初创公司面试要问什么

by Bohdan Kit

通过Bohdan Kit

聘请初创公司的产品设计师时要问的问题 (Questions to ask when hiring a product designer for a startup)

在人群中寻找隐藏宝石的方法指南 (A how-to guide on finding hidden gems in the crowd)

Finding the right person for a startup can be hard, but finding the first product designer to strengthen your product in terms of aesthetics and usability may be even harder. From the very beginning, you want someone who is capable of leading the design process. You want someone who will do everything they can to solve the problems of your users and will make the product lovable and easy to use.

为创业公司找到合适的人可能很困难，但是要找到第一个在美学和可用性方面加强产品性能的产品设计师可能会更加困难。 从一开始，您就希望有人能够领导设计过程。 您希望有人会竭尽所能解决用户的问题，并使产品更讨好且易于使用。

We had this hiring challenge recently at Kepler, because we were trying to find a design rockstar for our new product. While we were interviewing a bunch of product designers, I came up with a list of questions that now helps us scan potential hires like an X-Ray.

最近，我们在开普勒(Kepler)遇到了招聘方面的挑战，因为我们正试图为我们的新产品寻找设计摇滚明星。 当我们采访一群产品设计师时，我想出了一系列问题，这些问题现在可以帮助我们扫描像X射线这样的潜在员工。

As Facebook’s Director of Product Design Julie Zhuo once said,

正如Facebook产品设计总监朱莉卓(Julie Zhuo)所说，

At a startup, you need your first one or two designers to be versatile — great jacks-of-all-trades… Not only do they need to deeply understand and think through product strategy, they also need to have good interaction chops and decent visual sense, since they’ll be doing everything from designing the UX to thinking about the brand to designing icons — they need to have a diverse skill set.

在初创企业中，您需要第一个或第二个设计师多才多艺–千篇一律的交易家……他们不仅需要深入了解和思考产品策略，还需要具有良好的互动能力和良好的视觉效果从某种意义上讲，因为他们将进行从设计UX到思考品牌到设计图标的所有工作，所以他们需要具有多种技能。

Pro Tip: Always remember that you should judge an artist by their work. Don’t just blindly rely on a simple conversation to reveal their true personality and skillset.

专家提示：请始终记住，您应该根据艺术家的作品来对其进行评判。 不要盲目地依靠简单的对话来揭示他们的真实个性和技能。

However, the information you’ll get out of asking the below questions will help you understand whether you are interested in seeing this potential hire’s work.

但是，从以下问题中获得的信息将帮助您了解您是否有兴趣查看该潜在员工的工作。

Afterwards, some form of test task relating to your product design challenges would be a perfect next step.

之后，与产品设计挑战相关的某种形式的测试任务将是下一步的理想选择。

Here are my favorite questions to ask. I’ll discuss why you want to ask them, and what kinds of information you’d hope to hear in response.

这是我最喜欢的问题。 我将讨论您为什么要问他们，以及希望获得什么样的信息作为回应。

1.您认为什么是产品设计？ (1. In your opinion, what is a product design?)

Why you should ask: Product Design is an extremely interdisciplinary domain connecting business, psychology, technical skills, and so on. Not only do you want a potential hire to understand that, but you also want them to explain how they’ve applied this knowledge in their previous work.

为什么要问 ：产品设计是一个非常跨学科的领域，将业务，心理学，技术技能等联系在一起 。 您不仅希望潜在的员工了解这一点，而且还希望他们解释他们如何在以前的工作中应用这些知识。

What you want to hear: One of the candidates I interviewed delivered a good answer:

您想听到的是 ：我采访过的一位候选人给出了很好的答案：

Product design is a mix of business needs, visual appearance, and leadership. That’s why it is so hard, because you have to be good at all three things at the same time if you want your product to be successful…

产品设计是业务需求，外观和领导力的结合。 这就是为什么要这么困难的原因，因为如果您希望您的产品成功，那么您必须同时擅长于所有三件事……

This showed he really knew what he was doing.

这表明他确实知道自己在做什么。

2.告诉我们您所学到的最新知识，它们可以改善您的设计工作。 它以前如何？ 您为什么决定为此花时间？ 之后您如何应用它？ (2. Tell us about the newest thing you’ve learned that has improved your design work. What was it? Why did you decide to invest time in it? How did you apply it afterwards?)

Why you should ask: Product Design is a constantly evolving field. Learning how to learn is a must for everyone striving for success in this domain. A practical approach is what distinguishes a good product designer from a mediocre one.

