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Hiring for passion: Building a design team that thrives together

Hiring for passion: Building a design team that thrives together

Hiring for Passion: Building a Design Team That Thrives Together

When I started building the design team at TransferGo, I wasn't the most seasoned interviewer. I didn't have a decade of hiring experience or a foolproof framework for identifying top talent. What I did have was an instinct—one that told me technical proficiency alone wouldn't create the kind of team I envisioned. I needed people who would thrive together, not just coexist in the same Slack channel.

This realization changed everything about my approach to hiring. Instead of obsessing over portfolio perfection or quiz questions about design principles, I focused on something harder to measure but infinitely more valuable: passion, cultural alignment, and genuine curiosity. I was searching for designers who could articulate their thinking, who asked questions that revealed hunger rather than just competence, and who seemed energized by the collaborative nature of our work.

The journey taught me a fundamental truth that many hiring managers learn the hard way: you can teach someone Figma, but you can't teach them to care deeply about their craft. You can provide design system documentation, but you can't manufacture the spark that makes someone stay up late perfecting a micro-interaction because they believe it matters.

This is the story of what I learned—and what you might find valuable for your own team-building journey.

Why Technical Skills Aren't Everything

We've all seen the impressive portfolios. The pixel-perfect case studies. The command of every design tool from Sketch to Principle. On paper, these candidates look flawless. But I've watched technically brilliant designers struggle to integrate into teams, miss the nuance of collaborative feedback, or simply lose motivation when the work becomes challenging.

Technical skills represent your baseline, not your ceiling. They're table stakes in today's design landscape. What separates adequate teams from exceptional ones isn't tool mastery—it's the intangible qualities that make people want to push each other toward better solutions.

During my hiring process at TransferGo, I encountered candidates who could replicate any design trend but couldn't explain why they made specific choices. Conversely, I met designers with smaller portfolios who spoke passionately about their problem-solving process, acknowledged their mistakes openly, and demonstrated genuine curiosity about our product challenges.

The latter group consistently outperformed the former in real-world scenarios. They asked better questions. They collaborated more effectively. They grew faster because they were intrinsically motivated to improve.

This doesn't mean technical skills don't matter—they absolutely do. But they're trainable. Passion, cultural fit, and collaborative spirit? Those are the rare ingredients that transform individual contributors into cohesive teams.

The Real Cost of a Bad Cultural Fit

I learned this lesson painfully. Early in my hiring journey, I brought on a designer with an extraordinary portfolio and impressive credentials. On paper, they were the perfect hire. In practice, they became a source of friction that affected team morale for months.

The issue wasn't competence—they produced quality work. The problem was misalignment in values and working style. They preferred working in isolation, viewed feedback as criticism rather than collaboration, and showed little interest in understanding our users' actual needs beyond aesthetic considerations.

The ripple effects were significant: other team members became hesitant to share honest feedback, collaborative sessions lost their energy, and I spent disproportionate time mediating conflicts instead of focusing on strategic work. The productivity cost was measurable, but the morale impact was devastating.

Research supports this experience. According to leadership studies, teams with high cultural alignment outperform those with mismatched values by substantial margins, even when individual skill levels are comparable. The reason? Psychological safety, trust, and shared purpose enable faster decision-making, more honest communication, and greater resilience during challenging projects.

A bad cultural fit doesn't just affect one person's output—it's like introducing discord into a symphony. Every interaction becomes slightly more difficult, every collaboration slightly more draining, until the cumulative effect becomes undeniable.

What Passion Actually Looks Like in Practice

Passion is often misunderstood as constant enthusiasm or working excessive hours. That's not what I was looking for, and it's not sustainable. Real passion in design reveals itself through consistent curiosity, thoughtful critique, and genuine investment in outcomes.

Passionate designers don't just complete tasks—they question briefs. They push back constructively when something doesn't serve users. They share articles with teammates, not for recognition, but because they found something genuinely interesting. They experiment during downtime because exploration energizes them.

In interviews, I learned to identify passion through specific signals. When discussing past projects, passionate candidates focused on problems they solved rather than just visual outcomes. They spoke about users with empathy and specificity. They acknowledged design decisions that didn't work and what they learned from failures.

