There are several steps to the recruiting process. None of them is particularly difficult. In fact, the trick is often knowing whether or not you need to bother with a particular step.

Here's a list of the four basic steps you need to recruit participants. I'll go deeper into each step later in the guide.

Step 1: Write a Screener

A screener is a list of questions designed to help make sure that the participants you are recruiting are really the people you want to be talking to. There are several important details you'll need to get right in order to write a good screener.

Step 2: Decide on Incentives

Whether or not to offer money (or something equivalent) can be a tricky question when recruiting participants. In this section, you'll learn a few questions to ask in order to decide whether it's necessary for your test, and you'll know the right amount to spend on a recruit.

Step 3: Find Target Participants

Depending on the sort of recruiting you're doing, you might find participants in a lot of different places. This section will help you figure out the best places for you to start looking.

Step 4: Schedule and Remind Participants

Believe it or not, there's an art to getting participants scheduled and making sure they're present for their sessions. Learn how to maximize your participants with minimal effort.