Recruiting Progress Reports May Cost You
We recently asked a focus group facility for a daily call disposition report, including the daily recruiting hours used. They said they could provide this report for an additional $500.
When we asked about the additional fee, they replied: "It’s for additional staff hours that are not typically required of qualitative projects."
Does that mean that this supplier does not typically track progress? Or does it mean that progress is typically tracked, but that providing clients with progress reports is uncommon?
Neither scenario is good for qualitative market research buyers. Here's why:
Not tracking recruiting progress
If a respondent recruitment firm doesn't track recruiter progress (the number of calls made, the result of each call and the number of hours used, for example) how do they know which recruiters are performing and which are not? Your scarce research dollars could be financing dead weight recruiters.
Tracking recruiting progress and recruiter performance, among other things, helps suppliers establish their cost of doing business. And that translates into the fees you pay for recruiting and other services. If recruiting prices are not based on the cost of doing business together with a projects' degree of difficulty, what prevents you from overpaying?
What's more, if you're asked to provide additional money as the project unfolds, how does the supplier know they need more money? On what is the decision based? If they don't know how much of the original budget has been used, how do they know how much of the original budget remains? Costs are often unpredictable when recruiting performance is not tracked and monitored.
Reporting progress for a fee
Assuming that a supplier is tracking recruiter performance and recruiting progress (which they should be), a fee for providing a daily snapshot of a projects' progress is, in our opinion, unjustified. Here's why:
We know first-hand that providing progress reports to clients doesn't require $500 worth of effort. Effective recruiting shops prepare these reports daily to monitor the overall health and progress of the project. Doing so is essential to forecasting project completion and costs, among other critical things. So why would providing clients with a summary of this critical information involve a fee?
But if the supplier doesn't track this information, that's another story. Is it possible that the supplier doesn't want to track all of this information? Would a $500 fee persuade you to reconsider your request?
Or maybe the supplier doesn't want shrewd clients questioning the number of hours that have been used, or the number of contacts that have (or have not) been made. Since suppliers don't like to be challenged about productivity and budgets, maybe a $500 fee would convince you to forget about needing detailed progress updates.
The bottom line
Is a fee for reporting this information reasonable and fair? We think not. As a client, you deserve these reports. You deserve to know how your money is being spent. What's more, you need these reports to make sure your projects are on track. And to take appropriate measures if they're not. And you deserve to know free of charge.
A detailed accounting of recruiting progress and costs is something that we encourage all researchers to request and review. So check with your suppliers before starting your project to see if they will report this information. And, if so, if there's a fee.
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About Aaron-Abrams Field Support Services
Aaron-Abrams Field Support Services are respondent recruiting and fieldwork management specialists for qualitative market researchers. Aaron-Abrams Field Support Services delivers the right respondents for your qualitative market research with less stress, less hassle and fewer headaches. Sign up for free tips like this at www.aaronabrams.com.
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