All market research recruitment agencies have their own policies, procedures, and their own way of working. Additionally, all researchers and clients have a set of rules they are abiding to. Expectations of both parties are different, which can potentially cause complications during a project.

We prefer discussing these during the briefing. This way, we are aware of client’s predictions, and we can make sure not to let them down.

However, there are some general points about what you are supposed to see in the updates. Keep reading to find out more about them.

Which Recruitment Methods Were Used

One of the first points you can expect when receiving an update is that it includes avenues the recruitment team has taken in order to approach potential respondents. There are many methods agencies are using for recruitment, and you should be aware of them. Are they recruiting exclusively from their panel or are they using social media for recruitment? They might be employing some methods you do not approve, so make sure to present clear rules from the beginning.

Respondents and Quotas

Additional point to note is the number of screened and booked respondents. Some market research studies have tighter quotas, which means the ratio of screened and booked respondents might be bigger than expected. In case this happens, you and your agency will be able to tell if some quotas need relaxing.

If you have more than one recruitment agency working on your project, they all need to be aware of the quotas and time slots the other agency has been booking in. This way, the agencies can avoid calling the respondents reschedule them, etc.

By getting daily updates on the number of respondents who were booked and screened you can tell how the process is going, and whether the agency will be able to complete the task on time for your study. If you notice they are struggling, you can offer to add in another recruitment team in order to avoid having a partly booked research.

Challenges and Solutions

It is not good if your agency only presents you with the challenges but does not propose possible solutions for any of them. From what we have seen in the industry, most agencies do propose solutions, so beware if your update only talks about the challenges the recruitment team is facing.

We are all aware of the issues that could arise during the project. Sometimes we can even foresee them before the project starts. The important thing is that we have a fix for these challenges – whether it is a change of quota, time slots, incentive amounts, etc.

The recruitment methods your agency is using could cause the challenges to arise, and the agency should be able to see that taking a different avenue will move the project forward.

Plan of Action

Besides the above, you should expect to see a plan of action from the recruitment agency. The plan of action usually includes the tasks team will tackle before the next update. It could be anything, from referrals to the ways they are planning to generate new leads.

Whatever the agency’s plan is, they need to keep you posted. This way, all parties are on the same page and you can be confident that the recruitment for your research is going as planned.

Conclusion

In order for the above to run smoothly, you need an agency that values honesty and transparency. The updates are a great indicator of this. Through them, you will be able to track your partner’s progress and make sure that everything is going according to plan.

If you are interested in finding out more about our methods, feel free to contact our Quotes team.

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