ResearchOps & Recruitment: PropertyGuru
Showcasing my research operations process in sourcing the right participants, and how I overcame an unexpected challenge.
Note: Due to confidentiality agreements, certain specifics such as the exact scope, participant profiles, and findings of the project cannot be shared.
PropertyGuru is one of the clients that I have worked closely with on various research projects, where I have taken ownership of research operations and participant recruitment.
For this particular research project, the team required multiple participants from both Singapore and Malaysia to take part in remote user interviews. My role was to ensure smooth execution, from understanding recruitment criteria to scheduling participants.
Despite an unforeseen challenge during an user interview session, I was able to resolve it efficiently, keeping the research on track.
After reviewing the project brief and understanding the recruitment goals, I took time to internalize the criteria and clarified specific demographic and behavioral requirements with the PropertyGuru team. Once aligned, I designed a targeted screener to identify participants who best matched the desired profile.
I distributed the screener to a user panel, and upon receiving responses, conducted a second round of screening via phone and video calls. This additional step ensured that selected participants were not only a demographic match, but also had the relevant experience and behavioral patterns needed for the study.
Passing the initial screener does not always guarantee a good fit, so a second screening round is key to ensuring participant quality.
Scheduling & Coordination
With a curated shortlist of participants, I coordinated with the interview moderator from PropertyGuru to gather available timeslots. I then scheduled the sessions and set up individual Zoom meetings for each participant.
To ensure everything ran smoothly, I sent timely reminders that included session details, expectations, and participant conduct guidelines. As part of my standard process, I emphasized the importance of joining from a conducive environment with a stable internet connection, so the moderator could focus on gathering meaningful insights without interruptions.
I also requested participants to join 10 minutes early for me to conduct technical checks and to resolve any last-minute issues before sessions began.
During one session with a participant from Malaysia, the connection was abruptly cut midway due to an internet outage. Despite multiple attempts to reconnect, the participant was unable to rejoin, causing the session to end prematurely and disrupting the flow of the research.
This unexpected situation was particularly challenging because the participant had been providing valuable insights. The early termination limited the depth of information the moderator could gather and complicated the incentive process, as the session was incomplete.
To address this, I reached out to the participant to empathize with her situation and reassured her that she would receive the incentive if the session could continue from where it left off. I promptly rescheduled the session and conducted an additional dry run to ensure a smooth experience for both moderator and participant.
The make-up session proceeded without issues, leaving both parties satisfied: the moderator obtained the necessary insights, and the participant received her incentive.
In research operations, many unforeseen circumstances may arise. This is just one example of the many challenges that can occur, especially when working with remote participants across different locations.
Being in-charge of research operations, I must stay adaptable and proactive, anticipating potential issues before they happen and having contingency plans in place. Research operations and recruitment processes are always evolving, and I continuously learn and improve mine along the way.
Clear and empathetic communication with participants is essential to maintaining trust and keeping them engaged, particularly when unexpected disruptions occur.
Ultimately, flexibility and quick problem-solving are crucial to successfully navigating the complexities of research operations and delivering valuable insights for the research.
Sara, UX Researcher at PropertyGuru: "Hi Ben, just wanted to say thank you so much for your work on this recruitment piece - I was really quite impressed with your professionalism and how you dealt with the participant who had connection issues in particular!"
