Delivering Honest Insight: Recruiter, Detective or Both?

Do all the best detectives wear hats? It's pretty hot in the office at times, and you get the odd look from the family and the pet rabbit/dog/cat when working from home - obligatory hat wearing is not that practical!

Whether we're donning a deer stalker, or letting our hair do it's thing, we're constantly playing detective to seek out 'fraudies' to deliver our clients genuine insights from those 'really in-the-know'.

‘Honest Insight’ has been a hot topic of discussion since the pandemic hit, then the financial crisis. From 'professional respondents' to those genuinely looking to supplement their income in the face of hardship, there are tips and tricks a plenty to assist. Whether the motivation be truly fraudulent or from a place of some level of desperation in worrying financial times, most don't consider their ‘bending of the truth’ as dishonest, nor falsifying of additional proof of ownership to take part in research as an actual crime.

The recent Quirks article 'Online fraud in marketing research: Tips for taking action now' got us thinking some more...

Our fellows in the ICG have been sharing tips and tricks to keep perpetual professional respondents at bay. There are no hard and fast rules to follow. Gut-feel, and a well-managed data certainly help us to keep a track of themes in project application. Spotting replication and themes in the top line data we hold for people who sign-up to our recruitment panel is key.

At Give Opinions, by no means are we snooping or over-stepping the mark. What drives our diligence, is our high professional standards ensuring that the research we contribute to adheres to the contractual obligations and governing body codes of conduct we abide by. It’s also our own personal moral code and sense duty to be a responsible business and trustworthy recruitment partner.

We're lucky to have clients who also run their own due diligence procedures and they take their pre-check processes very seriously. Open and honest dialogue with our clients and with our panel of willing, enthusiastic and engaged participants help us to seek out genuine people who meet the project quotas.

When does a respondent become 'over-researched'? There's an unwritten rule about the number of research projects one person can have been involved in in their lifetime and our business guide is once every 6 months. Whilst we never like to put respondents forward for lots of research, and certainly never in front of the same client more than once, sometimes those that have participated before are the best fit for the job. Knowledge and understanding can’t be limited to one subject box.

People often know a lot about a lot of things. Particularly when they've had a good or bad experience or have carried out their own research before committing to investing their efforts, time and hard-earned money into a service, brand or product. It's vital we seek out the best people for the research instead of adhering to a box-ticking exercise and forced screen-out on past participation.

We always work honestly and openly with our clients, flagging detail that sits outside the standard, and giving options for a best-fit recruit. And we're always keen to talk to genuine respondents about things they have an in-depth experience of. It makes us proud of the people we deliver to take part, and ultimately creates a better experience for the consumer when the product, service or brand is finally in the public domain for them to try.

Interested in knowing more about our recruitment? Get in touch hello@giveopinions.co.uk