UX Researcher Interview Guide

The phone screen with a recruiter is typically the first step in the hiring process. It's not exactly an interview (rather a casual chat) but it's a good idea to be prepared for interview-like questions, just in case. 

The recruiter's main goal is to gain a better understanding of your career goals; so, they might ask about your interests in specific types of research, particular products, whether you're open to relocating, etc. Beyond that, they might provide information about the company's available opportunities and their interview process. Be mindful, recruiters also assess your communication skills and look for any red flags. Also, even if you're applying for an entry-level position, it's important to think about your long-term career aspirations. Only if both you and the recruiter see that your aspirations and the company's needs align, will you progress to the next round of the interview process.

Interview Questions

• Which aspects of your education do you believe have equipped you for this role?
• Share your journey of discovering UX research and how you became acquainted with it.
• Could you explain what drives your interest in user research?
• How do you actively seek to broaden your industry knowledge?
• Describe your approach and methodology when conducting research.

During this interview, you'll typically have a video/phone conversation with a UX researcher or an HR representative, and it's usually quite technical—as in your research skills, UX design methodology, and expertise.

Thus, you may encounter inquiries about your prior research work, for instance, questions like "Share a specific project where you faced a challenging research situation" or "Describe an instance when you had to adapt your research methods to a unique problem."

You may also encounter research problems to solve, like "Propose a research approach to uncover user preferences for a new product" or "Outline the steps you would take to investigate the impact of a website redesign on user engagement."

The main goal of this interview is to determine if you're a strong enough candidate to bring in for an on-site interview. Some companies may have multiple rounds of technical phone interviews, while others rely on just one. Typically, a second interview only happens if the first interviewer couldn't make a strong recommendation about taking you forward to the on-site interview.

Interview Questions

• How would you formulate a study for [specific topic]?
• Could you describe the research methods you've previously employed?
• What is your preferred research method, and what are its advantages and limitations?
• How do you decide when to use qualitative, quantitative, or a combination of research methods?
• What steps do you take to ensure that your research questions align effectively with the goals of a project?
• How do you address and mitigate potential biases in your research processes?

The on-site interview typically spans a full day, starting in the morning and ending in the afternoon. The interviewers can be a mix of researchers or various UX professionals from different disciplines, including research, design, UX engineering, motion, and writing.

The interview panel can be diverse, consisting of professionals from various UX-related disciplines. This may include UX engineers, UX designers, content writers, and so on. For instance, you could have one interview with a UX researcher who focuses on your research methodologies and another interview with a UX designer who evaluates your ability to translate research findings into design solutions.

Here are the rounds you would typically face:

• Research Presentation: Your day usually begins with a research presentation, which lasts approximately an hour and covers a research project you've worked on in the past. As an example, you might be asked to present a user study you conducted to improve a specific product's user experience. You'd be expected to explain your research methods, share key findings, and discuss how those findings influenced product improvements.
• 1:1 Interviews: Following the presentation, you'll engage in a series of 1:1 interviews with employees from the company. Expect to have 4 to 6 of these interviews, each lasting about an hour. These interviews delve deeper into your qualifications, experience, and how well you'd fit within the team. So, they might enquire about your experience in conducting usability testing, your ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams, and so on. They may also present you with a hypothetical scenario and ask you to devise a research plan to address it. 
• Lunch Interview: There's often a lunch break; usually it's an opportunity for candidates to relax and have a casual conversation with a current employee to get a sense of team dynamics and company values.. However, in some cases, it may also be an additional interview to further assess your cultural fit and interpersonal skills. Treat it as a two-way conversation. Have a list of thoughtful questions ready for the interviewer. Inquire about the role, the company, its culture, current challenges, and how they measure the impact of research.

The on-site interview is a pivotal stage in the hiring process and greatly influences whether you'll receive a job offer. So, rehearse your answers ahead of time. Make sure you pen down and practice your answers out loud to avoid fumbling at the interview. Consider doing mock interviews with UX Researchers for practicing and receiving constructive feedback. You can find many experienced professionals on platforms like Prepfully, where you can book sessions directly to refine your interview skills.

Interview Questions

• How do you decide which research method to use for making decisions?
• When would you skip doing research before making a decision?
• Can you describe a time when you used a mixed-methods approach in your research, and what was the outcome?
• How do you prioritize your research tasks when working on multiple projects simultaneously?
• How do you know when your research is making a real difference?
• If you could ask just one question to learn how people feel about a product, what would it be?
• How do you handle lots of data and make sense of it?
• When do you know you've finished your research?
• Pick a favorite app and explain how you'd check if it's good.
• Describe a challenging project where you had to adapt your research methods due to limited resources or tight constraints.
• How do you ensure the privacy and ethical treatment of user data in your research practices?
• Share a tough decision you had to make as a researcher and how you made it.
• If both design options for a test fail, what do you do?
• Share an example of a project where your research findings led to a significant change or improvement in a product or design.
• How do you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and advancements in the field of UX research?
• Can you discuss a situation where you had to mediate conflicting feedback from stakeholders regarding research findings? How did you handle it?
• Explain your approach to creating user personas and how they contribute to the design process.
• When conducting remote or unmoderated user testing, what strategies do you use to gather valuable insights without direct interaction with participants?
• What do you do if you disagree with someone about how a feature should look?
• How would you explain why UX research is important to a Product Manager and an Engineer?