Recruit and Field Review: Is It worth it?

One of the most common questions from people wanting to earn money from focus groups is: what are the best companies to sign up with? Are they legit?

It’s a valid question because while focus groups are a great side gig, there are some rotten apples in the basket. Those familiar with my story, know that I had more than one negative experience with focus group firms back when I was starting. Including getting scammed out of some hard earned student dollars. But fear not, I will help you sort between the the good, the bad, and the ugly…

It can be difficult to decipher which companies are legit, come with an asterisk, and ones to avoid. I hope these reviews can help you make an educated decision and earn you more money, faster!

Without further ado, let’s find out: is Recruit and Field legit?

What is Recruit and Field?

Recruit & Field is a U.S based market research firm established in 1977. Their mission is “to provide exceptional market research recruiting services to our clients” and their website demonstrates their customer/client-centric brand, providing client and participant testimonials, team introductions, and an easy-to-navigate interface. 

They’ve worked with tech and entertainment giants such as Apple, Google, Netflix, and Spotify. Huge consumer good companies such as Clinique and Nestle also are among their roster of clients.

It helps to know what brands a firm works with to trust their reputation, but also it gives you a good idea about what studies you can look forward to! If you are a techie, for example, this sounds like a firm that you definitely want to sign up with. 

From a participant’s point of view, they are also cream of the crop. With over 12,000 likes on Facebook and 5 stars on Google, they have earned the focus group community’s trust and amassed over 300,000 respondents to prove it!

What types of studies can you participate in?

Recruit & Field provides several study options including traditional focus groups, phone interviews, online surveys, and product testing. They are very active on their Facebook & Instagram pages, where you can browse current studies that pique your interest.

Study topics have a broad scope of categories including: home, lifestyle, work, business, medical, and vehicles.

Calling all foodies! Recent study topics include music, baked goods, shakes/smoothies and alcohol. 

Who can participate?

Participants of any age, gender, or career path can sign-up and participate in studies. On their website, they specifically call out consumers, business & medical professionals, but consumers encompasses everyone… yes, even minimalists.

Though Recruit & Field is based out of New York, they also recruit participants in Canada. 

How to participate in studies?

You must register to view and receive their available studies. They primarily communicate via email, where you will receive invitations to studies you may qualify for.

SIgnup is quick, only requiring very basic demographic information such as vocation, income and status. However, they do recommend you complete your profile more thoroughly to maximize your chances of qualifying for studies. 

Demographic categories include work, vehicles, home, finances, technology and medical status. These categories give some hints at possible study topics. They also have a decently extensive special interest section, where you can fill in consumption habits such as magazines, alcohol, music tastes, and more.

They don’t post a feed of studies in the backend of their site, so you must consistently check your email or their Facebook page to keep up.

How will you get paid?

Compensation is through PayPal, or a range of e-gift cards. Most of the time, you will get your not so hard earned money right after the study is finished. Participants consistently rave about their fair and fast payments.

How much can you earn with Recruit & Field?

You can generally expect to earn $100- $275 per study, which is a great return compared to most other focus group companies.

However, this is just a general estimate. Recruit & Field does not disclose pay range on their website. As noted above though, a common theme among happy participants is how well they pay. It seems to be a pretty safe bet.

Recruit & Field alternatives

Want to guess what happens to the best looking girl at a party? It’s the same thing that happens to a market research company that pays very well. Everybody wants some action! Okay, maybe not my best metaphor, but you get the point. Qualifying for these studies can be difficult. Here is a list of really good alternatives that pay for participation:

Branded Surveys

Branded Surveys is one of the platforms where you can almost always find studies/surveys to participate in.

And the more active you are, the higher rewards you get for each survey. In fact, you can get a nice bonus for each survey which means you will get very good value for your time.

You can get your earnings out in cash via PayPal or choose between many different gift cards.

YouGov

A great platform that offers online research studies so you can find surveys and groups no matter your background and location.

The surveys are fairly short and pay decently for your time and are about current and interesting topics.

You will get paid in cash or via gift cards depending on your preferences. YouGov also has an app so you can take the surveys on the go. 

Focus Group by Schlesinger

Focus Group by Schlesinger is a fan favorite. If it’s not because of their great studies, it’s because they are absolutely everywhere. They offer many studies that are geared toward consumers and generally, there’s something for everyone. This firm should be on your roster no matter what.

Final thoughts   

Recruit & Field is a one-stop-shop for people who want to sign up for studies without all of the hassle that can accompany focus groups. Their diverse offerings allow general consumers, and specialists to participate in studies that relate and capitalize on their knowledge.

That said, the user interface is circa-early 2000s and isn’t that intuitive, which makes it hard to navigate. I also experienced frequent error messages while updating my profile. It wasn’t a big deal and I would eventually get through, but it can be frustrating if this is a frequent occurrence.

Luckily, you don’t need to interact with their backend too much aside from updating your profile. Study invitations primarily come through email.

Another con of Recruit & Field is that their groups get filled very fast or the research topics are quite specific. In short, qualifying for them is not always super easy. Trust me, I tried. BTW, If you want to learn how to improve your odds of qualifying for groups, take a look at this video.

All in all,  Recruit & Field is a good choice for everyone seeking to make some extra money through focus groups. They are a well-liked and established company that offers fair compensation and is praised from both sides of the aisle for their professionalism. 

Sign up here!

P.S. If you want to learn more about best practices while participating in focus groups, then you can read my Complete Guide to Paid Focus Groups in 2020.

Was this Review helpful? Did I miss answering some of your questions? As always, let me know what you think in the comment section!

Stan

I am a father to a beautiful baby girl, a husband and a serial gigster 🙂 I live in Toronto, Canada. My claim to fame: I made thousands of dollars from focus groups and surveys over the last 15 years. Studied Marketing in Ryerson Univerity and worked in Marketing and Marketing Research for the last 14 years+ My mission is to educate others how to be successful with side hustles. You can contact my be email or  on Facebook.