9. Interviewer Resources & Training
9.1 Introduction
This chapter covers the project activities and deliverables necessary for hiring and training interviewers for an SRO project.
SRO Standard Project Procedures
Following are mandatory and conditional interviewer resources and training deliverables for SRO data collection projects:
Deliverables
- Staffing plan (interviewer requirements for the project);
- Hiring schedule and plan;
- Training schedule and requirements (room, equipment, materials, staff);
- Training exercises, scripts;
- Certification requirements, scripts;
- Training payment submission form;
- Staffing list; and
- Administrative audit of equipment, supplies, HR forms.
Deliverables
- Laptop assignment list;
- Site Coordination checklist; and
- Project assignment list to SRO Financial Services ET.
Figure 9.1 provides a diagram of processes for interviewer hiring and training.
SRO best practices for interviewer hiring and training are described in greater depth in sections 9.2 through 9.10.
- 9.2 Identifying staff needed;
- 9.3 On-staff interviewers;
- 9.4 New interviewers;
- 9.5 Training schedule and conference arrangements;
- 9.6 Technical support;
- 9.7 General Interviewer Training;
- 9.8 Study-specific training;
- 9.9 Team leader training; and
- 9.10 Retraining.
Figure 9.1 Interviewer Resources and Training
9.2 Identifying Staff Needed
Estimates
- Estimate the Hours per Interview (HPI) and number of hours per week interviewers will work. The HPI includes time spent traveling to all sample elements, attempting to contact them, documenting contact attempts, and working on project-related administrative duties, as well as conducting the interview with those respondents who agree to participate.
- Estimate the length of the data collection period.
- Estimate the interviewer attrition rate.
Staff required
- Based on the estimates listed above, determine the number of interviewers to be trained in each survey location.
- Define the required and desired interviewer characteristics, skills, and locations for the project. Criteria for employment commonly include interviewing skills, language skills, computer or technical skills, organizational skills, education, availability, location, the ability to meet production (i.e., data collection) goals, and the capability to handle potentially emotional or stressful interactions with respondents.
9.3 On-staff Interviewers
- Identify on-staff interviewers to be screened for the project.
- Request approval to screen the selected on-staff interviewers. Data Collection Operations (DCO) manager reviews all staffing plans before staff are contacted or assigned to a project. Cross-assignments for field staff may be vetted through the Board of PIs (coordinated by SRO Admin and DCO when necessary). Cross-assignment of SSL staff is encouraged to help maximize calling efficiency.
- Staff selected on-staff interviewers. DCO will coordinate sharing of staff when necessary.
Example on-staff recruitment email
Example on-staff interviewer invitation memo
SRO Interviewer Recruitment Website
9.4 New Interviewers
Recruitment and hiring activities may include, but are not limited to:
9.4.1 All Interviewers
- Design the recruitment strategy. The hiring and training task leader (usually the production manager) and DCS staff work together to determine the most appropriate methods to use for interviewer recruitment, as well as the timeline and staff to be assigned to the project’s recruitment and hiring activities.
- Place advertisements. DCS works with the project lead to place advertisements in appropriate locations (e.g., local newspapers, Monster.com), identify contacts within local colleges, and make flyers to be placed in the community. Ads refer applicants to the SRO toll free staff recruitment number and the SRO recruitment website.
Example new hire newspaper advertisement for Lab staff
- Update the recruitment website and incoming telephone message. DCS (for field interviewers) or SSL (for lab interviewers) staff update the recruitment website and the toll-free line answering machine recording with information about the upcoming project provided by the production manager.
- Compile information from 800 number messages and website applicants. DCS staff compiles information and selects applicants meeting the minimum requirements for field positions; SSL performs this function for lab positions.
9.4.2 Field & SSL Interviewers
- Applicants complete screening and new recruits complete an application on-line through the recruitment website.
- DCO staff review screening information and applications. For SSL staff, a telephone screening is typically done for new hire recruitment. Recruitment staff select the most qualified applicants based on identified metrics and applicants are invited to schedule an in-person job interview.
- Conduct in person interviews including assessments and behaviorally based interviews with applicants.
