Services

Participant recruitment for qualitative research

We find the people who can genuinely answer your research question – screened, matched to your target group and on schedule.

Qualitative research is only as good as its participants. A carefully run interview adds little if the person is outside the target group, exaggerates their answers or only takes part for the incentive. For more than 20 years WMM has therefore recruited participants for in-depth interviews, focus groups, usability tests and other qualitative formats – mainly from our own panel built in Germany with 151,418 registered and verified members (as of January 2026) and via the WMM participant app.

You can book recruitment as a standalone service if moderation and analysis are handled by you or another partner. It can also be combined with moderation, studio, transcription and reporting into a full project.

What recruitment is suitable for

In-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus groups, remote or in person
Consumers (B2C), including users of specific brands or products
Patients, nursing professionals and physicians
Professionals and decision-makers in B2B (see B2B recruitment)
Hard-to-reach audiences such as very wealthy individuals – after a feasibility check

Process

1
Briefing & feasibility
We discuss target group, quotas, method, dates and exclusion criteria and give an honest feasibility assessment.
2
Screener
We draft or review the screener with you, phrasing questions so the desired answers are not obvious.
3
Outreach & pre-selection
Outreach runs via panel and app. Responses are evaluated against the screener and sorted by quota.
4
Telephone verification
Suitable people are contacted personally, key answers are re-checked and appointments confirmed.
5
Handover & scheduling
You receive a recruitment list with the agreed details. We send reminders and arrange replacements where agreed.
6
Incentive handling
On request we handle incentive payouts to participants.

Quality checks

Verified panel profiles instead of anonymous click panels
Consistency checks between screener answers and existing profile
Personal telephone follow-up before inviting
Cool-off periods for frequent participants and exclusion of industry insiders as specified
Documented consent and GDPR-compliant processing of participant data

What we need for a quote

Method (IDI or focus group) and mode (remote or in person, city if applicable)
Target group with inclusion and exclusion criteria and desired quotas
Number of participants or groups and duration per session
Preferred fieldwork period and time slots
Who pays incentives and whether moderation, studio or other services are needed

Timelines

Standard recruitment: 10 working days (2 weeks)
Express recruitment: under 10 working days, with a 33% surcharge on all calculated items
Actual duration depends on target group, quotas and scheduling – firm commitments only after a feasibility check.

Cost components

Recruitment consists of clearly separated items (net, projects in Germany):

Recruitment per person depending on target group and mode – e.g. B2C EUR 40 remote or EUR 50 in person, regardless of interview length
Project setup (EUR 100) and project management (EUR 100) per project
Participant incentives depending on target group, duration and mode – shown separately
Incentive management: EUR 5 per person
Not included unless booked: moderation, platform, studio, transcription, reports

All amounts are non-binding guide values; the individual quote after the feasibility check is decisive.

Get a non-binding estimate Discuss your project

Limits

Very narrow audiences or many simultaneous quotas may take longer or be only partly achievable. We tell you before the project starts.
Automatic prices apply to projects in Germany only. International projects – including Germany combined with other countries – are quoted individually.
Short-notice no-shows can never be ruled out completely; we plan replacements where agreed.

Illustrative example (not a client reference)

A typical setup: 8 remote in-depth interviews of 60 minutes with users of a product category, moderated by the client. The calculation then covers recruitment per person, setup and project management, incentives and incentive management – nothing more. The project calculator shows the specific amount once you enter your details.