It's completely free to send your Ballpark link to your own users and participants - but what if you don't have any?
That's where our recruitment service comes in - you can hire testers to take your survey or test directly inside your projects and get responses back within hours.
Click the Recruit tab in any project to get started.
Once you're in the recruit tab:
1) Choose which panel you would like to recruit with
We have 3 panels: Standard, Enhanced and EnhancedB2B
Name | Description | Screeners | Cost |
Standard | Best for simple surveys (like multiple choice), tasks and screen recordings | No | 1 credit per minute |
Enhanced | Best for surveys with open questions and requiring 'think out loud' answers via video | Yes | 2 credits per minute |
Enhanced B2B | Best for surveys with open questions and requiring 'think out loud' answers via video, as well as targeting specific professional roles and skills | Yes | 4 credits per minute |
2) Select how many participants you need and the estimated duration of your study
Now you have your perfect pool of participants, you need to select how many people you need and the length of time you need them to test in minutes. The best way to understand how much time you need is to preview your test and take it yourself. Try to be generous with the estimated duration as participants are seeing your study for the first time, so they may take longer to complete your study.
You can also refer to the bottom of this guide to learn more about our recruitment credits.
The number of participants and minutes required, combined with the recruitment method selected, determines the price to recruit.
For example, if you need 10 people to take your test, which will take 5 minutes, then that will be:
Standard: 10 participants x 5 min x 1 credits p/m = 50 credits total
Enhanced: 10 participants x 5 min x 2 credits p/m = 100 credits total
Enhanced B2B: 10 participants x 5 min x 4 credits p/m = 200 credits total
Ballpark uses the combination and number of steps to estimate how long a response to your study will take, learn more about estimated duration.
In October 2024, recruitment minutes are becoming recruitment credits. This is to support the upcoming launch of enhanced recruitment options. The price of standard recruitment remains unchanged at $1 per minute. Learn more
3) Select filters
In each panel there will be a range of different filters available.
In Standard you can filter the pool of participants using over 250 attributes, including shopping habits, lifestyle, health and work.
Each category in this section contains several filters which have pre-set options, simply click into any field and select from the options.
Once you select a filter, you'll notice the pool size change and confirmation of the selection under Filters selected.
In Enhanced you will be required to select a minimum of 1 topic, and have the option to choose from the other available filters. Selecting the most closely related topic for your study will help inform participants if they would be suitable for your study
Note that although there appears to be less filters in Enhanced, this panel is highly suited for studies with screeners, which will allow you to filter out participants this way.
EnhancedB2B provides an extra option for B2B-specific targeting, which allows you to search for specific Industries, Job titles and Skills.
Note: The filters selected will also alter the participant pool size, which may also affect the speed of recruitment for your study.
4) Submit recruitment order
Once you've selected all your filters and you're happy with your study, simply click 'Proceed to checkout' and 'Complete order'.
You will get confirmation that your order has been submitted on your screen and via email. You will also get updates emailed to you once some responses start coming in, and you can view these in your 'Responses' tab.
The time estimated for you to start receiving responses and your order's completion will depend on the requirements of your study. Screeners and filters will affect recruitment time as well as which panel you are recruiting with, the length of your study and the amount of participants you have specified.
If you need help with a recruitment order, feel free to get in touch via our 'Contact Us' chat or you can email [email protected] and someone from our research team will be in touch.
How many credits are included in my plan?
Our annual plans include a set bundle of minutes per year.
Free Plan - 10 recruitment credits
Starter Plan - 100 recruitment credits per year
Business Plan - 300 recruitment credits per year
Enterprise Plan - Custom recruitment credit allowance
Have a monthly plan? These plans don't have a recruitment bundle included. You can purchase a credits bundle or upgrade to an annual plan with a credits allowance.