- Select candidates to be hired. Offer employment to new employees. The recruiter usually makes the offer of employment during the in-person interview and the applicant fills out hiring paperwork at that time for field staff. For SSL the applicant will need to visit Perry to complete the required paperwork. All offers of employment must be made by a regular University of Michigan staff member.
- Once the new hire paper work is returned to the Ann Arbor office and processed the new hire will receive emails from the University of Michigan to begin the on-boarding process via e-recruit and initiate the final stages in the UM hiring process.
- A few weeks before training, new hires are sent a welcome packet, GIT home study workbook, and any study specific home study.
9.5 Training Schedule & Conference Arrangements
Schedules for both general (if applicable) and study-specific training are negotiated by the project team and the DCS Training group.
Training and conference arrangement activities may include, but are not limited to:
- Determine date(s) and select location(s) of training session(s). Project trainings lasting 1-3 days typically require three months lead time for site selection and confirmation. Project trainings lasting more than three days typically require six months lead time for site selection and confirmation.
- Negotiate and sign the contract with the training site.
- Make travel arrangements for interviewers and supervisory staff.
- Order meals and arrange room set-up at the training site.
- Arrange for SRO staff and materials needed at training.
9.6 Technical Support
The project team will specify staffing and equipment needs for training. Technical support activities are described separately for field and SSL interviewers.
9.6.1 Field Interviewers:
- Evaluate laptop needs. After the number of new hire and on-staff interviewers has been determined, the laptop inventory is checked to ensure that sufficient equipment is available.
- Schedule laptop loading. Specifying staffing and equipment needs early in pre-production, coupled with effective communication and coordination between the project team, TSG, and DCS staff, increase the likelihood of successfully launching a survey project using laptop equipment.
- Load laptops. TSG staff will provide and load the laptops for interviewers, team leaders, production manager(s), and any central office staff, as specified in the timetable for staffing/laptop loading.
- Load training presentations. Data Collection Services (DCS) will provide and load laptops to be used for training presentations.
- Schedule Hands-On Practice Sessions (HOPS). TSG will assist the project team in arranging for practice sessions.
- Provide technical support at training. If requested, DCS will provide technical support for Tenrox at training.
9.6.2 SSL Interviewers:
- Interviewers are assigned ID numbers, uniqnames, and are given network and Blaise access as appropriate for the project(s) to which they are assigned.
9.7 General Interviewer Training
9.7.1 Home Study
GIT begins with a series of interactive multi-media presentations that each trainee reviews at home before coming to training.
9.7.2 In-Person GIT or Study Specific Training
Orientation
Orientation is provided to interviewers at training. Orientation covers two specific areas. Typically orientation is the first morning of training but it can also be scheduled the night prior following registration.
Administrative Matters
This includes information on their employment role and status, University resources available to employees, inoculation information, reimbursable expenses, passwords, Wolverine Access usage, current and upcoming projects, and other administrative information.
Training Team
This includes information on facility, lodging rooms, travel, meals, materials (cups, laptops, id badge, Sprint card), meals, fragrances/scents, evaluations, local area information, and other logistics/training norms that are not necessarily project specific.
Registration
Upon arrival for training every interviewer goes through a registration process. The registration covers a standard procedure but also is tailored to meet additional project needs. These registrations are typically scheduled the evening prior to training for field projects or the morning prior to the start of training for local projects.
Registration includes the following:
- Information – receive training badges, agendas, binders, room assignments, site coordinator contact information, bags (if new hires), box lunch choices, and other logistic information to make the training process more efficient.
- Administrative Issues – finish outstanding paperwork, receive Sprint Phone Cards, and complete outstanding administrative/employment forms.
- Identification Badge – have pictures taken for identification badges.
- Laptops – receive laptops at this time or provide laptops for updating. Sign equipment removal form, security forms, and other electronic/computer documents.
Some examples of additional project specific areas that have been covered during registration include:
- Fingerprinting – for projects that have this requirement. Typically projects that are in the schools or interview children.
- Security Station – some projects require additional security form documentation. Depending on the complexity of information that needs to be covered – this will be a separate station or included in the Employment Issue station.
