Sr. User Researcher
Interview Stages
| Stage | Interviewer(s) | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Recruiter Screen | [Recruiter Name] | 30 min |
| Hiring Manager Screen | [Hiring Manager Name] | 45 min |
| Portfolio / Project Review | All Hiring Team | 60 min |
| Round 2: PM | [PM Interviewer] | 45 min |
| Round 2: Designer | [Designer Interviewer] | 45 min |
| Round 2: Engineer | [Engineering Interviewer] | 45 min |
| Final/Culture Round | Executive or Culture Team Member | 30 min |
Recruiter Screen
Focus Areas: Ownership, Initiative, Strategic Awareness
- What's an example of a research study you led that changed how a team made decisions?
- Tell me about a moment when you had to push for research — what happened?
- How do you decide what's worth studying in the first place?
Hiring Manager Screen
Focus Areas: End-to-End Leadership, Prioritization, Product Thinking
- Walk me through a project where you helped a team prioritize what to build (or not build).
- How do you shape research plans when you're given vague or evolving goals?
- How do you manage requests for quick feedback alongside deeper studies?
Portfolio / Project Review
Focus Areas: Influence, Craft Quality, Product Impact
- The candidate should present two impactful research projects, ideally including one generative and one evaluative.
- They should articulate how they framed the problem, selected methods, drove alignment, influenced product direction, and ensured insights were used — not just delivered.
Round 2 Interviews
Round 2: PM
Focus Areas: Strategic Influence, Alignment, Business Awareness
- How do you help PMs clarify what they want to learn vs. what they want to build?
- Tell me about a time you changed a product team's direction or roadmap through research.
- How do you communicate research findings to non-researchers who are short on time?
- How do you handle situations when the research doesn't support a PM's hypothesis?
Round 2: Designer
Focus Areas: Partnership, Design Integration, UX Maturity
- Tell me about a time you and a designer partnered on something strategic.
- How do you ensure your insights improve the design, not just the concept?
- What role do you play in shaping design critiques or design principles?
- How do you evaluate whether a design is "research ready" or not?
Round 2: Engineer
Focus Areas: Implementation Awareness, Systems Thinking, Collaboration
- How do you work with engineers to make sure research findings inform actual implementation?
- Share an example of helping engineers better understand the user experience.
- What's your approach to research when you're working on system-level or infrastructure-heavy areas?
- How do you ensure that research findings are durable and reusable across teams?
Final/Culture Round
Focus Areas: Mentorship, Team Contribution, Strategic Growth
- How do you contribute to your research team beyond project delivery?
- Tell me about a time you mentored or supported the growth of another teammate.
- What practices or rituals have you helped introduce to improve research or collaboration?
- Where are you growing right now — and where do you want to level up next?