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Panel Recruitment Options

Conveo supports multiple recruitment approaches depending on how much control, automation, and external coordination you need.
OptionSetup ExperienceRecruitment HandlingWhen to Use
Fully Integrated PanelsSeamless, instant pricingFully managed within ConveoWhen you want fast, hands-off recruitment
Partner PanelsRequires quote coordinationManaged directly with panelWhen targeting niche markets
Platform IntegrationsTechnical setup requiredUses external tool logicWhen running complex segmentation
Self-Recruited PanelsLink-based setupYou source participantsWhen you control recruitment directly
Recommended choice: Fully integrated panels – Seamless setup with fully managed recruitment
External recruitment providers (such as Respondent) that are fully integrated into the Conveo platform.Instead of sourcing participants yourself, you define your recruitment criteria and the panel handles the entire recruitment process.Because these panels are integrated into Conveo, you benefit from:
  • Instant pricing
  • Seamless setup
  • Dedicated project management support
  • No separate coordination over email
External recruitment providers (such as Norstat) that are not directly integrated into the Conveo platform but operate under partner agreements based on strong historical performance.These panels often specialize in specific geographies or demographics not available through fully integrated panels.Since they are not integrated:
  • You request quotes and align on recruitment details directly with the panel
  • Final payment is still coordinated through Conveo
  • No additional vendor onboarding is required
Allows Conveo to connect with external tools (such as Forsta) to support more complex research setups.You can use these tools for segmentation logic, while Conveo uses the resulting metadata (e.g., responses or segment assignments) to manage participant flow into your study.
Generate shareable links from Conveo to recruit participants directly or through third-party services.Conveo supports:
  • A single shareable link
  • Unique participant links generated from CSV uploads
  • Custom URLs to connect external panels to your study
Recruitment specifications: This is where you define exactly who you want to interview - demographics like age, location, and gender. You will also be given the possibility to exclude previous participants. These options become available once a fully integrated panel has been selected. When working with partner panels, recruitment specifications must be coordinated directly with the panel provider.

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Pro Tips

  • Start with realistic limits: If you set a participant limit (like 30 responses), the link becomes invalid once you hit that number. Set this slightly higher than your target to account for no-shows or incomplete interviews.
  • Use CSV uploads strategically: When you need to track individual participants or send personalized invitations, upload a CSV file. This creates unique links for each person, making it easier to follow up and manage your participant list.
  • Consider panel provider timing: Integrated panel recruitment typically takes longer to set up but can provide higher-quality, pre-screened participants. Self-recruitment is faster but requires more work on your end.

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Quick Reference

  • Recruitment tab: Main area for setting up participant recruitment
  • Add panel button: Access integrated third-party panel providers
  • Self-recruited panel: Bring your own participants. Perfect when you have an existing audience or specific contacts you want to invite to your study
  • Screener questions: Use Conveo’s built-in screener questions to automatically qualify or disqualify participants before the interview

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Reporting Sub-Par Participants

It is possible to report, and exclude, sub-par participants (e.g., uncomprehensible & low quality answers, or fraudulent behaviour) from the interview list, but only before they are paid by the panel provider. The period between participant’s completion and payment varies significantly by provider, and can be up to 10 business days.

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What Affects Recruitment Speed

Incidence Rate

How common your target audience is within the panel population. Lower incidence audiences take longer to recruit

Geographic Restrictions

Narrow location requirements (e.g., specific cities or small countries) can significantly reduce available participants

Quotas & Screeners

Complex quota structures or strict screener logic increase screen-outs and slow recruitment

Incentive Level

Higher incentives generally increase participation speed. Below-market incentives may slow recruitment

Interview Length

Longer interviews require higher commitment, which can reduce completion rates and extend timelines
Recruitment speed depends on the combination of these factors. Stricter targeting and longer interviews typically require more time to complete.

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Complete Written Guide

If you prefer to read or want a reference, here’s the complete step-by-step process:

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Step 1: Access Recruitment Settings

After setting up your topic guide, navigate to the Recruitment tab in your Conveo study dashboard. This is your central hub for managing how participants join your study.

