Google UX Researcher Interview Guide

This is an hour-long "get-to-know-you" interview with a recruiter which is basically a discussion of your background, past experiences, motivations for joining the company, and core values. 

You might be asked questions like:

• Tell me about yourself 
• Can you tell me about your previous experiences in UX research and how they have prepared you for this role?
• What motivated you to pursue a career in UX research?

During this round, you will interview with a senior Google Researcher, or someone from the Google UX Research team, to assess your technical aptitude, previous experiences, and suitability for the role. It is a 45-minute session during which they may ask you a series of technical questions to evaluate your knowledge and skills related to UX research. You may be asked about research methods, tactics, and how you would approach specific research scenarios.

For instance, they may ask you to explain your preferred research methodologies and how you have applied them in a real-world project. Or even present a hypothetical research scenario and then ask you to outline your research plan, the specific methods you would employ, how you would gather insights, and so on.

Example Questions:

• How have you approached user research for mobile platforms, and what unique challenges did you encounter?
• How would you handle a situation where you have limited resources and time to conduct user research?
• What are some innovative or emerging research methods or tools you have used or are interested in exploring?
• How do you ensure the privacy and ethical considerations of user data during your research studies?
• Can you discuss your experience with data visualisation and how you have used it to effectively communicate research findings?
• Can you discuss a time when you utilised remote research methods and tools effectively, and what advantages or limitations you experienced?

To ace this round, be prepared to share detailed examples and insights from your previous experiences and demonstrate your expertise in UX research methodologies, how you've collaborated, and the impact you've had, etc.

For instance, "I recently worked on a project for onboarding experience for a mobile app where I employed a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, starting from conducting in-depth interviews to understanding users' motivations, pain points, and expectations during the onboarding process. Ultimately, our research findings and collaborative efforts led to a redesigned onboarding experience that reduced user drop-off rates by 20% and increased user satisfaction scores by 15%."

The Onsite Interview, which is the final stage of the process at Google, is rather comprehensive and gruelling. It typically consists of a 45-minute presentation followed by five one-on-one interviews with a panel who have reviewed your portfolio. 

Your presentation is your chance to showcase your previous work and highlight your research accomplishments while the subsequent interviews will allow your interviewers to delve deeper into your skills, experiences, and fit for the role

Here's a bunch of questions candidates have been asked previously:

• How did you handle it when someone rejected your research idea?
• How do you customise your research findings to suit different audiences?
• Can you share an instance when your research did not yield the expected results? What were the reasons behind its failure?
• Reflecting on your past mistakes, what valuable lessons have you learned, and how have you utilised those experiences to grow and improve?
• Could you explain your research analysis pipeline or process?
• Given a choice, which team would you prefer working with: the product team or a dedicated design team?
• Can you describe the research methods you prefer to use and consider yourself to be an expert in?
• In relation to the project we discussed earlier, what alternative methods would you have considered to conduct the research?
• Can you outline your current UX research process and how you approach it?
• How do you define success in the context of research?

You may also be asked hypothetical questions, scenario questions regarding research, methodologies, communication, and etc. Such questions would most certainly appear in your presentation interview. 

For instance, 

• Your product owner has approached you, asking to test a confidential prototype within a 24-hour timeframe. How would you approach this situation?
• I want to set up a website. Help me go through the research I should conduct to ensure its success.
• You are conducting user research for a mobile app redesign project. How would you choose the most appropriate research methods?

Throughout these questions, your interviewers are looking to assess the following key skills:

• Strong decision-making abilities and ethical judgment.
• Experience presenting research insights in a clear, effective, and concise manner.
• Effective prioritization, resource allocation, and task management.
• Ability to tailor research findings for different audiences.
• Ability to handle feedback and navigate disagreements professionally.
• Adaptability to changes and collaborative skills.

Therefore, your aim should be to identify what skills or knowledge is expected of you in that scenario and structure your answer to demonstrate that specific skill set. For instance, if they ask "Imagine you are leading a research project with a tight deadline. How would you manage your time and resources effectively?"

Here, you need to display your project and time management skills, as well as your ability to handle time-sensitive projects. Here's a compelling answer to this question: