How Design Executives Can Spot (and Land) the Right Candidates
Note: Thanks for joining me in my series on building a design organization and creating a broader design culture within a company. You may remember that last time, we chatted about doing damage control after a bad hire. This time, let’s get into a more positive topic: spotting and landing the right candidates.
A couple of posts ago, when I was talking about red flags and pitfalls you may run into as you’re hiring your new team, I also touched on the idea of green flags, the qualities that (in my opinion) any design leader should want in their hires. Today, I’d like to go deeper on that subject, because knowing what to look for in a candidate is just as important as knowing what to avoid.
But it doesn’t end with recognizing the right candidate. Once you know you’ve found someone who will benefit your org, your next challenge is making sure they choose you. After all, if they’re the right fit for you, they’re probably the right fit for someone else, so how do you make sure they end up on your team — especially when they might have multiple other offers?
My take on green flags
I’ll admit this is going to be subjective. Different design leaders are going to prioritize different things, so my list might not be the same as yours. However, over the years I’ve gotten a pretty good feel for the signs that (to me, at least) indicate a candidate is exceptional.
So what specific traits should you be looking for? Well, for starters, I pay attention to honesty, authenticity, and humility. Being humble doesn’t mean candidates should be downplaying their accomplishments, but it has set several interviewees apart in my eyes. Beyond that, though, I find that the best candidates are curious, engaged, and genuinely interested in helping the team grow and contributing to the culture. They stand apart even more if they offer to contribute beyond just the expectations of their role. That’s a quality I (and I’m guessing many other leaders) appreciate.
Keep your eyes peeled for candidates who ask questions like:
“What does the team need that’s a gap right now?”
“How can I contribute outside of what’s mentioned in the job description?”
“What challenges are you currently facing, and how could I help solve them if I were in this role?”
“How can I help coach and mentor junior members on the team?”
“What are some process improvements that I could contribute to?”
“How would someone in this role uphold and support this team’s values?”
When I think about stand-out candidates I’ve interviewed in the past, what they all had in common was that they didn’t just check the boxes on paper. From our first interview, they showed that they would bring something positive to the team and the company, and they didn’t disappoint.
Here are a couple of examples:
I had one candidate who stood out because they showed an amazing level of authenticity and maturity during our interviews. It was clear that this person genuinely wanted to help the team get better if they came aboard — and they did. They invested in mentoring others and helped set a tone for a supportive culture.
There was another candidate I remember who showed great interest in improving design advocacy and education within the broader company. They even proposed a few ways they would move that initiative forward if hired. I brought them on, and they really invested in making our “lunch and learn” program a success.
When you’re early in the process of building a design team, this is so important! The examples your hires set can change the overall dynamic, so keep an eye out for people who will demonstrate the values you’re looking for.
Sealing the deal
No matter what green flags you look for in your design interviews, you’ll still have to deal with the challenge of closing the right candidate when you find them — especially when they’re talking to multiple companies.
When you have a tight budget, you might not be able to compete on just price. I’ll be honest, if you have someone who’s hyper-focused on base salary, you may lose them. This can be an issue in startup environments and early-stage design teams where budgets are limited.
That said, if you understand a candidate’s other motivations, you may still be able to land them.
What are they looking for besides the money? Growth opportunities? Coaching and mentoring? A chance to do mission-oriented work? A supportive culture? Work-life balance? Flexibility? Make it clear how your team will provide those things in a way that other teams can’t.
Not every candidate will go for this, and some will take a hard line about compensation, which is fine. But I’ve found that for many candidates, the money is just one piece of what they’re looking for. Figure out what those other pieces are, and prove that your team is where to find them, and you’ll have an easier time making the hire, even when there’s competition.
A final word
Hiring is a marathon, not a sprint. You’ve come this far, so stay dialed into your green flags and work to understand not just what a candidate can offer you, but what you can offer them. When you can learn to spot promising candidates and find a way to resonate with what they’re looking for, you’ll be on your way to building a winning team.
In the next post, we’ll talk about what inclusive design hiring looks like and why it’s important to revisit some of the outdated practices that might not be so human-centered. See you next time!