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User Sense

Online Research Recruitment? We got you covered. 

Recruiting for remote user tests, interviews, surveys or focus groups? We handle participant recruitment for your online research — from screener to incentive payout. Suitable for both qualitative and quantitative research.

  • Recruitment from a pool of 75,000+ B2C and B2B participants
  • Available for research across Europe
  • Includes screener, scheduling, reminders and participant payouts
Request a quote

Recruiting participants for online research?

Tell us what profiles you are looking for. 

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Suitable for any online research method

From unmoderated user tests to online focus groups — we recruit the right audience for your method.

Focus on speed and quality

Device checks, identity verification and fraud prevention keep your sessions running smoothly, even at distance.

No charge for no-shows

You will not be charged for participants that do not show up. 

What makes recruitment for online research different

Online research comes with its own recruitment challenges. Participants who travel to a physical location tend to stay engaged more easily; in online sessions, people drop out faster, technical issues appear, and quality is harder to monitor. That's why our online recruitment screens for four additional factors:

  • Device and connection. Does the participant have a working camera, microphone and stable connection? For some studies we also need screen sharing or installation of a specific browser or app — we verify this before the session.
  • Digital fluency. Does the participant's skill level match what the research requires? Navigating a prototype, installing an app or completing a card sorting task independently calls for a different profile than holding a Zoom conversation.
  • No-show prevention. No-show rates are higher for online sessions than for in-person research. We send calendar invitations, multiple reminders and a personal check 24 hours before the session.
  • Identity and fraud. Online recruitment carries real fraud risk. We screen for duplicate sign-ups, check answers for consistency and run sample audits on session recordings.
online research recruitment
included in recruitment service

What's included in our recruitment service?

  • Recruitment screener setup
  • Manual screening of sign-ups
  • Session scheduling
  • Reminders and calendar invitations
  • Live progress tracking in the platform
  • No charge for no-shows
  • Participant payout within 2 working days
  • Free use of the User Sense platform

What types of online research do we recruit for?

Our recruitment service covers virtually every form of remote and online research. The most common:

Online user tests (moderated and unmoderated)

For website testingprototype testing and app testing we recruit participants who complete a test remotely — with or without a researcher present. For unmoderated sessions, recruitment is usually faster because participants take part on their own schedule.

Remote in-depth or user interviews

For in-depth or user interviews via our own platform or via Teams, Zoom or Google Meet we recruit participants who are comfortable on camera and willing to talk for 30 to 90 minutes. We confirm beforehand that the participant has a quiet space and decent audio.

Online focus groups

For remote focus groups we recruit participants who are available at a fixed time and willing to engage actively in group discussion. This calls for a different profile than a 1-on-1 interview: people need to feel comfortable speaking up in front of a group.

Online surveys and quantitative research

For large-scale surveys we deploy hundreds or thousands of participants quickly within a specific audience segment. You get real-time visibility on completion progress through the platform.

Card sorting and tree testing

For card sorting and tree testing we recruit participants who complete a navigation or structure task independently in their browser. No researcher present during the session.

methods online research recruitment

Ready to recruit participants for your online research?

Tell us the profiles you're looking for. We'll give you a feasibility and cost estimate within one working day.

Request a quote

Frequently asked questions

Below you find the answers to the most frequently asked questions. Is your question not listed below? Then contact us directly

Yes. We adhere to all privacy regulations in Europe, which means we store data in Europe. For specific questions with regards to GDPR, please do not hesitate to contact us

The standard lead time is around 5 to 10 working days, depending on the specific audience criteria. Broad B2C audiences typically sit at the shorter end of that range; specific B2B or niche profiles at the longer end. When you request a quote, we provide a realistic estimate for your audience within one working day. Recruiting yourself through the User Sense platform? Recruitment can be completed within a few hours.

The first step is to use our extensive support base — most common issues can be resolved there. If the issue persists, you can reach us by phone on the day of the research and we'll do our best to help. If the participant still can't take part, we replace the session at no cost.

Yes, you can invite self-recruited testers for interviews or user tests via our platform.

We recommend using the User Sense platform. Our participants are already familiar with it for online research and automatically receive reminders. The platform is free to use when you book our participants. Prefer an external tool? We also facilitate sessions via Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Google Meet. Other online research platforms can also be supported upon request. 

We ask participants to confirm twice, send a reminder email one day before the session and an SMS on the day itself. Despite these measures we do recommend scheduling one reserve participant for every five sessions — someone can always fall ill or cancel last minute. If a participant doesn't show, we don't charge for that session.

Knowledge base

Sharing our knowledge and expertise is at the very core of what we do.