Candidates for this position can expect the hiring process to follow the order below, although it can change depending on calendar availability. Please keep in mind that candidates can be declined from the position at any stage of the process. To learn more about someone who is conducting your interview, you can find their job title on our [team page](/handbook/company/team/).
- Selected candidates will be invited to schedule a 30-minute [screening call](/handbook/hiring/candidate-faq/#screening-call) with a member of our hiring team. In this call, we will discuss your experience, understand what you are looking for in a product design role, talk about your work and approach to product design, discuss your compensation expectations and reasons why you want to join GitLab, and answer any questions you have.
- Next, if a candidate successfully passes the screening call, they will have two 1-hour interviews: One with a product designer and another with the hiring product design manager.
- During these interviews you'll be asked several situational questions to help us learn how you have responded or would respond in certain scenarios.
- You should be prepared to discuss your design and research process, details about how you collaborate, and how you approach your role.
- You'll also have an opportunity to talk through a [case study](/job-families/product/product-designer/#case-studies) in your portfolio. We'll look for you to walk through a project so we can understand your process, approach, and philosophy to design, the size and structure of the team you were a part of, the goals of the project, your low-fidelity design work, your high-fidelity design skills, how you approached research, how you synthesized research data to inform design decisions, what design standards and guidelines you worked within, and how you collaborated with a wider team. We are looking for you to give some real insight into a problem you solved, ideally in a project with similar challenges, goals, or context to the type of work you'll find in the [stage group](/handbook/product/categories/#devops-stages) you're interviewing for. Be prepared to discuss your project with your interviewer throughout your walk through. You can expect to spend about 30 minutes discussing your case study.
- Towards the end of each interview, you'll be given some time to ask questions.
- If you successfully pass the previous interviews, you'll meet with a senior manager of product design for a 50-minute interview. This interview will focus on assessing your research, strategy, and design skills. The interviewer will want to understand how you have incorporated research into your work and get a feel for your understanding of the fundamentals of research and UX methodology. Be prepared to answer questions around the soft skills product designers need, and be prepared to talk to the interviewer about how you apply these skills in the real world.
- The final interview will be with a product manager and engineering manager. They'll focus on your ability to collaborate with product and engineering teams and determine how well your skills align with the needs of a specific stage group.
- Successful candidates will subsequently be made an offer through a video call or phone call.
### Screening Call
Selected candidates will be invited to schedule a 30-minute [screening call](/handbook/hiring/candidate-faq/#screening-call) with a member of our hiring team. In this call, we will discuss your experience, understand what you are looking for in a product design role, talk about your work and approach to product design, discuss your compensation expectations and reasons why you want to join GitLab, and answer any questions you have.
### Interview Process
The interview panel will vary based on the role level and reporting structure:
#### For roles reporting to a Product Design Manager or Senior Product Design Manager
**Interview with a Product Designer (1 hour):** This interview focuses on your design experience, process, and approach. You'll be asked situational questions about how you've handled specific scenarios in your work. You should be prepared to discuss your design and research process, how you collaborate with others, and how you approach your role. You'll also walk through a [case study](/job-families/product/product-designer/#case-studies) from your portfolio for approximately 30 minutes. We'll want to understand your process, the size and structure of your team, the project goals, your low and high-fidelity design work, how you approached and synthesized research, what design standards you worked within, and how you collaborated. Choose a project that demonstrates how you solved a problem, ideally with similar challenges or context to the [stage group](/handbook/product/categories/#devops-stages) you're interviewing for. Be prepared to discuss your project throughout the walkthrough. You'll have time at the end to ask questions.
**Interview with the Hiring Product Design Manager (1 hour):** This interview follows a similar format to the peer interview, with situational questions and discussion of your design process, collaboration style, and approach to your work. You may present the same case study or a different one. You'll also have the opportunity to ask questions about the role and team.
**Interview with a Director of Product Design or Senior Director of Product Design (50 minutes):** This interview assesses your research, strategy, and design skills. The interviewer will want to understand how you've incorporated research into your work and your grasp of UX research fundamentals and methodology. Be prepared to discuss the soft skills product designers need and how you apply them in practice.
**Interview with a Product Manager and Engineering Manager (1 hour):** This interview focuses on your ability to collaborate with product and engineering teams and evaluates how well your skills align with the needs of a specific stage group.
### For Staff, Principal, and Distinguished roles reporting to the Senior Director of Product Design
**Interview with a Staff+ Product Designer (1 hour):** This interview focuses on your design expertise, strategic thinking, and ability to work at a senior level. You should be prepared to discuss your case study and demonstrate how you approach complex design challenges. The interviewer will be evaluating your ability to drive design direction, mentor others, and balance user needs with business goals and technical constraints.
**Interview with the Hiring Manager (1 hour):** This interview assesses your strategic design thinking, leadership capabilities, and alignment with team goals. The conversation will focus on how you drive design point of view, interact with peers and stakeholders, handle challenges, and what you've learned from your work.
**Interview with Product Management and Engineering Leadership (1 hour):** This interview evaluates your ability to partner with and influence senior product and engineering leaders across the organization.
**Interview with the Chief Design Officer (50 minutes):** This conversation focuses on your vision for design, strategic thinking at the organizational level, and how you can contribute to GitLab's design excellence.
### Offer
Successful candidates will subsequently be made an offer through a video call or phone call.
