Lena Kul, UX Researcher @ Miro, ex-lead Design Recruiter, is a seasoned expert in scaling Product Design and User Experience Research teams within some of the most demanding and designer-driven hyper-growth environments!
She has successfully hired numerous individuals from FAANG and other renowned companies like Spotify, Zendesk, Shopify, and Booking.com 🔎
A year ago, Lena transitioned into a User Research role to gain hands-on experience in the discipline she’s long been exposed to, enriching her perspective as a design recruiter and career mentor.
In this interview with UXtweak, Lena talks about:
🔎 Key skills for top design and UXR candidates from FAANG and beyond
🌟 The unique value of humanized recruitment
🔥 How transitioning into User Research has shaped her recruitment approach
💬 Advice for candidates on standing out in UX and product design roles
❌ Common mistakes to avoid when applying for design and UXR roles
… and so much more! Let’s dive right in!
👥 Design recruiting
Lena Kul at a Talent Acquisition Conference.
When hiring designers from well-known companies like FAANG or Spotify, what specific qualities or skills do you look for that make them stand out from other candidates?
Companies like Meta, Booking.com, Spotify, etc., are known for their mature and senior design teams. Designers and UXR folks naturally develop skills and mindsets that other companies may lack.
This is why recruiters often seek out talent from these organizations. Designers from these environments typically possess strong UXR skills, enabling them to dig deep into problem spaces, understand the problem, and focus on it based on user and business needs, ultimately linking solutions to business outcomes.
They have strong visual skills driven by companies committed to pushing the boundaries of design quality at scale. These designers can handle multiple cross-functional teams and make a more significant impact than those working with a single team.
Importantly, they are innovators who explore unconventional spaces and devise creative solutions, which they test and refine before launching to users. 
Can you explain to people who are not familiar with the world of design recruiting, how does the talent identification process go? How do you identify potential in candidates?
Like any other recruitment, design recruitment focuses on identifying the talent. The recruitment process involves determining the top skills and competencies required to meet business needs.
It’s also important to consider the team’s needs, ensure diversity, and enable team members to grow without overlapping roles.
Once these skills are identified, we start the search in our communities, amongst the company’s employees, and on platforms like LinkedIn to find candidates whose skills and competencies match our needs.
This is why it is important that candidates effectively reflect on their experience in their profiles to increase their chances of being discovered.
You often talk about the importance of “humanized recruitment.” What does this mean to you, and how can companies implement it in their hiring processes?
Humanized recruitment, to me, means both parties in the process are empowered and encouraged to make decisions that contribute to the success of both.
As a company, you want to hire the best candidate who meets your needs, aligning with business requirements, while providing the best opportunity for the candidate.
Similarly, as a candidate, you want a role that advances your career and personal aspirations while offering the skills the company needs.
Humanized recruitment involves open conversations about needs, hopes, fears, and dreams, requiring clear requirements, transparency, and mutual trust. When these elements are present, successful hiring is as well. And I advocate for more of these experiences to happen.
🚀 Transition to user research
Lena Kul at a Talent Acquisition Conference in Barcelona.
After being exposed to user research for years as a design recruiter, what prompted you to make the transition into a hands-on user research role?
I’ve always wanted to try one of the disciplines I’ve been close to for years, so transitioning to user research was a natural choice when the opportunity arose.
Recruitment and research have many overlapping competencies, allowing me to transfer skills like project management and interview techniques. Recruitment is analytical, involving data, and my initial focus on quantitative research continued this emphasis.
I always felt positioned between the recruitment and design communities, and stepping into design has given me a sense of fulfillment and belonging.
How has this transition been going so far? Were there any aspects of it that you’ve found surprising or maybe enlightening?
My transition has been as smooth as one could imagine when you leave years of experience behind and jump into something new 🙂
I actually hired 95% of my team members and then joined myself, which made the transition very exciting!
However, there were challenges, including an identity crisis as I shifted from recruitment to user research overnight. Adapting to the mindset of growth over titles required time, but the support from experienced researchers at Miro has been invaluable.
This transition has taught me the creativity needed to understand problems, work collaboratively, design studies, and analyze data. Sharing insights has been rewarding, and I’ve gained a deeper appreciation for the creativity I can bring to my work.
Have your new experience in user research influenced your approach to recruiting for design and UX roles? Is there anything that changed?
Being a researcher has made me a better recruiter, enhancing my empathy and listening skills. Although recruitment and research involve interviewing, they have different purposes and methodologies.
This experience has made me more aware of what candidates convey. Exposure to research and design has improved my understanding of what I’m selling and promoting.
Terms like design maturity and design sprints, once abstract, are now part of my daily reality. This experience has made me more humble and better equipped to ask questions and deliver insights.
Having worked in recruitment for some time, I began to see it as a mechanical process. However, being a researcher for a year has brought back my human approach, helping me see beyond company brands and appreciate the importance of supporting candidates.
💡 Advice & practical tips
What are the most common mistakes you see candidates make when applying for roles in product design or UX research? How can they better position themselves to stand out?
I’d say that networking is often an undervalued strategy. Many candidates tend to apply for roles and then never hear anything back. Common mistakes include focusing solely on the tasks they’ve completed rather than highlighting the impact they’ve made.
Also, some candidates don’t pay attention to what the company is specifically looking for, opting instead for a “quantity over quality” approach—applying for as many roles as possible without tailoring their applications.
These pitfalls are more prevalent than I’d like to see, which is why I feel it’s crucial to provide more education within our community on effective job search strategies.
Having observed many people struggle with landing a role for months, I was inspired to scale my advising efforts and develop a course designed to help candidates succeed in 2024 and beyond.
🙋♀️ Women in UX
Lena and the team.
What do you think is the best part of being a woman in the UX/tech industry?
The female UX community is expanding globally and making a big impact. We’re naturally empathetic and open to listening, which helps us contribute meaningfully. Joining this community is empowering because it provides support and opportunities to grow.
More women should be encouraged to enter these roles—they do well and inspire others. Supporting each other is crucial.
What is your message to other people in the UX industry?
The past few years have been challenging, with burnout, unemployment, and critical moments for many. However, I believe better days are ahead! There is always a low before a high.
Keep growing, learning, and challenging yourself while being kind to yourself as well.
Remember that sometimes things happen beyond your control. Always do your best and the right thighs will come!
If you’re interested to read more of inspiring interviews with women from the UX industry, check out our other Women in UX talks!
And dont’ forget to check out UXtweak – an all-in-one UX research platform. From user interviews, to surveys, card sorts and usability tests – we have it all 🐝
