Marketing Research and Insight Glossary

Definitions, common uses and explanations of 1,500+ key market research terms and phrases.

What is Recruitment?

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Recruitment Definition

The process of securing participants for focus groups who meet specific demographic or other project requirements.

Recruitment refers to the process of identifying, screening and selecting participants to take part in market research studies. This includes surveys, focus groups, interviews, product tests and other forms of qualitative or quantitative research.

Who relies on recruitment in market research?

Research agencies, panel providers, fieldwork managers, qualitative moderators, client-side insights teams and UX researchers rely on recruitment to ensure high-quality, relevant participants for their studies.

What are the key aspects of recruitment in market research?

  • Targeting based on demographics, psychographics and behaviors.
  • Use of screeners to qualify participants.
  • Ensuring participant reliability and diversity.
  • Ethical considerations and informed consent.
  • May involve incentives or compensation.

Why is recruitment important in market research?

Effective recruitment ensures that the right people are included in the study, which directly impacts the accuracy, relevance and reliability of the insights gathered. Poor recruitment can lead to skewed data and misguided decisions.

How do market researchers use recruitment?

Researchers design screening tools to qualify participants, work with recruiters or panels to source candidates and track quotas to ensure balanced representation. Recruitment is managed closely to align with study goals and target audiences.