One question became particularly revealing: "Tell me about a design problem you explored outside of work requirements." The passionate candidates lit up. They talked about side projects, redesign exercises they did for practice, design books that changed their perspective, or even how they approached reorganizing their personal space with design thinking.

Those without genuine passion typically struggled with this question. They might mention something generic or pivot back to professional work. There was nothing wrong with their answers—they just lacked the spark that indicated design was more than a job to them.

This distinction matters because passionate people are self-directed learners who will grow with or without formal training programs. They're intrinsically motivated to stay current, experiment with new approaches, and push their own boundaries.

Building Interview Processes Around Values

Traditional design interviews often focus heavily on portfolio reviews and skills assessments. While these have their place, I restructured my approach to prioritize values alignment and collaborative potential alongside technical evaluation.

I introduced collaborative design exercises where candidates worked through real problems with team members. Not whiteboard challenges with artificial constraints, but actual discussions about product decisions we were facing. This revealed how they thought, communicated, and integrated others' perspectives—far more valuable than watching them sketch user flows in isolation.

I asked questions designed to surface values: "Tell me about a time you had to choose between a visually compelling solution and one that better served users. What did you do?" Or: "How do you handle feedback that contradicts your design instincts?" These questions don't have right answers, but the responses reveal priorities and self-awareness.

Team participation became mandatory. Every candidate met multiple team members in different contexts—some formal, some casual. Afterward, I didn't just ask "Did they seem competent?" I asked: "Could you see yourself working closely with this person? Did they seem genuinely interested in our challenges? Did the conversation feel collaborative or transactional?"

This approach takes more time than traditional screening, but the investment pays enormous dividends. A single bad hire can consume months of productivity and damage team culture. Spending an extra few hours during the interview process is remarkably cost-effective by comparison.

The Questions That Revealed True Fit

Over time, I developed a set of questions that consistently revealed whether candidates would thrive within our team environment. These weren't about testing knowledge—they were about understanding mindset, values, and collaborative approach.

"Walk me through a project where you strongly disagreed with direction from stakeholders or teammates. How did you handle it?" This revealed conflict resolution skills, ego management, and ability to advocate for users without alienating collaborators.

"What's something you believed about design three years ago that you now disagree with?" This showed capacity for growth, intellectual humility, and self-reflection. The best candidates answered thoughtfully, acknowledging how experience changed their perspective.

"Tell me about the best team you've worked with. What made it exceptional?" Their answer revealed what they valued in collaboration—was it creative freedom, structured processes, psychological safety, friendly relationships, or shared ambition?

"How do you stay current with design trends and practices?" Passionate designers had specific answers: particular blogs, communities, conferences, or practices. Those just doing a job gave vague responses about "following design influencers" or "checking Dribbble sometimes."

Perhaps most importantly: "What questions do you have for us?" Curious, engaged candidates asked substantive questions about team dynamics, design challenges, user research processes, or company vision. Disengaged candidates asked only about benefits, vacation time, or work hours—not inherently problematic, but revealing when that's all they wanted to know.

These questions transformed interviews from one-sided evaluations into genuine conversations that helped both parties assess mutual fit.

Teaching Skills vs. Teaching Attitude

Here's what I discovered through trial and error: I could teach a passionate designer almost any technical skill they lacked. Design systems? Learnable. Advanced prototyping? Trainable. User research methodologies? Completely teachable with the right mentorship and resources.

What I couldn't teach was giving a damn. I couldn't manufacture curiosity in someone who viewed design as just another corporate job. I couldn't create collaborative spirit in someone who fundamentally preferred solo work. I couldn't instill user empathy in someone who saw design primarily as personal artistic expression.

This realization was liberating. It meant I could consider candidates who didn't tick every technical box on my wishlist, as long as they demonstrated genuine passion, strong foundational thinking, and cultural alignment. A mid-level designer with the right attitude would outgrow their limitations within months. A senior designer without passion would plateau immediately.

