Since late 2009, nearly every Web Design job posting we’ve seen has mentioned “usability” or “user experience.” Over time, the requests have become even more specific. Companies no longer request a Digital Design; rather, now it’s specifically a User Experience Designer, UX researcher, IA/UI or Visual Designer.
Now, more than ever, the importance of User Experience is everywhere, as companies try to connect and engage with their customers in the best ways possible.
On jobs boards everywhere (ours included) we have seen a significant increase for User Experience experts. Some of those requests take weeks to fill; others can’t be filled at all.
Are we experiencing a UX supply and demand imbalance?
Yes! The demand for top usability talent is becoming greater than the supply of qualified and immediately available talent. And, with the demand now shifting from web UX to mobile and Apps, the pool of talent is shrinking even more!
It’s not the first time we’ve seen this happen. In fact, we’re often reminded of the market for Flash Developers a few years back. Jobs took weeks to fill. Salaries were at a peak and good talent was definitely hard to come by.
As recruiters, we had to quickly adapt new avenues for meeting qualified talent to introduce them to newly available opportunities.
What does this mean for employers? There are some options:
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- Be specific about your needs. Do you need a generalist? Or a specialist? The UX world can have multi-pronged discipline. Know what you actually need – UX / UI / IA?
- Be competitive with your overall compensation package. Both in dollars as well as benefits, flex-time or telecommuting
- Be open to Relo. Look at national and international talent. Additional fees and quite a bit of paperwork could result – but it might be worth the additional effort.
- Hire a UX consultant. Utilize the expertise of a specialist for the short term. Ensure they have a team of your internal staff with which to work and knowledge share.
- Invest in more training. Chances are your current team of designers who would love to learn more about the growing HCI field. Invest in their education. Pay for courses. Hire an expert to train them. You get more knowledge and your employees might just ignite a new passion.
But it’s not up to employers alone to fix the problem. Talent and Recruiters have responsibilities too.
Interactive Design Talent – Perfect your art. Especially freelancers! Invest in classes, seminars, and software needed to grow.
Recruiters – We, too, must continue doing our part to seek out new talent. We must work closely with Universities and other Education Programs to connect with recent grads in the space, attend MeetUp groups and networking events to meet new talent, and continue to educate our talent and clients about the market to manage expectations correctly.
Jessica Bedford and Katty Douraghy for Artisan Creative