recruiting kids
April 28, 2021

Recruiting Little Kids

From tiny voices to loud personalities, these fun and funny kids often have the most direct, honest, and sometimes really amusing views to share. Engaging parents so they are comfortable and talking with the kids is an area of recruiting that we enjoy, have refined, and hope to share ways we bring kids into the product’s story.

Dealing with kids with larger-than-life personalities often means that the screener must be able to determine, “Are we getting the right children in our study?” At Focus Forward, we know that the child’s participation in our client’s research begins with the screening process. Our recruiters know how to tell if a child is the right “fit” for the study, and if they will be able to handle group interaction or will be more successful in a one-on-one interaction.

When talking to parents and kids, we look for a few elements to make sure that they are right for the research project:

#1. Is everyone comfortable talking?

Some younger children are harder to get to open up. We want to verify that they are comfortable talking to strangers or even groups of people. If a child is mature enough to follow questions and provide insight, they will likely pass the first wave of screening. If, however, the child gets distracted, frightened, or is too shy to answer questions, they probably just aren’t yet mature enough to be part of a study. The child likely won’t enjoy the experience, and the goals of the project won’t be met.

#2. Prepare the child for what will happen

A lot of kids are used to screen time–be it cell phones, iPads, smart TVs, this young generation is much more sophisticated than the youth of 20 years ago.

With that being said, kids are significantly more likely to adapt to virtual settings than, say, the Baby Boomer generation. It’s just important that the recruiters consider the atmosphere they’ve created in the screening process to ensure it will mirror the atmosphere of the actual study.

If the recruitment process takes place with surveys and online video calls but the actual study involves being in a small room with many people at once, just make sure everyone is aware and the transition is easy.

Setting the expectation in the recruitment and actual study can go a long way to support success with children!

#3. Make the incentive fun

Money is not always as motiving for kids as Robux, toys, or something else. Secondly, make sure it’s sufficient for the time spent. We also get the parent/guardian approval for the incentive being offered. Sometimes, we do a blend of something right for the child and a cash incentive to the parent. We want the child to be excited about what they are getting for the value they provide. This could be nominal but of great value to the kid, and the parent can receive the bulk of the incentive. What better time to show kids that their views have value?

Screen The Youth of the World for Your Next Project with Focus Forward!

Recruiting kids for market research begins with screening, and we love to screen kids! Our team at Focus Forward has the right stuff to get you the respondents you need for your next project.

Since 2003, Focus Forward has been your team for respondent recruitment and all services to support your marketing research efforts–including recruiting kids for your focus groups. Recruiting participants, handling transcripts, incentive processing, online panels, survey programming, open-end coding – we do it all! If you have a project where you feel like our team can add value, we would be excited to talk!