Interviewing Staff: Training Procedures

Upon successful completion of the screening process, the candidate attends our in-depth training course. During the training sessions, each candidate is taught the art and science of the telephone interview.  Staff training draws from the MRIA and CASRO standards manuals, MRA’s Professional Interviewer Training program, CMOR interviewing training program, and online CATI practice modules to develop interviewers’ skills.  After a minimum of four hours training, interviewers are assigned a mentor, a senior interviewer who will guide them through their first weeks on the job.

Prior to working on a project, each interviewer has already attended a market research training session.  Subsequently, for each project, a study-specific session is conducted to convey information specific to this study to the entire interviewing team.  This will include information on the client, question-specific instructions, and/or other information pertinent to the project.  As well, the respondent qualifications, survey instrument and any related questions and issues will be reviewed.  A written formal Briefing Document is created and distributed to the project team members daily to ensure that the entire team, from the project managers through to the interviewing team, is fully aware of the project requirements at all times.  Any additional information the client has (i.e. pamphlets on the product lines or on the subject matter) would be integrated into the training session and Briefing Document.

In addition to the initial training, OSI conducts 12 specialized classes that each new interviewer must attend and pass within a set period of time from their initial employment.  As well, for certain infractions, for promotion and the opportunity to work on select projects, veteran interviewers are also required to attend sessions.

The 30-minute classes are offered on an on-going basis in all 3 centers and include:

  • Rebuttals/Assertiveness
  • Clarifying
  • Probing
  • Open-Ends
  • Introductions/Personality
  • B2B
  • US Calling
  • General Market Research
  • Sample Management
  • Increasing Productivity