In the life of a market research professional you deal with recruiting a lot. Whether you’re conducting surveys, in-depth interviews (IDIs), or focus groups, finding the right participants for a study is always a challenge. Without high quality respondents, it's difficult to produce high quality outcomes.
Have you ever been faced with a tough recruit in market research? Us too.
Maybe you needed 10 business executives for a 45 minute in-depth interview (IDI) within a specific industry and market area, or maybe you were searching for 100 survey responses from men within a specific market aged 18 to 34 who are left handed. On top of searching and finding those participants, you need to generate interest, get them to qualify, and show up.
Sounds tough, right?
Well you’re not alone. Check out our 3 quick tips from our market research recruitment firm in Upstate, NY. We specialize in online recruiting for your qualitative market research projects.
Recruiting can be tough. Use the tips below to help guide your next market research recruit!
Know Your Platform
Innovation is all around us in market research. Recruiting is no longer limited to random digit dialing by phone, which is a costly and lengthy process. Phone recruitment is extremely expensive and can take weeks to build a pool of interested participants.
In 2017, market research recruitment needs to be thought of in terms of hours or days, not weeks or months. Clients want to work with a market research recruitment firm that is quick.
We'll explain more about the decline of phone surveys in an upcoming post!
There are several different platforms you can use for market research recruiting. This could range from online advertising, online panels, social media advertising, etc. No matter what method is used, it’s critical to understand the rules and guidelines for each method.
For each recruiting method, there are best practices that sets market research recruiting up for success. Some things to consider are (1) getting smart on the guidelines, (2) creating effective messaging, (3) utilizing an incentive, and (4) keeping your survey or recruiting screener clear and concise.
Learn more about recruitment screeners in market research here.
Cast a Wide Net
It’s important to not limit yourself when recruiting. Oftentimes, casting a wide net pays off to start instead of limiting yourself to a very small pool. Consider widening the market area or limiting the qualifications or characteristics, etc. Typically, casting a wide net pays off because by making the recruit quicker and it builds momentum.
Since there are exceptions to every rule, there are times when organizations need to hunt for those people with very specific characteristics to participate in research. Understandably, recruitment budgets are higher and researchers develop creative strategies to reach recruits.
Find ways to be inclusive rather than exclusive.
Mix It Up
In every recruit, it’s important to understand your end goals in terms of qualification quotas. Before getting your recruitment underway, be clear on the details. Not only do you want to make sure all audience segments are represented, but also that there is an ideal mix of respondents with varying characteristics.
It’s important to get a holistic view in research. You wouldn’t want to base decisions on one singular narrow point of view, right? If you notice that one audience segment is more strongly represented, it’s time to create strategies to recruit your underrepresented groups.
Market Research Recruitment Company
Searching for tips on finding the right recruitment firm partner? We've got you covered. Watch this short 4-minute video on choosing the right market research company.
Contact Us
Drive Research is a market research recruitment firm in Syracuse, NY. We specialize in a variety of services, industries, and markets, but more importantly we’re dedicated to providing better data, better decisions, and better strategy. We believe in better.
Call us at 315-303-2040 or send us an email at [email protected].