⏰ How to Hire the Right UXer in 60 Minutes (Without Wasting Anyone’s Time)
A focused, high-signal interview process that respects both sides
👋 Happy Saturday, my dear UX friends, Marina here!
Today's newsletter comes from a situation I'm betting some of you have faced or will face as you grow in your career.
Here's the problem we are going to be solving this week:
"Hi! I'm in a bit of a tough spot. I started as the first UX designer at [successful startup] 3 years ago, and as we've grown, I naturally evolved into leading our UX team. The first few hires were great - I knew exactly what we needed, and my gut instinct served me well.
But recently, I've hit a wall…our last 2 hires didn't work out, despite looking perfect on paper and interviewing well.
One struggled with the pace and couldn't handle feedback, while the other had great portfolio work but couldn't replicate that quality independently.
I'm now gun-shy about making our next hire, and my CEO is (understandably) asking questions about our hiring process.
How do I develop a more reliable hiring framework?
I can't keep relying on intuition alone, but I'm not sure what a proper hiring system looks like. Help!"
This email really resonated with me, because it's so relatable to my own past hiring experiences - with some amazing hires and some less than stellar ones. I feel your pain! What helped me, and I’m sure will help you, is moving from intuitive to systematic hiring.
Let's break this down into a framework I call the "4D Hiring System" -
Decode → Design → Detect → Develop
1. Decode → Understanding What You REALLY Need
The first mistake many new hiring managers make is jumping straight to writing [usually pretty generic] job descriptions without deeply understanding their actual current needs.
And look, I get it - proper hiring prep feels like a lot of work when you're already stretched thin.
But here's the thing: you stepped up to lead a team, and building a solid hiring system is part of that leadership journey.
Think of it this way - the time you invest now in creating a thoughtful hiring process will save you countless hours of dealing with mis-hires later.
Plus, it's one of those foundational management skills that will serve you throughout your career.
What specific problems will this person solve?
What gaps exist in your current team's capabilities?
What level of autonomy do you actually need from this hire?
What's the real day-to-day work going to look like?
Pro tip: Write this out before looking at any resumes or job descriptions.
( I've seen too many leaders get swayed by impressive candidates before really knowing what they needed.)
2. Design → The “60-Minute Power Interview”
Let's revolutionize the UX interview process.
Right now I'm testing something radical:
A focused, high-signal 60-minute evaluation that respects everyone's time while giving you the insights you need.
Here are 2 possible options (choose one based on your situation and your team’s availability) ↴