UX Research recruitment learnings
December 2025
I have been a researcher for the past two years, and this year, especially, my work has focused on a crucial step in a research project: the recruitment phase. A lot of time has passed, and I have, by then, of course, evolved, made mistakes, and I continue to learn how to adjust and perfect the craft of finding the most suitable candidates for user tests.
24 recommendations
Since it is December, it would be fitting to choose 24 tips, but it would also be a testament to the long list of what I have learned as I continue to grow in the field of user research. I want to share them with you to ensure you do not make the mistake of testing a prototype on irrelevant user testers.
Disclaimer
I will not use real examples of case projects for ethical reasons and due to signing an NDA. Also, all images are from Unsplash.
1. Set up an organised note-taking structure
We each have our preferred way of storing notes and files; in fact, there is a whole study on this topic, known as Personal Information Management (PIM). I am a real “filer” who likes to categorise notes in separate folders. A pile of documents would truly increase cognitive load, leaving me feeling fatigued as I try to gain an overview and retrieve my notes. Think of HCI studies where cognitive demands are deemed variable when testing how long users can interact with a digital prototype; it matters. Before all the other phases, set up a proper note-taking and filing (or, if you prefer, piling) system to make the process easier for you.
2. Ask for extra details about the target audience
Once a research brief drops on my lap containing goals, scoping documents and recruitment criteria, I have learned that it is always necessary to ask for more details. This is simply because, throughout the recruitment stage, there are always participant traits that could have been explained more clearly in the brief from the beginning. During my UX Research internship last year at GAMUCATEX, the goal was convenience sampling, with less stringent requirements (read portfolio case). Now, in the past half year, purposive sampling has been the driving force. Not only that, the cases have often been in fields outside my domain; therefore, when reading the brief, I advise you to note down anything you are unaware of or need more details about, as this is crucial before finding suitable candidates.
3. Use your panel
Panel Recruitment is one of the easiest ways to find your candidates. Therefore, I have spent time taking initiatives to grow the panel, for instance, when I was a User Research intern at Affecture (read portfolio case). This then allows you to create a screener survey and send it out to the panel. There are multiple ways to make it happen! Here, I suggest that you collaborate with the marketing and event planning teams to understand how your panel growth methods align with their current campaigns. Remember to think about how the company presents itself. If they advertise themselves as being paperless for environmental reasons, then giving out flyers that might get blown away by the wind will not be the suited approach. However, if they have a large following on TikTok, then talk with the marketing team about making a video about the benefits of joining the panel.
4. Be creative when finding your target audience
Sometimes a traditional recruitment panel isn’t enough, especially when dealing with niche groups who perhaps work long hours and have limited availability. In these cases, you need to use alternative methods to reach them. This might involve desk research to learn where potential participants work or finding them on LinkedIn. Need to interview an equestrian? Then meet them at the stables. A friendly, confident approach can make a big difference when trying to engage someone, especially when you can clearly communicate the value of user testing. Tailor the message to their interests, for example, highlight that their participation could help improve horseback riding gear. Throughout my work, I’ve gained knowledge from a wide range of subjects simply by stepping into environments I normally wouldn’t visit.
5. Be persistent
The dark side of cold calling is convincing receptionists to patch me through to the person I wish to speak to, the elevator music while being on hold, and the majority not having time to participate in a user test. This is where being persistent and patient goes a long way, and I am telling you this now to prepare you for the inevitable frustration. There will be rejections, missed calls, and moments where it feels like progress is painfully slow. I will also tell you about the thrill you get once you have recruited and booked a participant, or a fish that is hard to catch, as I like to describe it. It pays off, trust me.
6. Start recruiting early on
The challenging side of user-test recruitment lies in actually reaching the individuals you want to speak with, and, in most cases, they simply do not have the time to participate. This is where persistence and patience go a long way, and I am telling you this now to prepare you. I will also tell you about the thrill you feel once you have successfully recruited and scheduled a participant, especially one who is particularly difficult to ‘catch,’ as I like to put it. I know from my experience that in some cases I could have started booking participants a day or two earlier to ensure meeting the deadline. It truly pays off, believe me.
