M.C. Escher’s UX Research Career Ladder
Summary
The most successful UX researchers Mackenzie has had the gift of working with traverse some of the most non-linear, seemingly meandering career paths and life journeys imaginable. Yet job requirements and research career ladders, if they exist at all, seem to expect and even demand a linear trajectory, all too often focused on tenure as a main criteria for growth. This session will suggest new criteria for evaluating the maturity of one’s research practice as well as propose a focus on one’s researcher identity. Mackenzie wants to explore how we might better recognize transferable skills and capabilities and explore more inclusive frameworks that can house the wide variety of lived experiences that so clearly leads to success in the UX research space.
Key Insights
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Many successful UX researchers have non-linear, ‘meandering’ career paths rather than the linear trajectories job descriptions demand.
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Researchers often realize they have been doing UX research informally long before entering the field or receiving formal credentials.
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Current hiring processes emphasize formal ‘stamps’ or credentials which often fail to capture transferable skills and true potential.
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There is a disconnect between what gets recognized in hiring and promotions versus what actually drives success in UX research.
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Defining individual and team research identities can help teams align on what success looks like and value diverse strengths.
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Successful project models that reflect real experiences, including challenges, help create shared understanding and appreciation in teams.
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Recruiting must extend beyond traditional channels and jargon to find talented researchers from diverse backgrounds and career paths.
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Providing transparency and guidance in recruiting (e.g., translating transferable skills) helps candidates perform better and reduces bias.
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Supporting researchers beyond entry-level roles is crucial to retaining talent, fostering mastery, and developing future leaders.
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Treating the talent acquisition and retention challenges as a design problem encourages iterative, human-centered approaches to build a more inclusive discipline.
Notable Quotes
"The most successful researchers I’ve worked with have traversed the most non-linear and seemingly meandering career paths possible."
"I call this the moment of I’ve been doing this all along—people realize they were practicing research before they knew the name."
"You’re hired for the wrong reasons—those buzzwords and expensive stamps aren’t what really make you successful."
"The front door of our discipline is narrow, and while it serves a purpose, I don’t think it’s serving us well."
"Not everyone can become a great UX researcher, but a great UX researcher can come from anywhere."
"If we want to do the best work, we cannot keep looking in the same places and hope the right people will just show up."
"Tell people the ingredients and instructions—clarify what we’re looking for and support them to do their best."
"We must recognize multi-track career and multi-level skill sets, avoiding the single-track start-over model."
"This process does not end with getting someone in the door; how do we support and retain them to mastery and leadership?"
"Let’s blur the barrier between the outside and the inside, to stop missing out and strengthen the connections critical to what we do."
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