Research operations in product development
DOE Hiring Focus Groups
Client: NYC Department of Education
Timeline: April – September 2025
Team: 6 UX Researchers
Role: Lead UX Researcher
Project Summery:
Led a six-month, citywide UX research project for the NYC Department of Education to understand how schools approach hiring and identify ways to improve DOE support and resources.
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Managed and mentored a team of five UX researchers, overseeing all phases of the project - from recruitment and planning to facilitation, synthesis, and reporting.
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Served as primary client liaison, translating DOE goals into actionable research plans, leading alignment meetings, and presenting findings and recommendations.
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Designed and facilitated six focus groups with principals and assistant principals, modeled moderation techniques, and guided the team in refining discussion guides and analysis.
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Delivered actionable outcomes, including thematic reports, usability test documentation, and workflow visualizations, which the DOE is using to inform ongoing hiring process improvements.
Case Study Summary
The NYC Department of Education (DOE) wanted to better understand how schools approach hiring in order to improve the resources they offer and make the hiring process more efficient.
They partnered with our research team to conduct focus groups with hiring decision-makers (e.g., principals and assistant principals), identify what tools they use, where gaps exist, and how the DOE could better support them.
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Over a six-month period, I led a team of five other UX researchers in planning, executing, and analyzing this research. We conducted six focus groups, collaborated directly with the client, and delivered thematic reports, usability test documentation, and a final presentation.
Problem & Goals
The DOE knew that schools across the city had a wide range of hiring experiences but didn’t fully understand what made some more successful than others. They wanted to know:
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How schools experience the hiring process from their side​
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What DOE-provided resources are being used​
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What additional resources schools use independently​
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What the DOE is currently doing well​
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Where gaps exist that, if addressed, could make hiring more efficient
My Role
I served as the main point of contact with the client, leading meetings, interpreting their needs, and translating those into research plans for our team.
Timeline of my duties
April 14 - May 4th
Hired and onboarded five researchers through my network at Tech Fleet.
May 4th - May 23rd
Worked with the research team to edit and refine questions, and met with the client to finalize them before each focus group session
Worked with the team to edit and refine questions for the first round.
May 26th - May 30th
Conducted the first focus group in each session as a model for other researchers. Delegated tasks, scheduled sessions, and assigned moderation roles.
June 2th - June 6th
Analyzed results from the first round of sessions with the team.
Collaborated with researchers to write and revise questions for the second round.
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Met with the client to finalize the discussion guides for:
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Multilingual Teacher Hiring
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Special Education Teacher Hiring
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The ITRHI Platform
June 9th - June 13th
Conducted the first focus group of Session 2 as a model for other researchers.
Assigned moderation and note-taking roles for the remaining focus groups
Planning & Preparation
April - May 2025
We met with the client to understand their goals and proposed running a series of focus groups. The client shared a list of question topics they wanted to cover, and our team collaboratively refined and expanded on these in working sessions.
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I began recruiting researchers in April while the scope was still evolving. I spoke with eight candidates and ultimately hired five. Once we finalized the number and length of focus groups, I coordinated a dry run so we could test timing, phrasing, and flow. I led this dry run to help calibrate the team.
Focus Groups – Round 1
April–May 2025
We conducted three initial focus groups, each with different participants but the same core set of questions. I led the first session so other researchers could observe and learn from my facilitation and approach. I provided guidance on pacing, probing, and how to pivot based on participant feedback.
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Each session had two researchers — one would lead the first half, the other the second — with the inactive moderator supporting with notes and follow-ups.
Planning & Preparation
April - May 2025
We met with the client to understand their goals and proposed running a series of focus groups. The client shared a list of question topics they wanted to cover, and our team collaboratively refined and expanded on these in working sessions.
​
I began recruiting researchers in April while the scope was still evolving. I spoke with eight candidates and ultimately hired five. Once we finalized the number and length of focus groups, I coordinated a dry run so we could test timing, phrasing, and flow. I led this dry run to help calibrate the team.
Focus Groups – Round 2
May - June 2025
For the second round, we conducted three more focus groups — this time with returning participants and sessions focused on specific topics. These were:
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Multilingual Teacher Hiring
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Special Education Teacher Hiring
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The ITRHI Platform – a resource on the DOE website used for connecting schools with potential hires
Before each session, I worked with the researchers to adjust the questions based on findings from Round 1, and then met with the client to review and finalize the discussion guide. I also coordinated scheduling and assigned moderation roles across the team.
The second round allowed us to dive deeper into participant feedback and clarify questions around specific tools, challenges, and hiring needs. We used insights from these sessions to build out more detailed thematic recommendations for the DOE.
Research Synthesis & Deliverables
July–August 2025
Our team reviewed transcripts and organized findings into key themes:
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General hiring practices
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DOE-provided resources that were helpful
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Gaps in resource knowledge or availability
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Challenges hiring managers faced in practice
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We developed usability test materials for future DOE research teams to use. While these tests weren’t run due to time and budget constraints, the client asked for the documentation so they could implement it in the future.
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We also created a journey map and wireframes to show how hiring workflows unfold in schools.
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To close out the project, I facilitated internal team synthesis, divided up report writing by theme, and organized a client-ready presentation.
Presentation to Client
During our final presentation, we shared core insights and directed the DOE to the detailed reports. Based on their preference, we separated our findings into individual documents for each theme to make them easier to reference and use in future decision-making.
Impact
The DOE plans to use our findings in both short- and long-term ways. Some quick fixes were identified — small changes that could meaningfully improve the hiring process. Other recommendations will require further exploration, especially those that involve areas outside the DOE’s direct control.
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Importantly, they plan to use our thematic reports and usability test documentation to inform ongoing efforts to support schools and streamline hiring practices.
Reflections
This was my first time being fully in charge of hiring and running a research project, from defining the approach to managing the client relationship to guiding other researchers. In contrast to previous roles — like at Meta, where engineers dictated study structure. I was responsible for shaping every part of this engagement. It was a valuable experience that deepened both my leadership skills and confidence in owning the research process end to end.