UX jobs: Understanding the complexity of problems. (part 1)

Let us first attempt to understand the problems faced before assuming a fix. The User Experience Industry is being pressured to reflect all the tools used for clients, onto the field itself, in order to find a way to connect the surplus of talent with the desperate need for the work. As of now we have broken systems, in dire need of a UX overhaul, or at least revision, and with pools of new and seasoned UX designers collecting with nowhere to go, there is a huge missed opportunity happening.

The space in between. May 2020.

My experience of job searching since I graduated from my UX Bootcamp 6 months ago has been anything but fruitful. I have not made headway in any direction, and as an avid problem-solver, I have tried many directions. What I have done, is observed as the industry of UX has become completed saturated with designers, researchers, writers, and developers eager to apply their often, newly learned skills. The fact that designers with 10+ years of experience are also competing for a place in this market, makes the prospects of a junior designer getting hired even more allusive. The ironic aspect of this is that the same issues that are causing many of these companies to make lay-offs and/or hiring for only senior positions are also the issues that would greatly benefit from wide and varied UX perspectives. Simply put, the problems we are facing today, in all aspects of society, are demanding we design, redesign and collaborate effectively to solve for them, and in order to do that, we need to find places for all the talented UX professionals out there.

There exists a need and there exists many possible solutions, but how will we find the pathways to align the puzzle pieces (talent), with the puzzle (digital design industry) that seems to keep growing?

What are some ways that we can better pave these paths to connect the companies and organizations who need innovative and fresh talent with that of the individuals who are eager to apply their valuable skills?

A common narrative I come across as I find many folks noticing this situation, revolves around offering the talent ways to optimize their portfolio, resume, etc., alongside tips on how to “best network”, which besides seeming somewhat subjective, meaning everyone has their own ideas on what recruiters want to see and here. My question is, “Why does this narrative of seeking a job fall all on the person with the value to offer, and where does this become a shared process for the hiring manager and those seeking the position?” As far as I can tell, those on the other side of this table, looking for talent are not spared from the process of unfulfilled seeking. The methods of outreach and application are simply not sufficient anymore. Companies are receiving anywhere from 100–1000 applications, and due to everyone hearing the same news about how to optimize, they see 100–1000 versions of the same person, without the ability to efficiently reach and find the appropriate talent. Perhaps a job posting is not enough. Perhaps asking for a resume and portfolio is not the wisest first step.

I propose we reconsider the value that is placed on the individual that the company is seeking to hire and use the Design Thinking framework to create a way to innovate the outreach process. After all, if you create a broad list of qualifications and requirements, you’re going to receive a broad range of talent. This kind of situation attracts many of whom will not be a good fit and many that are, that go amiss. The time that's wasted for both the recruiters and applicants adds up to a giant loss of potential. The potential for rising to a very potent and timely occasion is tucked away inside every team that is working on innovative projects. How will we find the support that this dynamic process desperately needs?

1. Empathize: Let’s consider the two parties involved, that of the talent and that of the company. By consider, I mean leaving all ones’ assumptions at the door and actively listening and witnessing to what is revealed through interviews and inquiries. Having this invaluable, subjective information alongside that of the domain research (of the job market), we will be able to understand the missed opportunities and possible options.
2. Define: By taking this information and synthesizing it into patterns, themes, outliers, and keywords, we, as researchers and designers can begin to formulate the right questions and problems to solve for. Companies must think about the direct needs, wants, and capacities of the talent, while the talent researches and defines what company would be the best fit.
3. Ideate: Brainstorm new tools a company can use to post a job in a way that asks for exactly what they need and does so in a unique way to engage and attract the right candidates. What does the talent pool need to save their time from applying to a job that won’t consider them and find the ones that will?
4. Prototype: Quickly draw out potential tools and design sketches of alternates/enhancements to job postings such as video recordings, animation, and/or personality quizzes for optimization.
5. Test: Try out the prototypes on the audience by looking, listening, and observing for subtle interactions, what is working, what is lacking, and what needs to go.

Through this process of assessment and problem solving, we are able to gain an understanding of why things have gotten so desperate and what it is that the people, on both sides, need now to support them. As with any design process, a crucial aspect to remember is the checking of biases. When we enter a room for an interview or contextual inquiry, it is imperative that we leave all assumptions of what we “think” may happen at the door, and remain tremendously present and open to what “may” happen. The idea of seeing the hiring process as a mutually dependent scenario for the talent and the company requires dropping the assumption that the job market is a one-way road.

What if there was a platform for all types of talent, where you can record and post a 1-minute video of yourself giving your value pitch and below the video, it lists your top 3 qualifications, interests, etc. Then hiring managers and those on the talent hunt, go to these sites and type in the position they're looking for, get a list of people and their short pitches, and then reach out to those that seem a good fit. After all, the hiring manager already has an idea of who they want to hire, so shouldn’t they make the first move? It seems like it could save time and effort for both parties.

This is just one idea, but my point is to shine a light on the process of unfolding problems. To identify what the problem is, we must inquire about the paths that have led up to it. To understand complexities, we must remember to look for them. To create solutions that rewire the whole system to prevent the same issues from happening again, we must examine and expand the ways in which we think, collaborate, and create.

Design is one of those things that the deeper you get into it, the more you cannot ignore the grave responsibility that you carry as a designer. I suppose you can, but where’s the fun in that. We are being asked to solve important and impactful problems. We must, now more than ever, utilize the collaborative and emotional tools that we have developed in order to do our best to create a world where more people can know what freedom, happiness, and love feel like.