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Step 2: Choose Your Recruitment Method

Select a panel by clicking the Add panel button, a different step-by-step process should be followed depending on what recruitment method you choose

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Step 3: Set-up your Recruitment Method

  1. Choose from the available integrated providers based on their coverage (leverage the panel book and characteristics for more information)
  2. Click the Add panel button on the top right of the panel
  3. Complete the required recruitment specifications (including the incentives) - see dedicated section below
  4. Click Launch Panel to send specifications to your chosen recruitment partner. This will automatically correct your balance.

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Option B: Partner panel

  1. Choose from the available partner panels based on their coverage (leverage the panel book for more information)
  2. Leverage the Contact panel button to reach out to the panel to align on panel recruitment specifications and a corresponding quote
  3. [Optional] Limit the panel to a specific number of participants (by default, we will allow over-recruitment by 10% to compensate for a small number of unsatisfactory interviews)
  4. Share the invite link with the partner (note that you must provide a unique participant_id for each participant) when aligned on panel set-up and quote
  5. Click Launch panel: This action is required to activate the study for this panel

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Option C: Partner integrations

  1. Choose from the available partner integrations based on your study needs
  2. [Optional] Limit the panel to a specific number of participants (by default, we will allow over-recruitment by 10% to compensate for a small number of unsatisfactory interviews)
  3. Follow the instructions on the page to integrate with the Conveo study
  4. Click Launch panel: This action is required to activate the study for this panel

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Option D: Self-Recruited Panels

  1. Set a participant limit (optional) - the link becomes invalid after reaching this number (by default, we will allow over-recruitment by 10% to compensate for a small number of unsatisfactory interviews)
  2. Configure participant email collection if you want to capture contact information
  3. Share your generated link through your preferred channels
  4. Click Launch panel: This action is required to activate the study for this panel

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Option D.2: upload a CSV

  1. Upload a CSV file (must include the participant email, optionally other demographics) to generate a unique link for each participant
  2. Click Launch panel: This action is required to activate the study for this panel

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Option D.3: Add a custom panel

  1. Set a participant limit (optional) - the link becomes invalid after reaching this number (by default, we will allow over-recruitment by 10% to compensate for a small number of unsatisfactory interviews)
  2. Share the invitation link with the panel provider; note this contains placeholders for “participant ID” and “completion URL” (the latter is the page to which the participant is redirected after completing the Conveo study) that need to be updated by your panel provider
  3. Click Launch panel: this action is required to activate the study for this panel

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Step 4: Monitor Recruitment Progress

Track participant sign-ups and completions through your Conveo dashboard. For panel providers, you’ll receive notifications as interviews are completed.

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Recruitment Specifications (Panel Providers)

These are either shared through the platform for Integrated panels or over email to partner panels
  1. Specify your target number of participants (e.g., 40 people)
  2. [only for integrated panels] Set the incentive per participant: an estimation can be made through the panel provider
  3. Set geographic requirements (e.g., Belgium)
  4. Define demographic criteria:
    • Age ranges (e.g., 30-55+)
    • Gender preferences
    • Interest categories
  5. Share any required project information (name, description for participants, etc.)
For screening questions, we recommend using Conveo’s built-in screener questions instead of panel-side screening. Conveo screeners give you automatic qualification logic, capture all responses for analysis, and provide a consistent experience across all panel types.

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Best Practices

Before You Start:
  • Clearly define your ideal participant profile before setting up recruitment
While Working:
  • Test your recruitment link before sharing widely to ensure it works correctly
  • Monitor your participant limit if you’ve set one - you might need to adjust based on response rates
  • Review screener question responses in the Interview Grid to ensure you’re getting quality participants
Quality Control:
  • Review your screener question criteria to balance specificity with realistic availability
  • Track response rates and adjust your approach if needed
Anything missing? Let us know at support@conveo.ai and we’ll help you out!