Comparing player recruitment quotes: what’s included?

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Two recruitment quotes can cover the same number of participants and involve different amounts of work.

One may include screening and contact details. Another may also cover specialist sourcing, video validation, participant profiles, scheduling and support during fieldwork.

Before comparing the totals, establish what each supplier is agreeing to deliver.

How will participants be sourced?

• Ask how the recruiter plans to reach your audience.
• An existing community may provide suitable applicants. Other briefs may need targeted campaigns or outreach beyond people already registered.
• The useful question is whether the sourcing approach fits your requirements, particularly where you need unfamiliar, lapsed or tightly defined player audiences.

What happens after the screener?

• Find out how shortlisted applicants will be assessed and what information your team will receive.
• Will someone explore their relevant gaming experience? How will unclear or inconsistent answers be addressed? Is supporting evidence needed, and who will review it?
• “Validation included” can describe different activities. Ask what the step involves and how it supports selection.

Who owns the participant arrangements?

• Scheduling, confirmations, preparation and reminders all take time.
• Check which tasks the recruiter will manage and which remain with your team. For remote research, clarify responsibility for equipment checks or access instructions. For in-person sessions, agree who handles arrival queries and attendance updates.
• A lower fee may be appropriate if you want to retain those tasks internally. The comparison becomes useful when that division of work is clear.

How are additional costs treated?

• Look beyond the recruitment fee to understand the total project cost.
• Check whether incentives, advertising, reserves, incentive administration and fieldwork support are included or charged separately. Ask about any conditions affecting replacements, cancellations or changes to the brief.
• These arrangements should be clear before commissioning, including which changes could affect the price.

What evidence supports the proposal?

• A detailed approach gives you something concrete to assess. Relevant client feedback and permissioned project examples can help you judge how that approach works in practice.
• Price still matters. The aim is to understand what you receive, what work your team retains and whether the proposed checks are proportionate to the study.
• At Gromotion, we agree on the recruitment scope and fieldwork responsibilities before work begins, so clients can assess the cost alongside the service.

Have a brief you’d like us to cost? Get in touch and we’ll explain our proposed approach and what the quote includes.