Recruiting, compensating, and protecting users

Recruiting users

What

Recruiting in the user research context is finding people to interview or test your product.

Why

Recruiting people who represent your core user group is a critical and often overlooked part of research. Working with the right users matters more than using the perfect method.

How to do it

Seek out people who:

• Are trying to use your product at the moment
• Have recently tried to use your product
• Have used the thing you are working on less recently
• Have used something like what you are working on, and are likely to use what you are working on

Reach them through: 

• Relevant community organizations
• Impromptu requests in or near the relevant environment
• Your personal and professional network
• The new or existing website
• Existing mailing lists
• Recruiting services

Time required

1 to 2 weeks for up to 9 participants