operations administrationdesign system governancedesignopsfigma administrationresource planning
Complete evaluation framework
What to assess and how to score it
Review the evidence signals before interviewing. Then use the anchored descriptions—not instinct alone—to choose the score that best matches each answer.
01
Evaluation factor
Execution and reliability
35% weight
Check how they run design intake and resourcing: Figma org administration, seat and licence audits, Jira or Asana request queues, sprint capacity models, agency and freelancer onboarding.
Evidence to listen for
Describes a workload they owned and how they kept it from slipping
Names the tools and systems they ran day to day
Can talk about volume: tickets, inboxes, orders, uptime
Nothing quietly falls through when they are busy
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Cannot describe their own workload; things slip without them noticing.
2
Needs Improvement
Handles routine volume; drops work under pressure.
3
Satisfactory
Reliable on steady-state work; struggles when volume spikes.
4
Very Good
Consistently reliable at real volume with a system for staying on top.
5
Excellent
Names the intake system they built, current designer-to-project ratios, licence spend they trimmed, and typical turnaround on new project kickoff.
02
Evaluation factor
Improving the process
25% weight
Probe process rework: file and library naming conventions, design system contribution workflows, critique cadence, handoff checklists with engineering, and measured reduction in duplicated components or rework.
Evidence to listen for
Has changed a process rather than only following one
Can name what was slow or error-prone and what they did about it
Documents so the improvement survives them
Knows when a process is worth automating and when it is not
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Follows instructions only; no sense that process can change.
2
Needs Improvement
Notices problems but escalates rather than solving.
3
Satisfactory
Makes small improvements; impact is local and undocumented.
4
Very Good
Has redesigned a real process with measurable effect.
5
Excellent
Describes a specific ritual or template they retired or replaced, with before and after cycle times or component reuse figures.
03
Evaluation factor
Judgement and autonomy
25% weight
Assess autonomy on judgement calls: prioritising competing requests from product leads, deciding when to hire versus contract, escalating scope creep without a design director present.
Evidence to listen for
Knows what to decide alone and what to escalate
Handles an exception without freezing or improvising recklessly
Protects confidentiality and access appropriately
Asks a clarifying question rather than guessing on something costly
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Either escalates everything or acts recklessly on their own.
2
Needs Improvement
Needs frequent direction; uneasy with exceptions.
3
Satisfactory
Sound judgement on familiar decisions.
4
Very Good
Clear sense of their own authority; handles exceptions well.
5
Excellent
Gives an example of pushing back on a stakeholder request, the trade-off explained, and the outcome for the design team's workload.
04
Evaluation factor
Communication
15% weight
Look for how they communicate upward and sideways: quarterly design ops reporting, tooling business cases to finance, onboarding documentation in Notion or Confluence for new designers.
Evidence to listen for
Writes clearly enough that people act without a follow-up
Manages expectations before a deadline slips, not after
Handles a frustrated colleague or customer calmly
Works across time zones or async where the role needs it
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Unclear written communication; goes quiet when things slip.
2
Needs Improvement
Communication needs chasing; raises problems late.
3
Satisfactory
Clear enough day to day; proactive updates are inconsistent.
4
Very Good
Clear, proactive, and calm under pressure.
5
Excellent
Shows written artefacts they own (playbooks, dashboards, onboarding guides) and explains adoption rates among designers and partner teams.
Put this rubric to work
Score every candidate against the same standard
Add these weighted factors to Hirevire and let AI evaluate recorded answers against your rubric.
