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#12 Champagne and razor blades: Inside design recruitment
“What does it mean to recruit in a turbulent UX market — and where is the industry heading?”
Summary
In this episode, Danny speaks with long-time UX and design recruiter Nick Grantham about the realities of today’s hiring landscape. Nick shares his journey from studying design to becoming a specialist design recruiter, the emotional side of matchmaking candidates and teams, and why the last few years have reshaped expectations for designers, hiring managers, and recruiters alike. They discuss the impact of interest rates, AI, internal talent teams, CV myths, candidate overwhelm, and how to stay resilient while navigating a challenging market. Nick brings clarity, honesty, and grounded optimism to a conversation many designers need right now.
Guest
Nick Grantham
Nick is an Associate Director at Zebra People, who are a long-standing, digital specialist recruitment agency. Nick himself has been leading UX and product design recruitment across start-ups, scale-ups, and major brands for the past 15 years. With deep experience shaping design teams and advising on hiring strategy, Nick brings a no-nonsense approach to his trade and had even started his career in design before switching to recruitment.
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickgrantham/
Website – https://zebrapeople.com/
Host
Danny Hearn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyhearn/
Website – www.dannyhearn.me
Podcast – www.deeplyhumandesign.com
Chapters
00:00 Why bring a recruiter into a design podcast
02:02 Nick’s journey from transport design to UX recruitment
08:27 What recruiters actually do (and how matchmaking really works)
10:14 The human side of recruitment, emotions, and life-changing moves
13:51 “Champagne and razor blades”: the highs and lows of placements
23:22 Why this downturn feels different: interest rates, budgets, and AI
30:21 Adapting as a designer: UX, product, research, and service design
35:26 Specialising, doubling down on strengths, and applying strategically
38:33 Tasks, process design, and the impact on diversity and inclusion
54:17 The future of recruitment, AI, and cautious optimism for the market
View all episodes
By Danny Hearn“What does it mean to recruit in a turbulent UX market — and where is the industry heading?”
Summary
In this episode, Danny speaks with long-time UX and design recruiter Nick Grantham about the realities of today’s hiring landscape. Nick shares his journey from studying design to becoming a specialist design recruiter, the emotional side of matchmaking candidates and teams, and why the last few years have reshaped expectations for designers, hiring managers, and recruiters alike. They discuss the impact of interest rates, AI, internal talent teams, CV myths, candidate overwhelm, and how to stay resilient while navigating a challenging market. Nick brings clarity, honesty, and grounded optimism to a conversation many designers need right now.
Guest
Nick Grantham
Nick is an Associate Director at Zebra People, who are a long-standing, digital specialist recruitment agency. Nick himself has been leading UX and product design recruitment across start-ups, scale-ups, and major brands for the past 15 years. With deep experience shaping design teams and advising on hiring strategy, Nick brings a no-nonsense approach to his trade and had even started his career in design before switching to recruitment.
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickgrantham/
Website – https://zebrapeople.com/
Host
Danny Hearn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyhearn/
Website – www.dannyhearn.me
Podcast – www.deeplyhumandesign.com
Chapters
00:00 Why bring a recruiter into a design podcast
02:02 Nick’s journey from transport design to UX recruitment
08:27 What recruiters actually do (and how matchmaking really works)
10:14 The human side of recruitment, emotions, and life-changing moves
13:51 “Champagne and razor blades”: the highs and lows of placements
23:22 Why this downturn feels different: interest rates, budgets, and AI
30:21 Adapting as a designer: UX, product, research, and service design
35:26 Specialising, doubling down on strengths, and applying strategically
38:33 Tasks, process design, and the impact on diversity and inclusion
54:17 The future of recruitment, AI, and cautious optimism for the market