Hiring Manager Interview

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Most of the time the hiring manager for a design role will come from a design background, but in smaller startups they might be an engineer or a PM looking to establish a design team. Depending on who you get, the questions will vary slightly but the objectives are similar.

Usually you’ll talk to them at the end—by this time the other interviewers have submitted feedback or flagged additional things to probe on. In addition to these, the hiring manager will try to assess your:

• Professionalism. How you carry yourself and how you come across.

• Career aspirations. Where do you expect to be in the next few years.

• Team fit. What team would serve you and the company best.

If this is a seasoned manager, they’ll get straight to the point and will ask you the hard questions. Since the final decision rests on them and the consequences of a bad hire are high, they’ll want to make sure there are no remaining red flags. But it’s not all bad cop—they’ll also sell you on the role and the team.

Sample questions you may get asked:

• What aspect of design is exciting to you? Why?

• What’s your area of strength?

• What’s your area of growth?

• Where do you see yourself in the next few years?

Use this time to learn about your manager as well. Are they growth oriented? Do you feel like you can get along with them? How have they supported designers previously?