approach to understanding and articulating who the users are, what their work is, and what motivates them.
- Design talent and familiarity with idioms, conventions, and patterns.
- Instrumenting the development cycle with many feedback loops, early and often.
- Engaging and effective oral, written, and visual communication. Deliverables should be professional and interesting.
