5 Common Challenges in Recruitment of Research Participants – And How to Avoid Them!

Recruiting the right market research participants is like baking a cake.

Get the ingredients right, and you’ll have a research project that runs smoothly, delivering high-quality insights. Get it wrong, and you may struggle to get the right participants – or even worse, your results could be unreliable.

At Angelfish Fieldwork, we know just how important participant recruitment is to the success of a research project. But we also see the same mistakes cropping up time and time again.  

So, to help you get the best results possible, we’ve rounded up the top five biggest challenges in recruitment of research participants– and how to avoid them.

1. Setting Your Recruitment Criteria Too Narrowly

Of course, you want the perfect market research participants – but being too restrictive (or unnecessarily restrictive) can seriously limit your options. If your screening criteria are overly strict, you might miss valuable insights from a diverse audience, struggle to find enough people, and ultimately face delays and increased costs.

How to avoid making this mistake:

• Prioritise essential criteria – focus on the must-haves and be flexible on less crucial factors.
• Consider a broader audience – sometimes the best insights come from unexpected places.
• Work with a market research recruitment agency (like Angelfish!) to strike the right balance.

"Stricter isn’t always better! The best research comes from diverse perspectives—so get advice on recruitment criteria and ask the experts!" – Molly Ebdon, Senior Project Manager

2. Poor Communication with Participants

Ever signed up for something and then totally forgotten about it? That’s exactly what happens when research participants aren’t kept in the loop. Confusing instructions, last-minute changes, or lack of reminders can lead to dropouts, disengagement, and even biased results.

How to avoid making this mistake:

• Be crystal clear about what participants can expect, how long it will take, and what they need to do.
• Use multiple touchpoints – phone calls, email invites, WhatsApp messages, and texts – to schedule calls and keep people engaged.
• Where possible, speak directly with participants during recruitment to validate details, answer any questions, and build rapport. A personal touch can make all the difference!
• Send friendly reminders – whether it’s a quick text, an email, or a phone call, tailoring follow-ups to your audience will significantly reduce dropouts.

"Good communication isn’t just polite – it’s essential for keeping people engaged!" – Ben Plumb, Project Manager

3. Not Offering the Right Incentives

Incentives play a huge role in successful research, but it’s not just about the amount – it’s about offering something that feels fair and valuable to participants. If the reward doesn’t reflect the time and effort required, people may be less motivated to take part or could drop out before completing the research.

How to avoid making this mistake:

• Match the incentive to the level of effort required. If participants are giving up an hour of their time, make sure they feel valued.
• Vouchers are often the best option – they offer flexibility, can be used for everyday essentials like food shopping, or even go towards a special treat. Money, exclusive experiences, or charity donations can also work – as long as they’re relevant to your audience.
• Pay participants promptly – nothing is more frustrating than a delayed reward.

"The right incentive isn’t just a ‘nice to have’ – it’s essential in aiding reliability and engagement, ensuring you get high-quality insights." – Emma Coombes, Director of Client Services

Check out our guide on choosing the right market research incentive.

4. Trying to Recruit Participants Yourself

DIY participant recruitment might seem cost-effective at first, but it often where challenges in recruiting research participants begins due to results in unreliable data, increased bias, and taking up a huge amount of time.  

Without access to a screened, pre-qualified database – or the right recruitment expertise – you risk ending up with the wrong people, no people at all, or even breaching MRS Guidelines.

How to avoid making this mistake:

• Work with a specialist recruitment agency (like us!) to find high-quality market research participants quickly. At Angelfish, we have a community of respondents, ready to take part in market research!
• Use proper screening methods – don’t just rely on generic social media ads —check out our blog on how to optimise your screening process for market research participant recruitment. 
• Ensure your sample is diverse and representative to avoid bias.

"Professional recruitment services don’t just save time – they improve research quality tenfold." – Harry Davies, Client Services Executive

5. Forgetting About the Moderator Factor

Even with the perfect research participants, a bad moderator can ruin your insights. If discussions aren’t managed well, market research participants may not open up, leading to shallow or biased results. 

How to avoid making this mistake:

• Work with a skilled moderator who knows how to keep discussions on track and encourage honest feedback. (Don’t miss our tips on how to be a successful moderator!)
• Ensure moderators are neutral – no leading questions!
• Brief moderators properly so they understand the research goals and methodology.

"A good moderator turns conversations into valuable insights – don’t overlook their role!" – Kelly Barnard, Director of Operations

Get It Right with Angelfish Fieldwork and Tackle Your Recruitment Challenges Head-on

Navigating the challenges in recruitment of research participants doesn’t have to be stressful. With the right strategy, great communication, and expert support, you can avoid these common mistakes and run research that delivers real insights.

At Angelfish Fieldwork, we:
✔ Have years of experience in market research recruitment.
✔ Find high-quality, engaged participants who match your criteria.
✔ Make the whole process smooth, hassle-free, and mistake-free.

Want to make sure your next research project gets high-quality, engaged participants? Get in touch with our team today – we’d love to help!