In-Person Survey Data Collectors: Looking to the Future
Articles and reports: 11-522-X202500100003Description: In-person data collection is critical for the success of many large government-sponsored surveys. Despite response rate declines and increasing costs, the mode remains the gold standard for meeting the most rigorous survey requirements for federal survey programs, particularly as part of a multimode data collection strategy (Schober, 2018). However, over the last ten years critical labor market and workforce changes, exacerbated by the pandemic, have made in-person data collection efforts prohibitive for all but the largest survey organizations. Shifting ideas about job flexibility and job satisfaction alongside the increasingly technical role and demanding nature of the job have impacted recruitment and retention for survey organizations across the U.S. and Europe (Charman et al., 2024). The trends in U.S. field data collector employment are summarized and it is outlined that there are promising practices in recruiting and retaining high quality field data collectors. Additionally, broader ways to structure the field data collector labor force for continued success are considered, including supplementing field data collection with multimode alternatives such as video interviewing and updating value propositions for respondents.
Issue Number: 2025001Author(s): Edwards, Brad; Carle, Jill; Cook, Tammy; Dulaney, RickMain Product:Statistics Canada International Symposium Series: Proceedings