7. Don't give away too much information
When screening potential candidates, some of them might ask who the client is, what will happen in the lab, and how they will be tested. To avoid answering their demand characteristics and the bias it can result in, I usually give a vague answer like “It’s a personal interview that takes an hour.” This helps keep expectations neutral and prevents participants from preparing specific answers in advance. Once they arrive, I can then explain the process in more detail without compromising the integrity of the test.
8. Often it´s not about many, but the right questions
Before asking questions, consider what you primarily want to know. What is the end goal here? Each question should contain a concept you’re investigating. Otherwise, you can find yourself asking all sorts of questions that do not prove that the person is a suitable candidate. This I found to be true when interviewing participants during my internship at GAMUCATEX (read by portfolio case).
Have this in mind when setting up a survey, advertisement or verbal conversation to trim away the fluff and huge amount of questions.
9. Do not be scared of asking extra questions
Another reason to perhaps limit the questions is not to take up too much of the person's time during the screening call. Another reason is to also give space to ask elaborate questions, clearing up any gaps. One way is to use reflective techniques where you ask, for instance, “So you are saying that…” or “What do you mean by saying…”. Sometimes those few extra questions in an e-mail, survey or conversation are the defining moment of knowing if you have found a suited candidate or not.
10. Listen carefully
Being an attentive listener is associated with politeness and empathy. We are taught in elementary school to listen to the teacher, to our parents and our elderly, since it is a sign of respect. But why is it then so hard to do? It can cause cognitive fatigue to focus mentally, and distractions can come in the way, such as background noise. One solution is to practice as an interviewer. However, some people listen to podcasts while taking notes and then thinkaloud what has been said. For me personally, taking improv theatre classes has helped me since I was truly forced to focus on the words said by my scene partners in order to contribute (read blog post).
11. Trust your gut
There are some cases where a potential candidate seems very sure of themselves when I ask questions to reveal their knowledge of a subject, habits, or lifestyle, depending on the research project and participant requirements. Some responses can be vague or arrogant, such as “Yes, of course I know this and I’m really good at it,” followed by “I mean, who doesn’t know this?” when pressed for details. How do they know, how long have they known it, and how do they use it in their daily lives? Just because a person seems confident, remember that they do not know the context behind your questions or the full scope of the project. Keep in mind that you may occasionally screen someone who is not sincere but simply wants to participate for the incentive.
12. Make the demands clear
Is the user test online or in-person? How long does it take? Within what timeframe does it take place? Do they receive an incentive? What value do they gain from participating? These are common and reasonable questions that often come up during screening. Some people I have screened asked if it was possible to participate online, whereas I had to explain that in this case it would be conducted in person. Others have said they thought of “just” a questionnaire as a waste of time, which then required me to clarify that it is a user test involving active participation and feedback rather than a simple survey.
13. Practice 10 fingers on the keyboard
I know from personal experience that writing down notes while conducting screening calls would be much easier if I practiced using all 10 fingers on the keyboard. Since I am not used to it, I have started practising on typing.com, as it will serve me well not only in this phase of user research projects but also later when transcribing audio interviews. Improving my typing speed and accuracy will save time, reduce stress during live calls, and help me capture details more efficiently, which ultimately improves the quality of the research.
14. Cut down the information
When informing about a user test, I found that keeping it short and precise, and dividing the text into multiple sections, resulted in more potential candidates. More people reached out, most likely because they received all the essential information in a concise format. This is likely due to people scanning long text rather than reading it thoroughly, which can cause them to miss key details, the purpose of the study, and the benefits of participating. Breaking the information into clear, digestible sections helps ensure that readers quickly understand what’s expected and feel more confident about signing up.
15. Keep track of panel expansion
In my efforts to expand the user panel, I used various recruitment methods. As a result, when new panel members joined, I often did not know where they had come from or which method had been most effective, for example, whether they responded to a social media post or a poster displayed in a public place. There are several digital tools that can help categorize and track different recruitment channels, making it possible to identify which methods are the most effective. Either way, make sure to find a way to track your results.