为什么要问 ： 产品设计是一个不断发展的领域。 学习如何学习是每个在该领域追求成功的人的必备条件。 实用的方法是使优秀的产品设计师与普通的产品设计师区别开来。

You want someone who’s been there and gotten their hands dirty many times before they truly learned how it really works. Moreover, you need a balance. You don’t want someone conducting endless user research without any visible value for the product.

您希望有人去过那里，并且在真正了解其工作原理之前已经弄脏了许多手。 此外，您需要一个平衡点。 您不希望有人在产品无任何可见价值的情况下进行无休止的用户研究。

What you want to hear: Try to spot good cause-effect relationships. If a designer has learned something new to excel at their work, has carefully evaluated the time-effort ratio, and then applied this knowledge practically, they’re a rock star of learning.

您想听到的是 ： 尝试发现良好的因果关系。 如果设计师学到了一些在工作中表现出色的新东西，仔细评估了工作时间比率，然后将其实际应用，那么他们就是学习的摇滚明星。

Here is an example of what I’d consider a major red flag in this area:

这是我认为在该区域有重大危险的示例：

Candidate: Recently, I got myself on good terms with [name of software] that helps you create those beautifully designed icons.

候选人：最近，我对[软件名称]感到很满意，可以帮助您创建设计精美的图标。

Candidate: Recently, I got myself on good terms with [name of software] that helps you create those beautifully designed icons.Me: Could you show us them?

候选人：最近，我对[软件名称]感到很满意，可以帮助您创建设计精美的图标。 我： 你能给我们看看吗？

Candidate: Recently, I got myself on good terms with [name of software] that helps you create those beautifully designed icons.Me: Could you show us them?Candidate: My superior decided that we didn’t need them…

候选人：最近，我对[软件名称]感到很满意，可以帮助您创建设计精美的图标。 我： 你能给我们看看吗？ 候选人： 我的上司决定我们不需要它们…

3.您认为良好的设计过程应该如何开始？ 为什么？ (3. In your opinion, how should a good design process start? Why?)

Why you should ask: As Simon Sinek notes, everything we do should start with “why?” Despite the type of methodology a potential hire uses, design is a human-oriented type of job. Thus, having a decent level of empathy and a willingness to relate to the problems of others are indispensable skills in this creative field.

为什么要问 ：正如Simon Sinek所指出的，我们所做的每一件事都应该以“为什么？”开头。 尽管潜在员工使用的方法类型多样，但设计是一种以人为本的工作。 因此，在这个创造性领域中，具有体面的同理心和愿意与他人的问题相关联是不可或缺的技能。

What you want to hear: Prick up your ears for any signs/behaviors that would help you describe this person as caring about the needs of others. A good answer might include something like this:

您想听到的是 ： 抬起耳朵，看看是否有任何迹象/举止可以帮助您形容此人关心他人的需求。 一个好的答案可能包括以下内容：

I start with the problem of a user first and then frame it as a design challenge. A good challenge is not too broad but leaves you enough ground for a creative approach to solutions…

我首先从用户问题入手，然后将其作为设计挑战。 一个好的挑战不是太广泛，而是为您提供了一种创造性的解决方案的基础……

4.工作中最重要的方面是什么？ (4. What’s the most important aspect of your job?)

Why you should ask: It’s basically a self-awareness test. Folks must understand why they decided to be designers for life. In my opinion, designers and product designers are problem-solvers who thrive on the balance between what the user wants and what the business needs.

为什么要问 ：这基本上是一项自我意识测试。 人们必须理解为什么他们决定终身担任设计师。 在我看来，设计师和产品设计师是解决问题的人，他们在用户需求和业务需求之间取得平衡。

What you want to hear: There’s no one answer fits all. In my hiring experience, one of the candidates responded as follows:

您想听到的是 ：没有一个答案能适合所有人。 根据我的招聘经验，其中一名候选人回答如下：

The empowerment of people is what drives me here. Helping them to do their job better, be more productive and happy at the end of the day. It was amazing when users wrote stories how [product name] has helped them get promotion or increase income. That’s something definitely worth working for…

赋予人民权力是驱使我来到这里的动力。 帮助他们更好地完成工作，最终提高工作效率和快乐。 当用户撰写有关[产品名称]如何帮助他们获得晋升或增加收入的故事时，真是太神奇了。 这绝对是值得工作的……

5.首先应该是产品或样式指南？ (5. What should come first — product or style-guide?)

