Focus Groups
Focus Groups are small, carefully selected groups of people brought together to discuss products, services, or ideas. This is one of the most common ways companies learn what customers think. Similar to a planned conversation, a trained moderator leads these discussions to gather detailed opinions and feedback. Other names for this include "group discussions" or "group interviews." Companies use Focus Groups when they want to test new products, understand customer preferences, or explore reactions to advertising before spending a lot of money on full launches.
Examples in Resumes
Conducted Focus Groups to gather customer feedback on new product packaging
Moderated Focus Group sessions with 8-12 participants to understand brand perception
Analyzed and reported findings from 20 Focus Group discussions across 5 major cities
Typical job title: "Focus Group Moderators"
Also try searching for:
Where to Find Focus Group Moderators
Professional Associations
Online Communities
Job Resources
Example Interview Questions
Senior Level Questions
Q: How do you handle a focus group where one participant is dominating the conversation?
Expected Answer: A senior moderator should explain techniques like direct intervention, using body language, calling on others by name, and establishing ground rules at the start to ensure balanced participation.
Q: How do you ensure focus group findings are actionable for clients?
Expected Answer: Should discuss methods of organizing insights, connecting findings to business objectives, providing clear recommendations, and presenting results in a way that helps clients make decisions.
Mid Level Questions
Q: What criteria do you use when recruiting focus group participants?
Expected Answer: Should explain the importance of demographic matching, screening questionnaires, avoiding professional respondents, and ensuring participants match the target market.
Q: How do you develop an effective discussion guide?
Expected Answer: Should talk about starting with research objectives, using open-ended questions, planning timing, including activities, and allowing for natural conversation flow.
Junior Level Questions
Q: What is the ideal size for a focus group and why?
Expected Answer: Should mention that 8-10 participants is typical, explaining that this size allows for diverse opinions while ensuring everyone can participate.
Q: What are the basic steps in preparing for a focus group?
Expected Answer: Should cover participant recruitment, location setup, discussion guide preparation, and familiarization with the topic and objectives.
Experience Level Indicators
Junior (0-2 years)
- Basic moderation techniques
- Note-taking during sessions
- Following discussion guides
- Understanding participant recruitment
Mid (2-5 years)
- Creating discussion guides
- Managing difficult participants
- Writing clear reports
- Independent moderation
Senior (5+ years)
- Complex project management
- Training other moderators
- Strategic recommendations
- Client relationship management
Red Flags to Watch For
- No experience moderating group discussions
- Poor listening skills
- Inability to remain neutral and objective
- Lack of experience writing research reports
- No understanding of participant recruitment process
Related Terms
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