How Co-op Reduced Recruitment Costs by 90% and Cut Turnaround Time in Half With Participant Kit

Introduction

A small team covering a lot of ground

Co-op’s membership team conducts a wide range of research, from discovery interviews and prototype testing to usability testing of live products and sacrificial concept evaluation. Their team of researchers and designers work across multiple key areas of membership, collaborating closely with analytics and insight teams on quantitative methods.

Recruitment is really key to us, as we need to speak to members across several different products and make sure our products make sense for any new members as they’re onboarded.

That means a constant demand for participants, and every project needs a different mix. Some rounds call for existing Co-op members, others need people who only shop at Co-op, and some require people with no connection to the organisation at all.

As an organisation we also pride ourselves on our inclusive research, so we also ensure we include a range of demographics and people with accessibility needs.

Challenges

Slow turnaround and manual processes

Before using Participant Kit panels, Co-op relied mostly on third-party recruitment services. Whilst participant quality was good, briefing and recruitment required 3–4 weeks, a problem when research requests often came with a 2-week turnaround.

We often face requests for research with a turnaround of 2 weeks or less so it was difficult to ensure we got the participants we needed.

After launching a new feature on a trial basis, the team found they couldn’t recruit from this cohort using agencies, so they trialled self-recruitment using feedback forms on their products. This gave them a great pool of participants and the quick turnaround they needed, but the process was exceptionally manual.

They had to regularly download the latest version of the form to check for new research opt-ins, then send another form asking about shopping habits, demographics, and Co-op products. When it came time to invite participants to research sessions, it meant several back-and-forth emails about participation, sign-up, and consent. Uptake was often low, and chasing people up took additional time.

Our uptake on research sessions was often low, or we had to spend additional time chasing people up.

Solution

Centralised panels with multiple recruitment routes

Before Participant Kit, the team was juggling downloads, spreadsheets, and email chains to manage their self-recruited participants. Participant Kit panels replaced all of that with a single place to manage participants, track where they were recruited from, and share access across the team.

It’s also now much easier for us to collaborate across membership to discuss which participants might be the most appropriate for our projects.

With all their participant data held centrally, the team can share access without compromising data security. Co-op now recruits into their panel through feedback forms with an opt-in option for research opportunities, with those who opt-in receiving the panel sign-up form via email.

Every sign-up form asks the same core questions around demographics and accessibility needs, with product-specific questions added for relevance, like how often someone uses the app or whether they shop online. That consistency means the team can filter and compare participants across the whole panel, regardless of where they signed up.

Holding their data centrally means we can easily share access to the right participants without compromising on our data security.

Improved participant experience

The participant experience has improved dramatically. Previously, participants had to fill in two forms, receive an email about signing up for research opportunities, then navigate several more emails about booking sessions and completing consent forms.

Now they fill in one form to register on the panel. When invited to a session, they receive a direct email with a link to the consent form, which redirects them straight to the booking page once completed.

Fewer steps means higher uptake and less time spent chasing people to complete the process.

Results

How Co-op cut recruitment costs by 90%

Co-op reduced their recruitment costs from £1,600 per 5 participants to £150, now only paying for incentives. They’ve also cut turnaround time from 3–4 weeks to 1–2 weeks.

• From £1,600 to £150 recruitment cost per round
• From 3–4 weeks to 1–2 weeks turnaround time
• 90% cost reduction on every round of research

I also feel much more confident that we’re speaking to a range of members.

Beyond the cost savings, the panel has changed how the team thinks about participant quality.

Previously we couldn’t track which Co-op members had taken part in research with other user researchers, whereas now we can make sure we filter out anyone who has recently taken part in research.

That visibility helps the team avoid over-researching the same people, keeping the panel healthy and ensuring fresh perspectives across projects.

Ben’s help and guidance has been invaluable as well, he’s been incredibly generous with his time.

Setting up a panel is a shift in how a team recruits, and Participant Kit supports that transition hands-on. From initial planning through to getting the panel live, Ben worked closely with the team to help them think through how to structure their recruitment routes and get the most from the platform.

If you’re considering using Participant Kit to build your own panel then I’d definitely dedicate some time to workshop ideas for how and when you’ll use the panel. We retrofitted our old process to fit into Participant Kit, which impacted how easily we could get started using it.