Why you should ask: It’s one of those chicken and egg problems. In 99% of cases, the answer shows whether a person is capable of defending their point of view. Designers, like entrepreneurs, should have strong convictions, loosely held.

为什么要问 ：这是鸡肉和鸡蛋的问题之一。 在99％的情况下，答案表明一个人是否有能力捍卫自己的观点。 设计师和企业家一样，应该具有坚定的信念，松懈的信念。

What you want to hear: There’s no correct answer to this one either. Look for a reasonable explanation on both sides.

您想听的是 ：对此也没有正确的答案。 寻找双方合理的解释。

Generally speaking, if you have some sort of brand already, then a style-guide will definitely help to preserve consistency in its visual communication and image.

一般而言，如果您已经拥有某种品牌，那么样式指南绝对会有助于保持其视觉传达和图像的一致性。

On the other hand, if you hire someone to start from a blank page, then trying to standardize visuals is like cleaning your shoes right before getting into the mud.

另一方面，如果您雇用某人从空白页开始，那么试图使视觉效果标准化就像在弄泥之前清洁鞋子。

6.告诉我们有关简化复杂情况或问题的时间。 是什么让您寻求一种更简单的方法？ (6. Tell us about a time when you simplified a complex situation or problem. What made you seek out a simpler approach?)

Why you should ask: I borrowed this one from Dmytro Voloshyn, a good friend of mine. He uses it to test whether a candidate fits his company’s values. And I think it just works perfectly with the whole startup theme.

为什么要问 ：我从我的好朋友Dmytro Voloshyn借来的。 他使用它来测试候选人是否符合他的公司价值观。 而且我认为它可以与整个启动主题完美配合。

Good work today is better than a great work tomorrow. So look for any compromises a candidate made for the sake of time and resources. We live in a world of overwhelming uncertainty where time becomes the most expensive currency. Therefore, sometimes making quick mistakes is what makes great products in the long-run.

今天的好工作胜于明天的好工作。 因此，为节省时间和资源，寻找候选人的妥协方案。 我们生活在一个充满不确定性的世界中，时间成为最昂贵的货币。 因此，从长远来看，有时候犯下快速错误就是造就好产品的原因。

What you want to hear:

您想听到什么 ：

When I started working at [company name], there was a really complex and long user flow requiring a lot of steps from a user to accomplish the task and even more development work to launch the product. I suggested prioritizing one of the customer segments and building a user flow that suited those customers first, realeasing new features for the rest of the segments in cycles afterward. It helped to launch the product faster and avoid high development costs… Finding a simple solution is what design is all about…

当我开始在[公司名称]工作时，确实存在一个非常复杂且漫长的用户流程，需要用户采取许多步骤来完成任务，甚至需要进行更多开发工作才能启动产品。 我建议确定一个客户群的优先级，并建立一个首先适合那些客户的用户流程，然后在以后的周期中为其余客户群实现新功能。 它有助于更​​快地发布产品并避免了高昂的开发成本……找到一个简单的解决方案就是设计的全部目的……

7.回想一下您被要求做自己不喜欢或不知道做错的事情的情况。 您对此有何React？ (7. Recall a situation in which you were asked to do something you did not like or knew was wrong. How did you react?)

Why you should ask: Everybody has disagreements from time to time with colleagues, friends, their spouse, and so on. It’s not about who’s wrong or right, it’s all about the right communication.

为什么要问 ：每个人都不时与同事，朋友，他们的配偶等发生分歧。 这与谁的错或对不对，而与正确的沟通有关。

What you want to hear: The answer that really stood out to me was something as follows:

您想听到的是 ：真正让我脱颖而出的答案如下：

I have to understand what is the purpose behind a demand first. Once I get to know it, I can offer the solutions that he or she was not even able to realize before asking [about something I personally did not like/thought was wrong]

我必须先了解需求背后的目的。 一旦我知道了这一点，我就可以在询问[关于我个人不喜欢/认为是错误的事情]之前，提供他或她甚至无法实现的解决方案。

8.就设计而言，您最喜欢的产品是什么？ 你喜欢什么，你不喜欢什么？ 您将如何改善？ (8. What is your favorite product in terms of design? What do you like and what don’t you like? How would you improve it?)

Why you should ask: Good candidates always get prepared for this one beforehand. And that’s a good thing. Product thinking is a skill that gets mastered with constant and deliberate practice. A good product designer won’t have a problem tackling this one.