I once hired a designer whose portfolio was notably less polished than other candidates. But during interviews, they asked incredibly thoughtful questions about our users, explained their design reasoning with impressive clarity, and showed genuine excitement about our product challenges. They wanted to understand our team dynamics and how we collaborated.

Within six months, they became one of our strongest contributors. Their technical skills improved rapidly because they were intrinsically motivated to learn. More importantly, they elevated team culture through their enthusiasm, constructive feedback style, and collaborative energy.

Meanwhile, the technically superior candidate we passed on would likely still be technically superior—but potentially disengaged, isolated, or creating friction that undermined collective effectiveness.

Creating an Environment Where Passion Flourishes

Hiring passionate people is only half the equation. The other half is creating conditions where that passion can flourish rather than being extinguished by organizational dysfunction, poor leadership, or toxic culture.

Passionate designers need psychological safety—the freedom to experiment, fail, and learn without fear of punishment. They need collaborative environments where diverse perspectives are genuinely valued. They need to see their work impact real users, not disappear into political bureaucracy.

At TransferGo, we established practices that supported this environment. Regular design critiques where feedback was expected and welcomed. Dedicated time for exploration and skill development. Direct access to user research and customer feedback. Leadership that defended design decisions when appropriate and included designers in strategic conversations.

We also normalized talking about failure. When designs didn't achieve desired outcomes, we discussed why openly, without blame. This created space for risk-taking and innovation—essential conditions for passionate people to do their best work.

Importantly, we protected the team from organizational chaos when possible. Passionate people don't mind working hard on meaningful challenges, but they quickly burn out when faced with constantly shifting priorities, poor planning, or busywork that doesn't serve users.

Recognition mattered too—not just formal performance reviews, but day-to-day acknowledgment of good thinking, collaborative support, and growth. Passionate people aren't primarily motivated by praise, but they do need to feel their contributions are valued and visible.

The Surprising Benefits of Prioritizing Team Chemistry

When I started prioritizing cultural fit and collaborative potential, I expected marginal improvements in team dynamics. What I experienced was transformational change that affected everything from output quality to recruitment ease.

The team became self-reinforcing. Existing members had strong opinions about new candidates because they understood how important cultural alignment was. They became active participants in recruitment, which improved hiring decisions and helped new members integrate faster.

Collaboration became genuinely productive rather than performative. Team members sought each other's input because they trusted the feedback would be thoughtful and constructive. Design reviews became energizing rather than draining.

Problem-solving improved dramatically. When facing complex challenges, the team approached them collectively, building on each other's ideas rather than defending individual territories. The psychological safety we'd built meant people could voice half-formed ideas without judgment, leading to innovative solutions that wouldn't emerge from isolated work.

Retention improved organically. People didn't leave for marginally better salaries elsewhere because they valued the team environment. They referred talented friends because they were genuinely enthusiastic about the culture we'd built.

Perhaps most surprisingly, our reputation in the design community strengthened. Team members spoke positively about their experience at events, in communities, and on social media—not because we asked them to, but because they authentically enjoyed their work and colleagues.

Signs You've Built the Right Team

How do you know when you've successfully built a team based on passion and cultural fit rather than just assembled technically competent individuals? There are observable indicators that distinguish cohesive teams from collections of individuals.

Team members help each other proactively without being asked. They share relevant resources, offer feedback on side projects, and cover for each other during busy periods. Collaboration feels natural rather than forced by process.

Conflicts, when they arise, focus on ideas rather than personalities. Disagreements are resolved through discussion and data rather than politics or hierarchy. Team members challenge each other constructively and accept challenges gracefully.

People seem genuinely engaged during meetings and design reviews. There's energy, laughter, and authentic interest rather than polite but disengaged participation. Ideas build on each other rather than competing for airtime.

The team attracts talent organically through reputation and referrals. Recruitment becomes easier because people want to work with your team specifically, not just at your company.

Perhaps most tellingly: team members stay, even when approached with external opportunities. They might explore options—that's natural and healthy—but they consistently choose to remain because they value the environment, relationships, and shared purpose they've found.

