Screener (Recruitment Questionnaire)

Also known as: Recruitment Screening Questionnaire / Participant Filter

discoverylowerBeginner

TL;DR

Questionnaire to classify, select, and filter UX research participants.

Strategic value

Writing a screener is a test of the researcher's empathy with their target users. A well-crafted screener evades cunning liars and recruits genuinely interested participants who quickly immerse themselves in scenarios and speak intelligently.

Category: research-opsEstimated time: 2-4 hours basic screener; 4-8 hours complex screener with skip logic

What is it

The Screener (Recruitment Screening Questionnaire) is a research instrument used during the recruitment phase to classify, select, and filter potential candidates who will participate in a user experience study. Its purpose is to ensure participants meet the exact required profile and discard those who wouldn't add value to the research.

What it is for

Ensure participants meet the exact profile required for the study
Filter out participants who wouldn't add value to the research
Evade 'professional participants' who only want the incentive
Operationalize the theoretical profiles defined in User Personas

Research methods that feed it

Previously defined User PersonasResearch Plan (requirements and profiles)Study recruitment criteria

When to use it

Whenever recruiting users from the general public or large databases
For in-depth interviews, usability tests, focus groups, or user diaries
In early planning and recruitment phases

When NOT to use it

An extensive screener isn't necessary if the target audience is very small, easily accessible, and their characteristics are already known (guerrilla testing or internal corporate systems)

Required components

Inclusion/exclusion questions (Screen in/Screen out): multiple-choice questions to qualify or disqualify based on specific characteristics or behaviors
Availability collection: questions to learn participant schedules
Contact information: basic data to schedule the participant (phone, email)
Introduction script: text explaining what the contact is about without revealing details that could bias the study

Optional components

○Qualification table or quotas: internal document with requirements and number of participants per attribute
○Articulation questions: brief open questions to evaluate if the participant can express themselves eloquently
○Skip logic: rules to customize following questions based on previous responses

How to create it step by step

1List assumptions and criteria: Extract characteristics and requirements from the Test Plan or User Profile.
2Transform criteria into metrics: Convert abstract criteria into quantifiable behavior (e.g., 'travels for business at least three times a year').
3Write screening questions: Transform the metric into a concrete question. Direct exclusion questions go first (like a funnel).
4Mask the criteria: Add irrelevant response options to hide which is the 'correct' answer.
5Select tool: Build the questionnaire in Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, etc.
6Pilot test: Test with known people (some who fit and some who don't) before launching.

Tips for small teams

Maximum 15-20 questions or 5-10 minutes — the screener isn't the interview
Filter by behavior, not demographics: past behavior predicts better than age or gender
Include 1-2 open questions to evaluate if the participant communicates clearly
Use Google Forms (free) with basic skip logic

Common mistakes

Filtering by demographics instead of behavior: past behavior predicts the future better than gender, age, or zip code
Obvious or biased questions (Leading questions): attracts 'professional participants' who try to read the researcher's mind
Questionnaire too long: the screener isn't the interview — maximum 20 questions or 5-10 minutes
Using technical jargon: technical language confuses the user and contaminates data
Criteria too broad or strict: too niche = no people; too broad = non-specific insights

Quality criteria

Precise questions: ask for dates, quantities, and specific times instead of ambiguous terms like 'occasionally'
Evades false positives: recruits genuinely interested participants, not those who just want the incentive
Articulate participants: recruits immerse quickly in scenarios and speak intelligently

Authority quotes

“Your net is the screener. Your bait is the incentive. A screener is simply a survey to identify good participants and filter out anyone who would just waste your time.”
— Rocket Surgery Made Easy

“Writing a screener is a good test of your empathy with your target users.”
— Just Enough Research

“Filter by behaviors, not demographics. Past behavior predicts the future better than gender, age, religion, or zip code.”
— Observing the User Experience

Contextualized example

Context: Usability test for a car insurance app in Chile.

Exclusion question: 'In the last 12 months, have you purchased or renewed car insurance?' → If 'No', discard (we need recent experience).

Masked question: 'How often do you compare prices before buying a product or service?' (Options: Never / Sometimes / Almost always / Always). We're looking for 'Almost always' or 'Always' — they're the ones who actually compare quotes.

Articulation question: 'Briefly describe your last experience purchasing insurance.' → We evaluate if they can express ideas clearly for the interview.

Template available

Format: Google Docs$8 USD

Phase

discovery

Audience

product-team

Complexity

lower

Experience level

Beginner