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

Related deliverables

Free tool by UXR — UX Research Consulting in Chile