Participant Recruiting: Secret to UX Research Success

The success of user research is largely driven by the quality of the participants. Of course, the study must be well-designed, with carefully defined research objectives, realistic usage scenarios, and appropriate tasks. The profile of the product’s or application’s target audience must also be clearly articulated, with specific user characteristics identified and online and phone screening tools created for collecting this information. Once these components are constructed and vetted by stakeholders, my work of participant recruiting begins.

Clients often ask what my secret recipe is for finding quality participants and then getting them to show up for in-lab or remote research sessions. Since TecEd recruits “fresh” for every research project—we don’t turn to a database of serial research volunteers—it can seem daunting and is always challenging.

Secret recipe

So what’s in my recipe? The main ingredient is rapport – establishing rapport with each potential participant is my primary focus. Most candidates who volunteer have never been involved in user research and don’t know what to expect. They may be nervous or even suspicious. It’s my job to address any fears and help make them comfortable and enthusiastic about participating.

Phone screening plays a huge role in developing trust, which leads to rapport. If I learn that someone is a promising candidate in their first phone screen (they possess the profile attributes and also communicate well) then I make sure to connect with them by phone again, sometimes  several more times if I or the project manager have additional questions about their background.   By doing so, they become more familiar with me and rapport builds, increasing the likelihood that they will show up for their session.

Relax and listen

Although I have a script for participant recruiting  phone screening, I try to sound less formal and more conversational to help put the candidate at ease. Sometimes candidates go off topic, telling me things that are not pertinent to the study. When this happens, I just go with it, allowing them to talk while contributing to the conversation and then circling back to their potential role in the study. Being open and responsive helps build trust, and with it candidates’ comfort level.

Provide detail, and be available

I always give participants enough detail about the study that they can visualize what they will be doing. I can’t reveal any information that would compromise the study, but I can share what they will be doing, for example, trying an application on a tablet while a researcher watches and asks questions. I also encourage them to contact me at any time if they have other questions. I let them know that I will be in contact with them again and that I am available after standard “work hours” if they aren’t able to connect with me during the day.

Confirm, and confirm again

A key step in participant recruiting is to send a confirmation email with directions and additional information shortly after a session is booked. I ask the candidate to reply so that I know they received the communication. If I don’t get a reply within a couple of days, I call them to make sure they received the email. I also make reminder calls the day before a candidate’s scheduled session. My goal is to speak with each person directly to make sure they are all set for the study and are clear on where they are supposed to go.

No-shows do happen

Nine times out of 10 I can tell by the tone of a participant’s voice if they are going to show up. If someone does not return calls, is short with me, or doesn’t sound committed, it’s usually a good indication that they might be a no-show. When this happens, I let the research team know and prepare to fill that spot with another candidate. Occasionally a participant gives every indication that they will show up and then doesn’t, so I always have back-ups waiting in the wings.

For the bulk of my participant recruiting efforts, by following my secret recipe of establishing rapport, providing plenty of detail, and communicating often, participant commitment is ensured and sessions proceed as planned!

Want valuable insights from your target audience?  Contact us and share what you’d like to learn to get started with user research!