In a recent episode of the NN/G UX Podcast, Therese Fessenden spoke with design recruiter and former UX designer Hang Xu.

Listen to the episode.

Quotes have been edited for clarity and brevity.

Meet Hang Xu: From Designer to Recruiter

Before becoming a recruiter, Hang Xu spent a decade working as a UX designer. His pivot to recruiting was motivated by his own frustration with the hiring process. He thought that he could help improve what was not working. After switching to recruiting, he discovered just how deeply ingrained many UX-hiring problems are, and he gained a clearer understanding of the constraints and processes that shape the hiring process.

Now, alongside his design-recruiting work, Hang is working on a personal project to land a top-tier design role within six months. The project, called OnlyFAANGs, documents every step of his journey.

The Shifting Power Dynamics in UX Hiring

During the tech hiring spree in 2021–2022, many companies got rid of take-home assignments and lengthy hiring processes. Candidates had more leverage, and employers did not want to lose top talent.

“You’ll notice that when the hiring spree happened in 2022, virtually all take-home design exercises disappeared overnight because recruiters couldn’t get any candidate to progress in the process if they had a take-home design exercise.”

But the job market cooled, and that power has shifted. Today, the power has returned to employers. Now, those same take-home assignments and lengthy hiring processes have returned.

“That labor is being shifted back onto us, for each hour the hiring manager spends in evaluating us, we’re spending probably 30 hours, maybe. Maybe that’s a bit extreme, but definitely more than 10 to 1.”

Candidates may not have the upper hand anymore, but Hang shares ways to navigate today’s hiring constraints and better understand how the system works.

Craft and Taste: The Most Subjective Hiring Criteria

The terms “craft” and “taste” come up often in UX hiring, but their meanings are rarely defined. According to Hang Xu, “craft” is subjective and depends entirely on who you ask. Designers who have been working in the field for a long time may define craft as the details that users might not notice.

“Designers from a certain era might consider craft to be more like how a carpenter would design things. Like the things that are invisible, the things that you don’t see. In Steve Jobs’ biography, he talks about carpentry and cabinets and paying attention to the things that most users or customers would never ever see.”

Designers who entered the field more recently may relate it more to aesthetics:

“And then it feels like with newer designers, it has more to do with visual impressiveness. And I don’t just say visual-design quality, but the extra emphasis and effort put into it, in a detailed sense, that goes far and beyond what is typically asked of a designer.”

Hang himself uses the analogy of a three-star Michelin restaurant versus a one-star Michelin restaurant to describe craft. The product, or the food at these restaurants, might not be dramatically different, but the three-star Michelin experience reflects a much higher level of holistic attention. Attention to detail is evident in the service, the environment, and personalized touches tailored to each customer.

Because these interpretations of craft are rarely made clear to job seekers, designers need to understand who they’re designing their portfolio for and align their work with what that audience sees as quality.

You’re Not Designing for Your Real User (the Hiring Manager)

A common mistake Hang Xu sees among UX job seekers is that they are shaping their application materials to impress other designers. But many times, the person reviewing your resume or portfolio first isn’t a designer at all.

“Oftentimes, you’re being evaluated by a recruiter who’s never done design before, by a hiring manager who might be a PM, or [by] a founder who’s never even worked with design.”

If your interviewer is not a designer, their needs and goals are different. Even talented designers can be overlooked if they don’t take the time to understand the people they will be speaking with during the hiring process

“[Hiring managers] are not looking for a lesson or a quick course on what design is. They’re trying to solve their own problems. So, you really need to figure out who your audience is and when the right moment is to talk about something like [your personal design beliefs]. And more importantly, when to give up on your closely held beliefs. It’s not really about right or wrong; sometimes it’s more about whether you want to get a job in this company or on this team.”

You have to understand your audience, speak to its goals, and design your application with the constraints of the hiring process in mind.

Should You Tailor Your Resume for Each Application?

Understanding your audience is the first step. The next challenge is deciding where to put your effort when adapting your application materials to meet your audience’s needs. Tailoring every resume and portfolio you send out sounds ideal, but Hang cautions that doing so for every job isn’t always sustainable or the most strategic use of your time.

Rather, focus your efforts. Hang encourages candidates to assess their current position in the market, decide who their primary audience is, and focus their energy where they’re most likely to see a return.

“It’s about knowing when to give up on a certain direction, and when to double down.”

The Truth About Applicant-Tracking Systems (ATS)

Applicant-tracking systems (ATS) often have a bad reputation and get blamed for quick rejections. However, there are many misconceptions surrounding ATS. Tools like Workday or Greenhouse don’t decide who gets interviewed; recruiters still have decision-making power.

“Many people think that [ATS] is a bot or it’s an AI-powered software that decides who gets through the doors, who gets to the first round interview. That is not the case.

ATS tracks the candidate when they apply for a job. Even after, if they’ve been rejected, that information is still stored in there because then recruiters can reference them later […], if they want to check back to see. It’s very much a productivity tool more than anything else.”

In some cases, candidates are rejected almost immediately after applying. The reasons are typically straightforward and have nothing to do with an algorithm filtering out resumes. Hang outlines a few common reasons:

• Knockout questions. Applicants are automatically rejected if they don’t meet hard criteria like location or work authorization.
• Real-time review. Recruiters often review resumes manually as they come in, which means a human may be behind that fast rejection.
• The role is already filled. Some job postings stay live even after the role is closed or the candidate pool is full.

One of the most persistent myths Hang pushes back on is the idea of the “ATS-friendly” resume.

“That term ‘ATS-friendly’ is a little scammy. It’s a red flag to me if somebody talks about that.”

Having an ATS-friendly, or legible resume, simply makes it easier for the system to parse your information and autofill the application form. If the formatting is unclear, the system may not be able to parse the resume correctly, which would require the candidate to manually input their information. While this takes more time, it doesn’t impact how the candidate is evaluated. Once the candidate’s information is in the system, everyone is assessed based on their experience and fit.

“A legible resume means you save time each time you apply to a job. And that timesaving is very valuable. But that is something that you can do entirely on your own as a designer.”

Designers may run into issues with legibility because they create resumes in design tools like Figma and may be forced to manually re-enter their information while filling out applications. Hang recommends using text-based editors like Google Docs or Microsoft Word instead.

Listen to The Full Conversation

To hear Hang and Therese discuss UX hiring, listen to the full podcast episode.

Keep up with Hang’s OnlyFaangs challenge to land a design role in 6 months.

For more conversations about current UX topics, subscribe to the NN/g UX Podcast