Staff Researcher
Interview Stages
| Stage | Interviewer(s) | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Recruiter Screen | [Recruiter Name] | 30 min |
| Hiring Manager Screen | [Hiring Manager Name] | 45 min |
| Portfolio Review | All Hiring Team | 60 min |
| Round 2: PM | [PM Interviewer] | 45 min |
| Round 2: Designer | [Designer Interviewer] | 45 min |
| Round 2: Research | [Research Interviewer] | 45 min |
| Final/Culture Round | Executive or Culture Team Member | 30 min |
Recruiter Screen
Focus Areas: Communication, Technical Expertise, Growth Mindset
- What drew you to UX research at this level, and what excites you about this opportunity?
- Tell me about a research area where you've developed deep expertise.
- How do you approach sharing your knowledge and expertise across an organization?
Hiring Manager Screen
Focus Areas: Technical Depth, Cross-functional Impact, Strategic Thinking
- How do you approach solving complex research problems that span multiple product areas?
- Tell me about how you've influenced research practices or methodologies in your organization.
- How do you balance depth of expertise with the need to have broad organizational impact?
Portfolio Review
Focus Areas: Research Innovation, Strategic Impact, Technical Excellence
The candidate should walk the interviewers through two case studies they are proud of. The presentation should focus on how they tackled complex research challenges, developed innovative approaches, and created significant organizational impact. The case studies should be relevant to the type of work they would do in this role.
Round 2 Interviews
PM Interview
Focus Areas: Strategic Partnership, Business Impact, Cross-functional Influence
- How do you approach influencing product strategy through research?
- Tell me about a time you helped solve a complex business problem through research.
- How do you help product teams make decisions when research findings are ambiguous?
- Describe how you've helped elevate the role of research in product development.
Designer Interview
Focus Areas: Design Systems, Research Innovation, Collaborative Leadership
- How have you helped integrate research into design systems or design processes?
- Tell me about a time you developed a novel research approach to solve a design challenge.
- How do you help design teams develop their research capabilities?
- Describe how you balance being a thought partner versus a service provider to design teams.
Research Interview
Focus Areas: Research Innovation, Methodological Excellence, Technical Leadership
- Tell me about a research methodology or approach you've developed or significantly improved.
- How do you evaluate emerging research methods and determine their applicability?
- Describe how you've helped raise the bar for research quality across an organization.
- How do you approach solving research problems that don't have clear precedents?
Final/Culture Round
Focus Areas: Organizational Impact, Vision, Leadership
- How do you approach creating lasting change in how an organization uses research?
- Tell me about a time you had to navigate complex organizational dynamics to drive impact.
- What's your vision for how research can evolve to better serve product development?