Many user researchers (UXRs) aspire to work for companies that truly value user research—but what does that mean and how do you go about finding one, especially in this market?
In this post, we’ll explore signals of companies that prioritize user research, how to spot red flags, and provide a template of reverse interview questions to help UXRs find better fits for their next role.
What does it mean to value user research?
As a former research leader turned career coach, I’ve interviewed thousands of leaders across company sizes and industries. A pattern I often notice is that a company’s research culture can impact your long term career growth, ability to deliver meaningful work, and long-term happiness at work.
We know that when UX is done right, the investment to the business can rise to as high as 301%. So it makes sense that many UXRs I speak with are sick of having to “prove the value of research”. They simply want to join a team that already values their expertise. Imagine instead of spending months advocating, you can actually just show up, gather insights, and inform business decisions. What a concept!
Companies that value user research typically use research to inform business decisions across their organization. It’s not just talk, it’s echo’d across their entire company: from culture, the way they operate, collaborate and measure success.
Below are some key signals I’ve picked up over the years to determine whether a company truly values research.
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Research is embedded into the decision making process
Research at its core is about learning. You're gathering insights to inform product strategy, design, and business decisions. Brian Utesh, Head of Research at Cisco, says that a sign that research is valued is that the volume and velocity of research recommendations are being acted upon.
This might look like insights being referred to in conversation, during planning, and making critical decisions across the company.
There are advocates on the leadership level for research
This doesn’t just mean the most senior researcher on the team is advocating for your practice but other senior leaders (think VP of Engineering, Product, Design, Customer Success) across the team are championing and sharing the importance of research and why the team should continue investing in it.
These leaders are paying attention to the insights that are gathered on the team, engaging with findings, and using them to impact the future of their functions.
The company has dedicated research budgets and resources
Researchers are being set up for success when they have the tools and resources they need to do their job.
This could include a budget for research tooling, participant recruitment, or a professional development budget. It also might mean making sure that your research team is staffed appropriately. No more having a researcher serving 4+ business units at once!
Collaboration is taking place across the team
Research is seen as a collaborative effort rather than taking place within a vacuum. You’ll often see UXRs collaborating closely with product managers, designers, engineers, and other stakeholders.
Lada Gorlenko, Senior Director of Research at Mural mentions: “Research is valued when it’s done collaboratively, when it’s part of everyone’s job and PMs, Designers and Engineers priorities participation in research activities. It’s what a team *does*, beyond consuming the outcomes.”
💡Use our Product x Research Collaboration Report for relationship-building tips
Research drives the roadmap
As we mentioned earlier, research is about learning and driving business decisions. Sahar Chung, Research Leader at Athlon Studio mentions that in organizations where research is valued—the work comes from the research team itself, it is problem led about what needs to be solved vs. driven by research method.
A culture of curiosity
Finally, teams are curious about user behavior. If they don’t know the answer to what is happening, they pull together their questions and work together to go about answering them.
Independent consultant Kyle Soucy mentions a good pulse check is identifying whether “the product team (Designers, devs, PMs) are relieved or excited that UXR is being brought in or annoyed. If it’s the latter it could be a sign of low value or UX maturity.
So how do you ensure that your next role values research? Next we’ll get into the critical steps you can take before investing your time and energy in the process.
How to identify companies that value user research during your job search
Identifying whether a company values research requires research, observation, and asking the right questions during the interview process. Here’s some tips on how you can approach it.
Research the company
When initially kicking off your search, take time to explore the company's website before applying or investing in the interview process. Check out artifacts like case studies and blog posts, LinkedIn profiles of current or past employees on the team you're considering joining, and even Glassdoor reviews to get a behind the scenes look of the team.
Review the job descriptions
Job descriptions can reveal what a company and team values and are looking for within candidates. Pay attention to things like:
- Clarity of role and expectations: Is it well defined or looking for a unicorn?
- Collaboration vs. solo work: Does it mention cross functional collaboration or being able to do work on your own?
Shifting perspectives during the interview process
I always encourage candidates to put together their own rubric to evaluate whether a company meets their needs or not. It can help you shift from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset during the interview process.
This means paying attention to things like the company’s culture, team dynamics, and growth opportunities. You can check for the tone of the interviewer and how authentic their responses are as well.
Use the reverse interview questions template below as a guide during your search and don’t be afraid to walk away from opportunities that don’t align with your values and what you're looking for next!
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Reverse interview questions for evaluating company fit
Here is a comprehensive list of 30 questions to evaluate whether a company truly values user research.
Company outlook
- Why is this role available? Is it a backfill First time hire?
- What are some key financial metrics that the company optimizes for?
- Where do you see the company in the next 3-5 years?
- What's the biggest existential threat to the business? What keeps you up at night?
- Can you tell me about the background of the founders? Is this their first venture?
Research team + culture
- How would you describe the culture of the research team?
- What is your vision for the research team at this company?
- How large is the research team?
- Who conducts research across the team? Is it limited to UXRs, or are PMs, PDs also conducting research?
- What function does research report into?
- What is the biggest challenge the team has faced in the last year?
Research methods + approach
- Which research methods does the team most often use?
- When was the last time you talked/connected with customers?
- How do you typically share research findings with other teams?
- How does the team prioritize what projects to work on?
Stakeholders + collaboration
- Have stakeholders ever pushed back on findings? How was it handled?
- How do researchers collaborate with other teams? (embedded, centralized, etc)
- What is the ratio of researchers to designers, PMs, and engineers?
- How do researchers collaborate with data analysts or customer support?
- Are there regular research rituals (share outs) across the team?
Team/department resources
- Are there dedicated tools and platforms for conducting user research?
- How does the team currently recruit participants for studies?
- Do you have a budget for participant incentives?
- Do you have a dedicated research operations team?
- Does the team ever outsource work to vendors or consultants?
Impact of research
- How does the team measure the success of research?
- What metrics or KPIs does the team use to measure research outcomes?
- How are research insights used to inform business decisions?
- Can you provide me an example of when research has improved the product or customer experience?
Career growth opportunity
- Does the company have career ladders for UXRs on the team?
- How does the company support professional development for researchers?
Finding a company that values research is not just talk, it’s echoed across the entire company culture. By being proactive and crafting your own rubric to evaluate role fit can help you ensure you're going after what YOU really want and not just settling for the first company that responds to you.
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