Common recruiting mistakes

1. Criteria without context

A screener that only asks for attributes leaves the context invisible. Two people with identical criteria can be worlds apart in how they actually use a product, how they speak about it, how honest they are about their own contradictions.

2. Motivation left unchecked

People who only join for the incentive rarely deliver substantive contributions. A short phone call is usually enough to tell whether real interest is there.

3. Articulation not assessed

Someone can perfectly match the target group and still not be right for an hour-long interview — simply because they cannot put their experience into words. That's not a weakness, but it is relevant.

4. Contradictions not probed

A good screener produces contradictions. A good recruiter probes them. Ignoring contradictions means risking people whose answers won't hold up in the interview.

5. Treating no-shows as random

No-shows have patterns. Forgetting them after the project rather than analysing them means repeating them next time.

How to avoid these mistakes

• Phrase criteria as behaviour: not ‘tech-savvy’ but ‘set up a smart home device themselves in the last three months’.
• Don't make the screener transparent: the target answer shouldn't be the most obvious option; ‘none of these’ options belong in it.
• No coaching: we explain process and technology, but not which opinions or answers ‘fit’.
• Re-check by phone whatever is easy to claim on a form.
• Plan confirmation and reminders firmly, and backups where the project requires them.

Illustrative example

Illustrative example (not a client case): a screener opens with ‘Do you use product X?’. Anyone wanting to take part instantly spots the desired answer. Better: a list of several providers with frequency options and an open question about last use, which is picked up again on the phone.

Quick self-test for your screener

• Could someone without prior knowledge guess the ‘right’ answers?
• Is there at least one open question that can be checked in conversation?
• Are study experience and last participation asked about?
• Is it clear which answers exclude – and why?