Quick Takeaways

  • Technical skills are trainable; passion and cultural fit are not—prioritize intrinsic motivation and values alignment over portfolio perfection
  • Bad cultural fits damage team morale far beyond individual productivity—the ripple effects can undermine months of progress and collaborative trust
  • Restructure interviews to assess collaborative potential—include team participation, real problem discussions, and values-based questions alongside technical evaluation
  • Passionate designers reveal themselves through curiosity—they ask better questions, reflect on failures thoughtfully, and explore design outside work requirements
  • Create environments where passion flourishes—provide psychological safety, protect from organizational chaos, and ensure design work connects to meaningful user outcomes
  • Strong team chemistry produces compounding benefits—improved collaboration, better retention, enhanced reputation, and self-reinforcing recruitment advantages
  • Invest extra time in hiring to save months of management headaches—a few additional hours during interviews prevents costly mis-hires and cultural disruption

Conclusion: The Long-Term Payoff of Patience

Building a design team based on passion, cultural alignment, and collaborative potential isn't the fastest approach. It requires patience during recruitment, thoughtfulness during interviews, and discipline to pass on technically impressive candidates who don't fit your values.

But the long-term payoff is transformational. You build teams that are genuinely greater than the sum of their parts—where collaboration produces innovations that individual contributors couldn't achieve alone, where people actively choose to stay despite external opportunities, and where the culture itself becomes a competitive advantage.

My experience at TransferGo taught me that the most valuable hiring criterion isn't what candidates can already do—it's who they are and who they want to become. The designers who transformed our team weren't necessarily the most credentialed or experienced. They were the ones who cared deeply about the craft, embraced collaboration authentically, and shared our commitment to serving users thoughtfully.

This approach requires courage, especially when facing pressure to fill positions quickly or when impressive candidates don't quite align with team values. But every time I've compromised on cultural fit for the sake of expediency, I've regretted it. And every time I've been patient enough to find someone who genuinely fits, they've exceeded expectations.

If you're building or growing a design team, I encourage you to prioritize passion and cultural alignment as seriously as technical competence. Develop interview processes that reveal values and collaborative style. Involve your team in assessment. Be willing to wait for the right person rather than settling for someone who's merely adequate.

Have you faced similar hiring challenges? What signals do you look for that indicate genuine passion and team fit? I'd genuinely love to hear your experiences and insights—these conversations make all of us better at building the teams our work deserves.

FAQs

How do you assess cultural fit without creating a homogeneous team that lacks diversity?

Cultural fit should focus on shared values, work ethics, and collaborative style—not personality similarity or background. The goal is alignment on how you work together and what you prioritize (user needs, constructive feedback, intellectual curiosity), not hiring people who look, think, or act identically. Diverse perspectives within a shared values framework produce the strongest teams.

What if a candidate has passion but lacks the technical baseline you need?

Assess whether the technical gap is closeable within your timeline and whether you have resources to support their growth. A designer who needs to learn specific tools but has strong foundational thinking and genuine passion can catch up quickly. But if they lack core competencies like visual hierarchy understanding or user-centered thinking, the gap may be too substantial regardless of enthusiasm.

How much time should team members spend in the interview process?

Enough to make informed decisions without creating excessive burden. Typically, 2-3 team members spending 30-60 minutes each with candidates provides sufficient signal. Make it meaningful—collaborative exercises or real problem discussions rather than repetitive questions. Respect everyone's time while recognizing that hiring decisions affect the entire team.

Can you teach someone to be more collaborative if they're naturally introverted or independent?

Absolutely—collaboration style differs from personality type. Introverts can be excellent collaborators who contribute thoughtfully in structured settings. The question is whether someone values collaboration and others' input, not whether they're naturally gregarious. Look for openness to feedback, interest in others' perspectives, and ability to articulate thinking clearly regardless of personality.

What are red flags during interviews that suggest poor cultural fit?

Dismissiveness toward previous teams or colleagues, inability to acknowledge mistakes or learning moments, lack of questions about the team or users, defensive responses to hypothetical feedback scenarios, or exclusive focus on personal credit rather than collaborative achievements. Also watch for candidates who can't explain their design reasoning beyond aesthetic preference—it suggests lack of user-centered thinking.

Published by hellomartin.co.uk

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