为什么要问 ：好的候选人总是会为此事做好准备。 那是一件好事。 产品思维是一种需要不断进行精心练习才能掌握的技能。 一个好的产品设计师在解决这个问题上不会有任何问题。

What you want to hear: One of the candidates I interviewed answered that Medium is her favorite product. I dug a little deeper and asked what she thought of the introduction of the clapping mechanism instead of a simple ‘like,’ which lots of folks considered quite controversial. She said every publication or story published here is a performance, and a good performance should be recognized with a million claps. Such a response is a perfect example of someone with a knack for good product thinking.

您想听到的是 ：我采访过的一位候选人回答说，Medium是她最喜欢的产品。 我更深入地挖掘了一个问题，问她对引入拍手机制而不是简单的“赞”有什么看法，很多人都认为这颇有争议。 她说，这里发表的每一篇出版物或故事都是一场表演，一百万次的掌声应该被认可。 这样的React是一个精通产品思维技巧的人的完美例子。

9.您开始使用新的桌面/移动/网络应用程序。 您的第一步是什么？ (9. You start working on a new desktop/mobile/web app. What are your first steps?)

Why you should ask: It’s sort of a dual check. People get better in everything they do once they have some systems set up. This is your chance to see whether a candidate is able to own and lead the product design process in your team. On the other side of the spectrum, look for questions rather than answers. Good product design folks always ask a lot of questions that help them deal with uncertainty.

为什么要问 ：这是双重检查。 一旦建立了一些系统，人们的工作就会变得更好。 这是您查看候选人是否能够拥有并领导团队中的产品设计过程的机会。 另一方面，寻找问题而不是答案。 优秀的产品设计人员总是会提出很多问题，以帮助他们应对不确定性。

What you want to hear: Who is the user? What is the desired platform? Can those users be found on this platform? An exceptional product designer will definitely ask questions like these.

您想听到什么 ：用户是谁？ 什么是理想的平台？ 可以在此平台上找到那些用户吗？ 杰出的产品设计师肯定会问这样的问题。

Once you’ve given some answers, look for a decent explanation of how they’d handle the design process for your type of product. In our case, we’re building a desktop app primarily for macOS. Thus, being familiar with interface guidelines is a crucial element here.

给出答案后，请寻找有关它们如何处理您的产品设计过程的恰当解释。 就我们而言，我们正在构建主要用于macOS的桌面应用程序。 因此，在这里，熟悉界面准则是至关重要的因素。

10.您如何跟上最新的设计趋势？ 您使用什么资源来激励自己？ (10. How do you keep up with the latest design trends? What resources do you use to inspire yourself?)

Why you should ask: This is a rather simple one. Nonetheless, in my experience a lot of people got knocked out here. Either they don’t follow English-speaking resources (which is a huge miss in today’s globalized world), or they simply won’t be able to call any resources to mind. This would be a red flag.

为什么要问 ：这是一个相当简单的问题。 但是，以我的经验，很多人被打倒在这里。 他们要么不遵循会讲英语的资源(这在当今的全球化世界中是一个巨大的怀念)，要么根本无法记住任何资源。 这将是一个危险信号。

What you want to hear: You just want to hear notable names that produce high-quality content (like Nielsen Norman Group, Invision Blog, UX Pin, IDEO and so on). They should also show a desire to experiment.

您想听到的是 ：您只想听到产生高质量内容的著名名称(例如Nielsen Norman Group ， Invision Blog ， UX Pin ， IDEO等)。 他们还应该表现出进行实验的愿望。

One candidate showed me the result of the button colors experiment he did after reading an article in one of the aforementioned blogs. Thus, feel free to prompt candidates if they don’t volunteer to show some examples themselves. At the end of the day, discovering a practical mind is always useful.

一位候选人向我展示了他阅读上述博客之一中的文章后进行的按钮颜色实验的结果。 因此，如果候选人不愿意亲自展示一些例子，可以随时提示他们。 归根结底，发现实践思维总是有用的。

I hope this helps you on your next hiring marathon and that you find someone to lead great design in your product.

我希望这对您下次的马拉松比赛有帮助，并希望您找到可以在产品中领导出色设计的人。

If you found this story useful, please click the ? button and share to help others find it! You can also follow me on Twitter. Got thoughts or feedback? Please feel free to leave your comments below. I’d love to hear them!

如果您发现此故事有用，请单击“？”。 按钮并分享以帮助他人找到它！ 您也可以在T witter上关注我。 有想法或反馈吗？ 请随时在下面留下您的评论。 我很想听听他们的声音！

翻译自: https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/questions-to-ask-when-hiring-a-product-designer-for-a-startup-da58a3ca0a71/

初创公司面试要问什么