You need to talk to real people for your research. Maybe it’s for your qualitative study, user interviews for product development, usability testing sessions, or expert conversations about specific topics.
But finding qualified people who will actually show up for interviews may take ages.
You post on social media. Email your network. Offer gift cards. Coordinate schedules across time zones. Send reminder after reminder. And still, people cancel or ghost you, or you simply can’t find the people you need to talk to.
Today, we want to present you with a faster way.
Get Your First Interview Participant in Minutes
Imagine this: You need to interview 10 people about their smartphone habits. Instead of spending weeks recruiting, you could talk to your first qualified participant in the next 30 minutes.
Here’s how it works:
- You set up your screening criteria (age, location, smartphone ownership, whatever matters for your research). You decide whether you want people to join calls immediately or schedule for later. Then you publish.
- Within minutes, qualified participants start completing your screening. Those who pass can either join your video call right away, or select a time slot that works for both of you.
- No more begging friends-of-friends to participate. No more coordinating schedules manually. No more wondering if people will show up.
Two Ways to Conduct Interviews
Talk to people immediately: Need to knock out 5 interviews this afternoon? Set up screening questions, and as soon as someone qualifies, they join your video call. You conduct the interview, they get paid, and you move on to the next person. Great for when you need rapid insights or want to interview many people in one day.
Schedule interviews in advance: Need time to prepare between conversations or want to review screening responses first? Participants complete your screening survey, select their available time slots, and you conduct interviews on a set schedule. You get their contact info, send reminders.
Get Exactly Who You Need
This isn’t about interviewing random people. You control who qualifies:
- Screen for specific demographics (age, gender, occupation, income, etc.)
- Ask behavioral questions (Do they use meditation apps? Have they purchased a car in the last year?)
- Target expertise (new parents, small business owners, foodies)
- Reach participants in 154 countries for international research
- Exclude people who’ve participated in your previous studies
Only people who meet your exact criteria make it to your interview.
Real Situations Where This Works
You’re doing academic research: Need in-depth interviews with 20 people who have specific life experiences. Screen for qualifications, schedule interviews over several weeks, and actually have people show up.
You’re testing a new app feature: Need 8 people who use competitor apps to give feedback. Recruit and interview all 8 in a single day instead of spending two weeks finding participants.
You’re gathering expert insights: Need to interview professionals with specific backgrounds (teachers, doctors, engineers). Screen for credentials and experience, then conduct thoughtful scheduled conversations.
You’re running usability tests: Need people to test your prototype while you watch and ask questions. Get qualified users on video calls and conduct live testing sessions.
What You Actually Need to Do This
You need three things:
- Clear screening criteria and interview questions
- A meeting scheduling tool (Calendly, Google Calendar, etc.)
- A video calling tool (Zoom, Google Meet, or similar, you probably already have one)
The detailed setup guide walks through:
- How to write screening questions that find the right people
- Setting up instant vs. scheduled interviews step-by-step
- Managing compensation for screening and interviews
- Best practices for participant communication
- How to handle personally identifiable information properly
See the complete step-by-step guide
Stop Waiting Weeks for Interview Participants
Traditional recruitment methods made sense when there weren’t faster options. Post ads, wait for responses, screen manually, coordinate schedules, hope people show up.
You don’t have to do it that way anymore.
Get qualified participants in minutes. Conduct interviews on your schedule. Pay people automatically. Move your research forward instead of spending weeks recruiting.
