AIWorkDex
Customer Research Practice

Build an experience-based recruitment path

Recruit consented participants who recently faced the situation under study.

Preparation
Preparation plus an outreach round
Difficulty
Moderate
Task
Recruit relevant interview participants
Back to the Task: Recruit relevant interview participants

Before you start

Get what you need before you start

  • Confirm the approved contact route, consent wording, retention period, and incentive policy.
  • Create participant codes and keep contact details in the approved contact system.

Steps

Work through the method

Use the listed inputs and tools. Check the evidence when you need to verify a step.

  1. Define the target experience

    Describe the recent situation a participant must have faced and the details that would disqualify them.

    Why it matters: Actual or likely users must match the research need.

    Input
    The research question.
    Output
    Inclusion and exclusion criteria.
    Tools in this stepGoogle Sheets

    Evidence for this step

  2. Write the screener

    Turn the criteria into short factual questions that do not reveal the preferred answer.

    Why it matters: A screener should distinguish relevant experience without coaching a response.

    Input
    The inclusion and exclusion criteria.
    Output
    A reviewed screening form or script.
    Tools in this stepGoogle FormsGoogle Sheets

    Evidence for this step

  3. Choose the recruitment route

    Select an approved route that reaches likely users and record its coverage limits.

    Why it matters: The route affects who can enter the sample.

    Input
    The participant definition and available channels.
    Output
    A route with its selection limits.
    Tools in this stepGoogle Sheets

    Evidence for this step

  4. Screen consistently

    Apply the same criteria to each response and store only a participant code in the evidence register.

    Why it matters: Consistent screening keeps the sample tied to the research question.

    Input
    Screening responses.
    Output
    An eligibility decision with a criterion trace.
    Tools in this stepGoogle Sheets

    Evidence for this step

  5. Check the recruited mix

    Compare booked participant codes with the experience criteria and record missing perspectives.

    Why it matters: A booked group can still omit relevant variation.

    Input
    The coded booking list.
    Output
    A sample review and remaining recruitment gap.
    Tools in this stepGoogle Sheets

    Evidence for this step

Success checks

Check the result before you finish

  • Every participant meets the recent-experience criteria.
  • Consent and session details were sent before booking.
  • The evidence register contains participant codes instead of direct identifiers.

Failure modes

Watch for these problems

  • Stop outreach that lacks an approved legal basis.
  • Change the route when it repeatedly reaches convenient insiders.
  • Report response and sample limits without turning them into general benchmarks.

Tools

Choose the tools you need

Sources

Read the sources behind this practice

Check what each source supports and where the advice has limits.