What technology startups look for when hiring a UI/UX designer

Over the past few years, the UI / UX designers have emerged as some of the most sought after IT professionals by major and minor IT corporations alike. The increasing popularity has led to a number of professionals taking up UI / UX designing as a career alternative, thus increasing the competition in the hiring circuit. To make sure you have an upper hand while appearing for a job interview, you must know what the technology startups look for when hiring a UI / UX designer. So here goes the list ““

Most of the companies look for specific skills

Very few companies, if any, would look to hire generic UI / UX designers who have working knowledge of all designing related aspects. Rather, most companies hire candidates who can fulfill their specific needs. The company’s website, app and the future growth plans determine the kind of designer the company is looking to hire. In most cases, the designer’s alignment with the company’s business ideas and thinking matters much more than his experience and skills.

A person who can take it to the next level

For an online business, UI / UX designers are some of the most critical employees in the company who can take the product to the next level. Since the designer would be at the centre of action at most of the times, the companies make sure that the person is capable enough to handle such pressure and expectations. If an employee shows a previous experience of 5 years, the company assesses the actual quality of the experience gained and the evolution of the product during those five years.

A candidate who is ready to accept his shortcomings

Stubbornness is the last trait any company wants in its employees, and more so for the designers. Half of the designer’s job is about accepting the feedback given and implementing it religiously. But if the designer is too proud of his work to accept any shortcomings, it creates a difficult situation for the company. A number of designers are offended when they are told about the deficiencies in their final outcome which hurts the entire project. The company rather looks for candidates who take this as an opportunity to learn and improve for the upcoming tasks.

“Make good stuff & Make stuff good”

One of the ground rules for hiring top designers is that he or she must “make good stuff and make stuff good”. The designers are essentially responsible for giving a digital form to the users’ words and ideas. Unless the designer has the ability to visualize the outcome based on the client’s inputs, he or she won’t be able to add value to the company. Interpretation of the user’s input, simplifying the entire process and designing the most appropriate solution is the algorithm that every designer has to be well versed in. Making the complex idea look simple and beautiful is what determines the designer’s prowess.

Testing them with a task

It is extremely hard to judge a candidate only on the basis of a conversation during the interview. Resultantly, most of the companies prefer assigning a small task to the candidates during the interview itself. The task is usually related to the eventual work the designer is expected to perform in the company. During such tasks, the companies make note of the thought process of the candidate, as much as they make note of the eventual outcome.

Portfolio mostly triumphs over experience

One of the most common dilemmas before the companies is whether to hire on the basis of the years of experience or the quality of portfolio. Bringing about a change in the previously held perceptions, the companies are now increasingly tilting towards portfolio rather than experience. Being in the industry for 7 to 8 years doesn’t account for much if the candidate doesn’t have the appropriate portfolio to showcase his or her worth and the prior projects undertaken.