User Interviews are a UX research method during which a researcher asks one user questions about a topic of interest (e.g., use of a system, behaviors, and habits) with the goal of learning about that topic. A company by that name also specializes in conducting this type of research and offers user interview work-from-home jobs.
User experience research, known as UX research, can be very valuable to those doing market research for companies or organizations to seek out information to help better their product, service, or program.
Researchers often interview users or potential users during the design phase or after release to gain insight into what users think. They may do this in focus groups, by mail, or online. User interview work-from-home jobs are often available to interested participants.
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What Is A User Interview?
A user interview is used to collect user insights either quantitatively or qualitatively as researchers try to gauge how users behave and what they think.
Quantitative studies use contextual observation, ethnographic studies, interviews, field studies, and moderated usability tests to gather reactions to the test time. It can be hard to quantify observations, so qualitative studies are usually at the core of user evaluations.
Qualitative methods result in statistics that can be analyzed to help a company better understand the user experience. Research personnel hope to understand how consumers interact with the company’s products or services. User interviews are a common way to gather their responses.
For example, a marketing manager working to develop a new product could interview people to gain insight and feedback about features. The company might do user interviews, set up focus groups, or employ other methodologies to see what users might think about proposed features or the ease of using the product early in the product design phase, before a product goes to market, or after it is released.
A social service agency might test a user alert system or community reaction to a new program.
The questions asked would depend on the topic or type of study.
What Is Its Purpose?
A user interview aims to gain insight into customer success and satisfaction. Interviewers ask straightforward questions regarding a product or service to gain information. Survey participants must be honest to ensure the feedback is valuable to the company.
From here, the information is put into a usable format and then sent to the company. This allows them to make changes to their product or marketing.
Questions about a consumer product might be similar to these:
Would feature x on the product be:
⬜ Very useful? ⬜ Somewhat useful? ⬜ Not sure? ⬜ Not very useful? ⬜ Not useful at all?
What color would you buy if the product came in black, brown, red, or green?
⬜ Black? ⬜ Brown? ⬜ Red? Green?
If the product was available at your local store, would you buy it
⬜ Every week? ⬜ Every month? ⬜ Every 3 months? ⬜ Every 6 months? ⬜ Over 6 months each time?
Where would you usually buy the product?
⬜ Online? ⬜ At a grocery store? ⬜ At mass merchandiser ⬜ At a drugstore? ⬜ Other (where)?
Why Does It Pay For Companies To Invest In This Type Of Research?
For product managers and those responsible for content marketing, research can predict how likely your venture will be lucrative and successful. User interviews offer remote or in-person interviews where detailed questions are asked in order to gain feedback. The keys to these initiatives being successful include:
- Asking the right questions.
- Analyzing the answers and feedback.
- Putting this information together in a way it is accessible and usable to the stakeholders.
If the market research shows that a product prototype is disappointing consumers, that is information best gathered before the company has invested too much time or capital into the project. Customer satisfaction is crucial to success.
User Interviews: The Company
Companies such as User Interviews match consumers willing to complete the interviews with companies looking for feedback. Their slogan states, “We connect researchers and participants. Get fast access to quality participants or earn money by participating in studies.”
This company website lists open jobs for top personnel to design their studies and conduct research and opportunities for participants. Jobs are typically remote.
Positions posted for this company include the following and, as you can see, they offer quite an array of salaries. In addition to a solid salary, these positions offer unlimited wellness days, healthcare coverage, an annual learning and development stipend, generous paid time off, and other perks. You can check them out at www.userinterviews.com.
Some job posts from the last six months:
Sales Development Representative: Annual salary $55,000-60,000
- Project Coordinator: Annual salary $73,000
- Director of Customer Success: Annual salary $135,000
- Software Engineer: Annual Salary $163,000
- Senior Research Operations Manager: Annual salary $156,000
Opportunities for participants include online interviews, participation in focus groups, and one-on-one interviews. Specific studies are occasional gigs rather than full-time jobs. Some opportunities might pay the equivalent of a dollar per minute to several hundred dollars. These research jobs might overlap with some for product testers.
Is A Job With User Interviews A Legit Job?
Companies that facilitate user interviews require UX specialists trained in marketing, engineering, statistics, and other relevant fields. Although User Interviews (the company) is the most well-known, there are similar jobs with other companies. The field can be quite lucrative for those with the right credentials.
People who take part in the interviews are also in demand. The people who answer the questions are also paid for their time. Although each interview you take part in can pay quite well, this is more likely a part-time gig because the availability of work could be more consistent.
What Are The Qualifications For User Interviews?
If you want to work for the company, User Interviews these are commonly sought-after qualifications:
- Customer Success (Ideally, 5 + Years of Experience)
- Experience Managing a Customer Success Team (Prefer a SaaS company)
- Knowledgeable in high and low-touch onboarding and activation
- Excellence at problem-solving
- Self-motivated and driven
- Strong organizational skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Skilled in data-driven decision-making
- Desire to engage in a remote work environment
Do User Interviews Really Pay?
People who are doing the user interviews are paid by companies like User Interviews (the company) or other research firms. User Interviews itself has paid out over $25 million in incentives since 2016 as companies gather feedback to grow their businesses.
When you sign up to be a potential participant in studies, you fill out your bio and may be able to search for opportunities or be matched with them. Then, as you search for interviews, these things will be visible:
- Brief description of what the researcher is looking for
- Pay for the study
- Anticipated length of the interview
- Type of the study
After looking at this portion, you have the ability to view individual studies and apply to take part. If you are selected, you get an email or text message with instructions. Wondering how people get paid? The pay comes via PayPal or gift cards. The gift cards are often Amazon or Visa.
While jobs as interview subjects or product testers may be more side hustles than ongoing jobs, they make a valuable contribution to product development and marketing success.
