Career Strategy Podcast with Sarah Doody | UX, Product Design, UX Research 168 - UX Hiring Insights: Steph McDonald UX Design Recruiter at HubSpot on AI in Hiring, Portfolios & What Gets You Hired
What does it actually take to get hired in UX Design and stand out to UX recruiters? Steph McDonald, a UX Recruiter from HubSpot is here to share how she approaches UX hiring.
With 300+ applications often coming in for a single UX design role, the competition is intense. And behind every application is a recruiter making real decisions about who moves forward and who doesn't.
In this episode of the Career Strategy Podcast, Sarah Doody sits down with Steph McDonald, a lead UX design recruiter at HubSpot who has spent over 25 years in recruiting. Steph is refreshingly honest about what's happening on the other side of your application.
She breaks down exactly how candidates are evaluated, how AI is being used in hiring right now, and the resume and portfolio mistakes that get you skipped. She also shares what she actually wants to see in a portfolio (spoiler: the messy stuff), why one-page resumes drive her crazy, and why those AI-powered bots that apply to jobs on your behalf are doing more harm than good.
Whether you're actively applying to UX roles, this conversation will change how you think about showing up as a candidate.
Timestamps:
00:00 Meet Steph McDonald, UX Design Recruiter at HubSpot
01:55 How Steph got into recruiting by accident
03:39 How the job market has shifted post-COVID
05:28 Why companies are hiring fewer people at higher levels
06:35 How long it actually takes to get hired at HubSpot
07:51 How HubSpot tweaks its hiring process like a product
08:41 Trauma-informed recruiting and candidate empathy
10:03 How HubSpot gives candidates real feedback after interviews
13:53 How AI is used inside HubSpot's hiring process
16:23 Auto-reject questions and how they work
18:04 Why AI application bots are hurting candidates
21:49 How recruiters feel when they spot AI-generated answers
24:58 Resume hot takes: font size, page length, and impact
29:22 What Steph looks for in a UX portfolio
33:46 Portfolio format: website vs. presentation vs. Google folder
34:49 Diversity and inclusion in HubSpot's hiring process
38:45 How many people actually get interviewed per role
41:21 Can you reach out to a recruiter after getting rejected?
45:15 Using video in your portfolio: supplement, not replacement
46:02 What "experience with ambiguity" really means
50:03 Is HubSpot hiring right now?
51:29 Lightning round: first job, dream career, interview pump-up song
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