When I speak with UX researchers about their career aspirations, roughly half typically respond with “I want to be a manager”. Management equates to more influence, higher pay, and a new title. However, from experience, the reality of being a manager is often quite different from what people imagine.
When deciding the next right step for your career, it’s important to pause, reflect, and evaluate whether a particular path truly aligns with your long term goals (both professionally and personally)! Here, we'll talk about:
- The pros and cons of going into UXR management
- Provide six self reflection questions to help you get started on determining your next career step
- Share advice from senior UXRs who've been there, done that
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The reality of UXR management
Becoming a UXR manager has its own set of challenges and rewards. Let's outline the pros and cons.
Pros of going into UXR management
- Increased influence: Management often comes with decision making authority. If you’re someone who values being able to influence the research practice of others across your organization this would definitely be a perk. Tatiana Vlahovic, Former Senior Product Research Manager at CreditKarma, describes a pro of management as growing her leadership skills in team visioning, strategy, and planning. I was able to shape the role that UXR played in the business division and type of impact we created.
- People development: If you're like me and love to develop the next generation of talent and leaders, this is a clear perk of transitioning into management. You're able to provide 1:1 mentoring to folks across the organization in addition to influencing team systems and dynamics that enable success
- Clearer Career progression: Many companies have career ladders and a shift into management can be the logical next step for you. You’ll have clearer definition of the type of
- Increased compensation: A move to management often comes with a pay bump. According to the User Interviews 2024 UX Salary Report, in the U.S., the median for senior-manager salaries is $165,000 compared to $113,250 for mid-level specialists.
Cons of going into UXR management
- Less hands-on research: Depending on the organization you're in, you may spend less time conducting research yourself and spending more time focused on admin tasks like prioritization, meetings, and team management. Liz Donovan, former Head of Research at Duo Security, mentions, “you have to be okay with the fact that you're going to guide the work and not do the work yourself anymore. You can influence it but for your direct reports to grow, you need to be a good coach and help them iron out how to tackle complex problems without being prescriptive”.
- Increased responsibility: Managing a team means being responsible for others performance and career growth. While some may be drawn towards this for others it can feel like a responsibility that is overwhelming.
- Skills shift: Often what gets you promoted to UXR leadership (your craft skills) isn’t what is going to make you successful in your new role. You’ll have to invest time in skills related to communication, conflict resolution, delegation, and strategy.
How are the vibes in UX Research these days? See the State of User Research for more insights from UX professionals around the world
Self reflection questions to determine your next career step
Here's six questions that can help you find out if being a UXR manager—or anything else for that matter—is the best next step for your career.
1. What do you love about your current role?
If your passion lies in the craft of research like putting together the best user research questions, moderation techniques, or qualitative or quantitative methods, management is likely to pull you away from the things that you love.
2. What skills do you want to develop moving forward?
Management roles focus on developing more leadership skills like influence, strategy, communication, and team dynamics. Are these areas that truly interest you or would you rather have someone else focus on them?
3. What does success look like to you?
If you consider success in your role as deepening your expertise in research, you may want to consider staying an IC. However, if you view success as a broader impact of research (e.g., developing systems to enable research to take place and drive influence) you may want to consider management.
4. What do you want life outside of work to look like?
Yes it’s true management and leadership comes with additional responsibilities. Are you someone who wants to log off at the end of the day and focus on your hobbies or family or are you okay with the sometimes emotional baggage spilling into your free time?
5. How comfortable are you with letting go of control?
A key skill of managers is the art of delegation. There is no way for you to be directly involved in every area of your team. Do you trust others to execute tasks you would previously own?
6. Why are you being drawn towards management?
It’s important to reflect on whether you have a true desire to lead or if it’s more driven by desire for higher pay or even pressure from your current team to help fill in the gaps.
Advice from seasoned UXR Managers
I always recommend that if someone has an itch for management, there's no hurt in trying it out. You're not bound to IC vs. management tracks forever. I personally have jumped from IC to management and back again based on the phases of life that I’ve been in. I’ve found each one to be personally rewarding based on what I was looking for. As for other UXRs, here's what they have to say:
"Management is a muscle that should be strengthened and cultivated over your career. Whether or not your title reflects that, you can embody outstanding leadership at any level and role. With the volatility of this industry, I've found that my management pathway has been non-linear (basically all over the place). Still, it's allowed me to do and lead the research interchangeably because, truthfully, being a manager means your job is one long, never-ending strategic meeting." — Aiden Hirshfield, PhD, Research Leader
Above: Brad Orego of Webflow discusses building the UXR team of tomorrow on the Awkward Silences podcast
"Your team is a living organism that's more than the sum of the individuals on the team. As a leader, you'll have the opportunity to co-create culture, operating principles, and processes with your team. Ask yourself: how will I develop and grow my team as its own entity (vs. the individuals on my team)?" — Tatiana Vlahovic, Former Sr. Product Research Manager at Credit Karma
"If you find it rewarding to have a large impact and help others flourish in their careers, management can be a great role to try. Your confidence will increase over time as you’re exposed to the mechanics of management; one day you’ll see an issue you’ve encountered before and know exactly how to solve it. Make sure you have the support you need as you enter this new chapter, whether it’s training, a mentor, a coach, or other resources. Take on a growth mindset and you’ll become one of the strongest leaders in your organization." — Liz Donovan, Fmr. Head of Research at Duo Security
UXR Manager Job Considerations: Final Thoughts
Transitioning to a user research manager role is not a decision that should be taken lightly. In addition to being responsible for the work itself, you are now responsible for enabling the success of others across the team.
By taking the time to truly reflect on your values, goals, and what gives you energy, you can make a decision that aligns with your hopes moving forward.
Management is not the only path forward nowadays. Many organizations are creating equivalent level senior individual contributor tracks that allow you to focus on the craft but drop the things that might not give you energy.
