2.1 Recruit interview participants
Start early. Recruit 6-7 so you can interview 5.
Start recruiting participants from your first user group as soon as you have decided who that first group is. Guide 1’s planning template helps you decide.
Your plan does not need to be completed for you to start recruiting. Starting early gives you more time to do this.
🛠️ Tools
You will need these tools to do the work:
Form creation tool e.g. Google Forms
Email
Social media
🧍🏿 Solo or collaborate 👫?
You can do some of this work on your own, but you will probably need help to find participants.
👣 7 Steps
1. Decide when to run your interviews
Decide on a 2-3 day period when you will carry out interviews. Make it at least two weeks in the future. This will give you time to manage any recruitment delays.
2. Decide how many to recruit
You should aim to carry out 5 interviews. This is enough people.
Sometimes people drop out or are unsuitable. So recruit 6-7 people. It's ok if you end up interviewing them all.
3. Describe the people you want to recruit
Write down a description of the people you want to recruit. Be clear on any categories they need to fit into. This will help you find the right people to interview.
👬 You can use some of this user interviews worksheet to help you.
Click ‘file to make a copy. Use it for parts 2.2 and 2.3 too.
4. Set-up a recruitment form
This will make it easier for people to agree to an interview, whichever way they hear about them. You need to ask them for their name and contact details, and to confirm they consent.
There are two ways to do this.
Use Google Forms, Typeform or a similar tool. When you receive their form submission, arrange an interview time with them.
Use a free Calendly account. This will allow participants to send their details to you and simultaneously choose when to be interviewed.
👬 You can copy text from CAST’s user research consent form.
5. Write a simple request
Do this so that it’s easy for people to decide if they want to take part.
Here’s an example:
“We’re looking for [describe the specific type of people you want to talk to] to speak to about their experience of [service, issue, challenge, problem]. Calls will last 45 minutes and be confidential. [Details of any reward offered]. Sign up. Find out more.”
Add a link to your recruitment form to the text ‘Sign up’.
Add your email address, or a link to a document or webpage with more information, to the text ‘Find out more’.
Decide if you will be offering a reward or payment. Add this if you are.
Make it into a social media card for extra impact.
6. Send out the request
Do this as if you were promoting an event.
Email the request to people who might be suitable for interviewing.
Email it to colleagues to pass on to people who might be suitable.
Post it on your organisation’s social media.
Email it to people in other services who might be able to help recruit.
Do all of these at the same time. Don’t wait to see if one works before trying the other. If you get more people than you need then add them to a reserve list and politely contact them explaining that you would like to keep their details for future similar opportunities.
7. Follow up with those who fill in the form
Email or call those who have booked. This gives them a chance to ask questions and feel comfortable. It will also reduce your drop-out rate.
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