- Physical Equipment Station – we provide equipment bags that include the type of physical measurement equipment required for the project (scales, tape measures, stop watches, hand grips, etc).
GIT Training
All new interviewers attend a 2day GIT training session. Trainers typically include, production managers, project managers, project management assistants, team leaders, and/or experienced interviewers. Topics include overviews of the organization and sample designs, standardized interviewing protocols, and persuasive techniques, presented in a training format that combines lecture with visuals and small-group practice sessions.
9.8 Study-Specific Training
Activities for study-specific training may include, but are not limited to:
9.8.1 Home Study
If appropriate, the project may require interviewers to complete home study materials before attending training. This may include reading a project manual, reviewing interactive on-line or multi-media training programs prepared for the project, completing quizzes or exercises, etc.
9.8.2 Training Session(s)
Study-specific training may be conducted by telephone conference call or in-person, depending on the needs of the project. The project team, in collaboration with the Principal Investigator, determines the content, mode, and length of study-specific training. Trainers typically include research staff, project managers and people on their staffs, supervisors who directly oversee data collection staff, experienced interviewers, and/or consultant(s) hired to assist with interviewer training. Topics may include:
- General information about the project (e.g., the study’s background and goals, funding sources, and principal investigators);
- How to introduce the survey to respondents;
- Eligibility and respondent selection procedures, if applicable;
- Review of the survey instrument, highlighting the content of the various sections and the types of questions being asked;
- Data entry procedures (paper and computer-assisted);
- Computer hardware and software usage, if appropriate (e.g., use of the laptop computer, email, and any other software packages);
- Use of the sample management system;
- Review of interview procedures and materials (e.g., informed consent materials and respondent incentive payments);
- Review of study-specific probing conventions (e.g., when to probe a “don’t know” response and an open-ended response);
- Techniques for handling reluctance that are specific to the study (e.g., recommended responses to frequently asked questions);
- Nonstandardized interviewing, if appropriate for the study (e.g., event history calendars, time diaries, or conversational interviewing);
- Any observational data which interviewers will be required to enter (e.g., observations of the respondent or the neighborhood);
- Any specialized training for the study (e.g., procedures for taking physical measurements, instruction on interviewing minors or interviewing on sensitive topics, proxy interview protocol, interviewing in unsafe neighborhoods, and protocol for handling respondent or interviewer distress);
- Procedures to be used for unusual cases, including general principles to be applied in dealing with unforeseen problems (e.g., how to report abuse of children or others that is observed while conducting an interview in the respondent’s home);
- Production goals and maintaining productivity;
- Proper handling of equipment and survey materials;
- The structure of the survey team and the role of all members of the team;
- Procedures for editing and transmitting data; and
- Any other required administrative tasks.
The training format typically includes a large amount of practice and role playing using the questionnaire.
9.8.3 Certification
Field interviewers complete one or more certification interviews in the field; telephone interviewers complete a practice shift in the lab. The certification process may include scripted interview(s) and/or or interview(s) with practice respondents. The evaluation criteria will be determined by the project team, in consultation with the Principal Investigator.
9.8.4 Training Pay
Interviewers are compensated for all training activities. This includes at home study, travel in and out to training sites as necessary, classroom time, and any additional study time at training.
9.9 Team Leader Training
9.9.1 Interviewer Training
Team leaders must be knowledgeable about interviewer procedures for the study. This usually is accomplished by completing home study materials (if there are any), reviewing interviewer manuals and instruction sheets, and attending the interviewer training session(s).
9.9.2 Team Leader Training
Team leaders are provided with documentation manuals appropriate to the role they will be playing on a project. They may also be required to attend team leader training sessions, and/or work with a mentor for on-the-job training.
9.9.3 800 Line Operator Training
Staff assigned to answer the toll-free lines may be invited to a portion of the study-specific training and/or provided study-specific materials for each project.
9.10 Retraining
Retraining is done based on the needs of the project and quality parameters defined in the work scope.
Interviewer retraining activities may include, but are not limited to:
- Review GIT or study-specific concepts with a supervisor or use the GIT or study-specific training materials;
- Attend refresher training sessions; and/or
- Complete additional practice or certification interviews.