Post on 28-Jan-2015
description
Gaining design insights from your research recruiting process
Dana Chisnell@danachis
Lesson learned
How long?
How often?
How bad?
Medications?
Employed?
Insurance?
TERMINATE (interview).
Recruiting as user research: bonus data
Recruiting as user research: conversational interviews
How do I get started?
Where do I find people?
What do I do with old customer data?
Why is recruiting so time-consuming?
How can I stop no-shows?
• Sourcing
• Screening
• Scheduling
• Compensating
Steps to recruiting happiness
keep it in house
bond closely with consistent resource
Do it yourself.
Include the recruiter in the study planning
Objective of the study
Format of the sessions
Behavior to be observed
This is part of the customer experience
First contact
Recap:
• Recruiting is part of the research.
• You should do it yourself.
Snowball recruiting can be more effective than your database
1. Sourcing
• Snowball
• Online social networks
• Churches, school groups, social clubs
• Professional associations
• User groups, conventions, and conferences
• Support groups
• Intercepts
• Craigslist
Sources
Panels
• Can take time to get a pull from a company database
• Customer data is out of date
• People have to opt in
• Some make a living responding to surveys and doing studies
Biases: Every sample has a bias. Mix them up.
The art of the open-ended interview.
2. Screening
The art of the interview
• This is not a test.
• It’s a conversation to learn about the person
• Frame the conversation based on the study objectives
• Get the respondent to volunteer information
Be open
• “tell me about...”
• “when was the last time you...”
• “say more about that...”
• “what’s the thing you like most about x...?”
Know who shouldn’t be there
• Create a question that will show a faker is a faker
• Be clear about who you don’t want in your study
• Demographics don’t predict behavior
• Focus on actions you want to observe
Behavior versus demographics
• Regulations may bound age ranges
• Beware targeted segments
Behavior versus demographics
plays first-person shooter games
downloads movies
applies for benefits
files claims
buys groceries
books hotels
shares photos
• Attributes that may indicate differences in behavior
Classifiers
Set expectations • Recording
• NDAs
• Homework
• Possible personally identifying information
• Using their device or yours
• Alone or with other participants
• Being observed
NameBooks own travel?
Business trips in 12 mo
Pleasure trips in 12 mo
Terry Y 25 2
Pat N 30 5
Tracy Y 10 1
Keith Y 9 2
Leslie Y 15 1
Ari Y 2 2
Kelly N 50 0
Erin Y 5 5
More hints
• Ask all the questions
• You’ve just started a relationship
• Respondents get invested
So far• Treat recruiting
like research
• Recruiting is first contact
• Every sample has bias
• Use networks to find sources of participants
• Focus on behaviors
• Screening establishes a relationship
Coming up• Scheduling
• Compensating participants
• Case studies
BreakQuestions & Answers
• Scheduling
• Compensating participants
• Case studies
It’s all about tradeoffs.
3. Scheduling
Where = timing
• Remote sessions offer the greatest flexibility
• Visiting participants can make them more available
• Going to you is actually the most time-consuming for participants
Be as generous as possible.
4. Compensation
Compensation, not incentive
• Compensate as soon as possible
• Cash is ideal
• Gift cards can work
• Licenses or subscriptions
• Donations
Pay or gift?
Remember to thank the people who helped you find participants, too.
Send a thank-you note.
Gaining design insights from the research recruiting process
• People with epilepsy who track symptoms and meds
Case 1: Usability test of a health monitoring app
QuestionsWhat’s it like to have this condition? Have you always had it? How do you cope? Tell me about meds.
SurpriseA lot of the people we wanted to meet were not patients. They were caregivers.
Case 2: Interviews about travel experiences
• People who travel between two major cities
• A mix of business travelers, pleasure travelers, and weekenders
QuestionsTell me about the last time you made the trip.[If needed] Why did you make the trip? [If needed] Who were you with? [If needed] How long did it take? [If needed] How often do you make this trip?
SurpriseIt’s not just the purpose of the trip, it’s the people you’re with.
Case 3: Usability test of a hotel booking site
• People who stay in hotels when they travel
QuestionsTell me about your last trip. Where’d you stay? How did you decide where to stay? How did you make a reservation?
SurpriseWe actually wanted people who book their own hotel rooms.
Summary• Do it yourself or include the recruiter when
you plan your study
• Continuous, snowball recruiting pre-qualifies & expands the sample
• Biased samples aren’t all bad
• Open-ended, voice-to-voice interviews are key to show rates
Summary• Open-ended screening reveals nuances
that can bust your assumptions
• You may lose real users if you aren’t
• open
• flexible
• attentive
Bonus tip!
• Confirm the appointment by email
• Remind the participant by email
• Remind the participant by phone
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