16. Know the product
Sometimes you might have to recruit for a client with a product or service that you have no experience with. Perhaps you are a new employee at a company, and you do not know much about the product you have to recruit for. Even if you will not be conducting the usability tests or interviews yourself, gaining an overall understanding of the product will make it easier to argue for the need to test it and to explain the benefits it will serve the target group. Additionally, having this context helps you communicate more confidently with potential participants, answer their questions accurately, and better anticipate the type of feedback the client might be looking for.
17. Make another team member take a glance
As a User Researcher, I have to set up many surveys, write a lot of email etc. which in turn makes me work in auto mode, as some of you know what I mean by “system 1”, where you just complete a task without much thought at times. This happens to everyone, so I advise the ‘Fresh Eyes Effect’, as I know that I can get stuck on the Top-Down Processing, where I just see what I usually expect. But surveys and emails for different segments and projects will, or should, differ and therefore ask your team member by the watercooler to take a peek.
18. Tell them they don’t need to prepare anything
Make it clearer that the participants do not need any prior experience with the product.
I’ve experienced some potential participants saying that they don’t think they would be good candidates because they aren't experts on the product or topic. In most cases, the respondents simply needed to represent "common" people who are likely target group for the service or product. When giving them this information, be aware that you should not inform them in a too eager way. It might cause the opposite effect since they may be even more curious to gain information about the topic.
19. Find the balance of information sharing
I once asked the question, “Did you know that you can…?” But by doing that, I accidentally gave respondents the answer in advance, making it easy for them to just lie and say “Yes” even if they didn’t know. It’s about finding a balance between not revealing too much while still explaining what the user test is about. Framing questions carefully ensures you gather honest and useful insights, rather than responses influenced by what participants think you want to hear. Over time, you learn how subtle wording can make a big difference in the quality of your data.
20. Ask open-ended questions
Remember to ask open questions and even pretend you have no prior knowledge about the participant. For example, instead of asking, "So, you use this product in the evenings on a tablet, right?", you can ask: “So, how do you use this product?” This can lead to a more open conversation, where the respondent has room to talk about their daily life, habits, and the situations or contexts in which they use the product. By doing so, you often uncover insights and details that you wouldn’t have discovered with leading or closed questions, making the research far more valuable.
21. Change communication to “Arrive 5 minutes early”
In case a test user arrives exactly at the scheduled interview time, which in turn can mean the interview might start later due to offering them a glass of water or them needing to use the restroom beforehand, I recommend telling them that they should arrive 5 minutes before the arranged time. This small buffer helps ensure the session starts on time, allows for brief introductions, and gives participants a moment to settle in, making the overall experience smoother and more professional for both sides.
22. Use images
Some respondents might misunderstand certain questions due to the terms used, or they might know the product or service by another name. Including an image can help make them more aware of what the subject is about and reduce confusion. This could be used in a survey or during an interview, and it often helps participants provide more accurate and detailed responses while keeping the conversation or feedback focused on the intended topic. Visual aids can also make the session more engaging and help participants recall relevant experiences more easily.
23. Check the potential test user´s background
If you’ve been using the same user testers over the years and want to avoid retest bias, such as testing the same types of products with the same testers, I suggest keeping notes on each tester’s past testing history. Documenting which products they have tested, their level of experience, and any patterns in their feedback can help you rotate participants more effectively. This not only reduces bias but also ensures that you gather fresh perspectives and insights from a diverse set of users. Over time, having a well-maintained record makes it easier to select the right participants for each study and maintain the integrity of your research.
24. Make it clearer that you are not the designer
Some participants might assume that you represent the company behind the product. This may be because user research companies often have lesser-known names. Another reason could be that many people don’t really know what a user researcher is. Meanwhile, the companies behind the products may be well-known brands that many people interact with in their daily lives. Therefore, if you, as a UX researcher, are testing a product from a grocery store chain, an online shopping site, or an insurance company, make it clear that you are an external partner. For example, include your logo in your email signature. This is to ensure that the user test participants are aware that you generally have no personal or professional ties to the product, which will likely make them more comfortable giving honest opinions to a neutral recruiter.
