Rosenverse

This video is only accessible to Gold members. Log in or register for a free Gold Trial Account to watch.

Log in Register

Most conference talks are accessible to Gold members, while community videos are generally available to all logged-in members.

Mission: Keep Talent in Research Roles!
Gold
Wednesday, March 10, 2021 • Advancing Research 2021
Share the love for this talk
Mission: Keep Talent in Research Roles!
Speakers: Rebecca Buck
Link:

Summary

We need more people with research skills in positions of influence and leadership in tech companies, but it can be difficult to feel like we’re succeeding in our roles, let alone growing into leadership. There is a lot to contend with—from the inevitable chaos of quickly growing organizations, or struggling to find “fit” when working with product teams, to ethical dilemmas about the unintended consequences of the technologies we help create. Rebecca Buck will discuss the most prevalent areas of conflict she has seen lead to researchers leaving teams, companies, or distancing themselves from the title “researcher”. Through stories and examples she will cover common patterns of frustration and offer tips and frameworks for navigating issues of defining the role of research, championing quality, and increasing influence with stakeholders.

Key Insights

  • Researcher career paths are non-linear, more like snakes and ladders than ladders.

  • Three main UX research backgrounds each bring distinct strengths and blind spots: academic rigor, business storytelling, and bravery from career switchers.

  • Fit in UX research should be reframed as 'product market fit' to depersonalize hiring and role alignment.

  • UX research roles vary by proximity to product development: track builders (close), lookouts (managers), scouts (mid-future planning), and explorers (long-term vision).

  • Researchers often feel underutilized or frustrated due to poor management and unclear role expectations.

  • Quality definitions in research differ across contexts; sometimes relationship-building is more valuable than perfect data.

  • Negotiating research trade-offs and setting clear expectations is key to effective leadership and collaboration.

  • Burnout is pervasive in tech and often goes unrecognized; coaching and self-reflection can help mitigate it.

  • Embedding researchers flexibly in organizations—embedded vs. external advisors—depends on trust and team needs.

  • Effective UX researchers wear many hats: translators, storytellers, facilitators, and bridge builders across disciplines.

Notable Quotes

"I want researchers in the room in positions of power and influence to help executives see the broader social implications of technology."

"With all this influx into UX research, many still struggle to find their footing and feel underutilized."

"My career has looked more like a game of snakes and ladders than a straight ladder."

"Fit is an important question; it just needs to be reframed thoughtfully to avoid discriminatory connotations."

"I love that clients don’t actually care what I call myself as long as I’m helping them achieve great outcomes."

"Sometimes, right, you feel like you’re about to be run over by the delivery train, and that pressure shapes how research is received."

"When definitions of quality differ, it’s all about trade-offs and meeting people where they are."

"If your recreational reading is about prison camp survivorship or hostage negotiations, you might have burnout."

"Researchers are translators, storytellers, facilitators, and bridge builders. I love that bridge-building dimension."

"There’s so many ways to change team dynamics by getting closer or further from that train."

Ask the Rosenbot
Jackie Ho
Lead Effectively While Preserving Team Autonomy with Growth Boards
2024 • Enterprise Experience 2020
Gold
Kristin Skinner
8 Types of Measures in Design Operations
2020 • DesignOps Community
Dr. Karl Jeffries
The Science of Creativity for DesignOps
2024 • DesignOps Summit 2020
Gold
Bryce Benton
[Demo] AI-powered UX enhancement: Aligning GitHub documentation with USWDS at Austin Public Library
2024 • Designing with AI 2024
Gold
Billy Carlson
Ideation tips for Product Managers
2022 • Design in Product 2022
Gold
Prayag Narula
HCI 2.0: Humanity Deserves the Attention that UX Research has to Offer
2023 • Advancing Research 2023
Gold
John Calhoun
Bring your DesignOps Story to Life! The Definitive DesignOps Book Jam
2023 • DesignOps Summit 2023
Gold
Gregg Bernstein
Opportunistic Research with Gregg Bernstein
2019 • Advancing Research Community
Kit Unger
Theme 3 Intro
2022 • Design at Scale 2022
Gold
Megan Blocker
Day 2 Theme Panel
2025 • Advancing Research 2025
Gold
Jeff Gothelf
Innovation Studios: the Engines of Enterprise Experimentation
2015 • Enterprise UX 2015
Gold
Kristin Skinner
Opening Keynote: Org Design for Design Orgs
2017 • DesignOps Summit 2017
Gold
Nalini P. Kotamraju
Two Jobs in One: Being a “Leader who is a Researcher” and a “Researcher who is a Leader"
2021 • Advancing Research 2021
Gold
Sarah Auslander
Insights Panel
2022 • Civic Design 2022
Gold
Francesca Barrientos, PhD
You Need Your Own Definition of Design Maturity
2022 • Design at Scale 2022
Gold
Gabriela Barneva
Operationalizing Inclusive Design in Service Design
2025 • Advancing Service Design 2025
Conference

More Videos

Peter Van Dijck

"People tend to trust AI a lot because it seems very confident—even when it’s not always accurate."

Peter Van Dijck

Designing AI-first products on top of a rapidly evolving technology

June 10, 2025

Greg Petroff

"Our researchers talk regularly to the CEO and are closely involved in product decisions, making research highly impactful here."

Greg Petroff

The Compass Mission

March 10, 2021

Dr. Jamika D. Burge

"We’re in the business of solving problems. It really takes a village to do it the right way for the right people at the right time."

Dr. Jamika D. Burge Jemma Ahmed Chris Geison

Bridge Building across Research Disciplines

August 26, 2021

Theresa Marwah

"Building respect is the foundation to get insights that truly help us deliver to our customers' needs."

Theresa Marwah

How Atlassian is Operationalizing Respect in Research

February 27, 2020

Jennifer Fraser

"In our haste to get answers quickly, we often ignore what system we’re working within and why."

Jennifer Fraser

What would Emmy Noether Do? Math, Models and Mulling in UX Research

March 29, 2023

Sheri Byrne-Haber

"Assistive technology has to communicate with the destination, that’s your website or product."

Sheri Byrne-Haber

Accessibility at Scale

June 9, 2021

Steve Portigal

"You probably have messed up. You probably will mess up. It’s inevitable and it’s okay."

Steve Portigal

War Stories LIVE! Steve Portigal

March 30, 2020

Bria Alexander

"If something makes you feel unwelcome, the code of conduct explains how to engage with staff to resolve issues."

Bria Alexander Louis Rosenfeld

Welcome

January 8, 2024

John Calhoun

"Endlessly justifying yourself rarely changes others’ opinions. It positions design ops as up for debate."

John Calhoun Rachel Posman

Meters, Miles, and Madness: New Frameworks to Measure the (Elusive) Value of DesignOps

September 24, 2024