Great Expectations: The Participant and the Researcher

The Disconnect

According to Zintro’s CEO, Tyler Lewtan, “the disconnect between the expectations of researchers and participants has never been greater.” When it comes to market research, researchers and respondents are aligned in that both groups have expectations for how the process will unfold. The issue? Their expectations are vastly different.

Misaligned Expectations

For participants, most, if not all, expectations for the research process can be contained in one word - simplicity. These individuals enter into the process with the hope that the logistics surrounding scheduling, compensation, and information sharing will be uncomplicated and that general hurdles will be minimal if not nonexistent. While researchers are in search of simplicity too, their criteria differs tremendously.

Scheduling

From a participant’s point of view, when it comes to scheduling, respect is key. Zintro distributed a survey to executives and experts across a wide range of industries to keep a pulse on the types of research projects they are participating in and what their preferences and expectations are throughout the process. Respondents indicated that ‘respect of their time’ was the most important part of their experience during the research process. Participants expect that interviewers will keep the session within the allotted time frame and not attempt to prolong the conversation. In some cases, a few extra minutes could mean the difference between a successful and unsuccessful interview. When an interview does run long, many participants are willing to oblige as long as they are forewarned and asked if they can spare the additional time. Beyond respecting their time constraints, participants expect that interviews will be scheduled outside of their regular working hours. Participants generally have 9:00 - 5:00 jobs that revolve around their area of expertise rather than around market research. This can cause an obvious misalignment because for researchers, their 9:00 - 5:00 revolves solely around the research and interview process, meaning they prefer conversations to be had during that time period.

Compensation

Compensation expectations, like those for scheduling, differ for participants and researchers. While participants expect to be paid quickly, researchers have a preference for managing payments in a way that aligns with the payment arrangements they have with their own clients and vendors. Neither party can be faulted for these preferences; they’re perfectly logical. Whereas one group would like to be paid in a timely manner following the completion of their side of the engagement, the other group often prefers a time buffer.

Information

The last notable misalignment between the two groups relates to the information discussed during the interview process. Participants would not agree to take part in the research process if they weren’t willing to discuss their expertise and experience. That said, the level of detail they will provide during these discussions only goes so far. Discretion is incredibly important to participants. They expect that they will not get into any legal trouble as a result of their participation, and they expect that they will not be asked to share privileged information. These expectations surrounding discretion can sometimes lend themselves to self-editing; participants will be hesitant to share particular insights and hold back if a question causes discomfort or digs too deep. It is this behavior that creates another expectation divide between the participants and the researchers. During the research process, researchers want to speak with articulate individuals who can explain their insights well and in great detail. Beyond that, researchers want “alpha” insights. To get those insights, researchers will ask participants tough, pointed questions intended to extract as much information as possible.

What Does All of This Mean?

Throughout this blog, we’ve laid out examples of common areas where the expectations of participants and researchers differ, but we certainly haven’t listed all of them. Across the categories of scheduling, compensation, and information, the disconnect between both groups is clear as day, but what can we do about it? We can encourage upfront communication between both parties. Working alongside a recruiting partner is a great way to do this, because they can help to ensure that all expectations are out in the open prior to kicking off a research project. There are other, endless possibilities that could help to realign these expectations, which do you think make the most sense?

Other Blogs You May Enjoy