Design practice

Write a Hiring Rubric

Create an evaluation framework for your next design hire

Start the exercise

01 / Prepare

What you’ll
work on.

Create a structured hiring rubric for a design role on your team (or a hypothetical team). The rubric should define competencies, evaluation criteria, and scoring that multiple interviewers can use consistently.

Before you begin

  • Understanding of design leveling systems
  • Familiarity with the role you're hiring for (or a clear definition of it)
  • Familiarity with the role you are hiring for and its responsibilities

02 / Practice

The work,
step by step.

Work through these 4 parts at your own pace. Keep your notes and work together so you can review them when you finish.

  1. Define the Role

    45 min

    1. Write a role summary — 2–3 sentences describing what this person will do day-to-day

    2. Identify the level — Junior, mid, senior? What scope and autonomy?

    3. List 5–7 competencies — The dimensions you'll evaluate (craft execution, systems thinking, communication, collaboration, research and user insight, technical fluency, leadership/mentorship)

  2. Define Scoring

    45 min

    1. 1 — Does not meet: specific observable gap

    2. 2 — Partially meets: shows potential but clear gaps

    3. 3 — Meets expectations: solid performance at the target level

    4. 4 — Exceeds: demonstrates strength beyond the target level

    5. Write behavioral examples for each score, not abstract descriptions

  3. Map to Interview Stages

    60 min

    1. Portfolio review — Craft, process visibility, storytelling

    2. Design exercise — Problem-solving, systems thinking, communication under pressure

    3. Behavioral interview — Collaboration, conflict resolution, leadership

    4. Technical screen — Code literacy, handoff quality (for design engineering roles)

    5. Write 2–3 interview questions per stage that probe the relevant competencies

  4. Calibrate

    30 min

    1. Walk through the rubric with a colleague (or imagine doing so)

    2. Score a hypothetical candidate — do two people arrive at similar scores?

    3. Identify any competencies that are too vague to score consistently and refine them

03 / Review

Look at what
you’ve made.

Gather your deliverables, then use the criteria to find what worked and what you would change. They also give a peer something specific to respond to.

What to bring together

  • Role summary and level definition
  • Rubric with 5–7 competencies, 4-level scoring, behavioral examples
  • Interview stage mapping with questions
  • Calibration notes

How to assess your work

Specificity
Scoring criteria use observable behaviors, not vague traits
Consistency
Two interviewers using this rubric would reach similar conclusions
Completeness
Covers craft, collaboration, and communication — not just design skill
Practicality
Could be used in a real interview process without modification

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