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Cultivating Business Partnerships to Grow Research Ops (Videoconference)
Monday, March 21, 2022 • Advancing Research Community
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Cultivating Business Partnerships to Grow Research Ops (Videoconference)
Speakers: Noel Lamb
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Summary

The landscape of Research Operations is vast, and there is no “easy button” for organizations implementing a successful practice. So how do you multiply your effectiveness and increase your impact in a scalable way? Whether you’re a team of one or twenty-one, cultivating relationships across the business is critical in these days of interconnectedness. In this session, Noel Lamb shares examples of how you can get your company to invest in helping you build your Research Ops program.

Key Insights

  • Positioning research ops within product strategy rather than UX can sharpen focus and stakeholder alignment.

  • Strong partnerships with marketing enhance research participant recruitment via better communication and branding.

  • Ongoing collaboration with legal is critical for GDPR compliance, participant consent, and incentive management.

  • Leveraging sourcing and security departments simplifies vendor management and contract negotiations.

  • Sales and customer support teams serve as valuable channels to identify and recruit research participants.

  • Embedding a research signup link in customer support email signatures is an effective passive recruitment tactic.

  • Maintaining a well-designed participant database on existing platforms like Salesforce accelerates recruitment processes.

  • Scaling recruitment from high-touch to self-service models is necessary as research teams grow.

  • Research labs require careful real estate planning with attention to environment factors like soundproofing and natural light.

  • Relationship management is a critical, transferable soft skill vital for sustaining cross-team collaboration in research ops.

Notable Quotes

"Partnerships are more important than ever as we’re reminded each day just how connected we really are."

"It takes a lot to troubleshoot lab equipment issues, especially mid-implementation of integrated tool sets."

"Don’t underestimate the value of powerful narratives; storytelling expertise can help communicate research invitations more effectively."

"Legal impacts almost every aspect of research ops, especially GDPR, data privacy, and participant consent."

"Tools and vendors management could be a full-time job, but you don’t have to do it alone—leverage sourcing and security teams."

"Embedding research program sign-up links in support agent email signatures is a low-effort, passive recruitment channel."

"Real estate for labs does not come easily or freely; if you get the chance, snatch it up even if you don’t need the space immediately."

"Scaling from a full-service recruitment model to self-service will need several preparatory steps before enabling researchers to act independently."

"Relationship management is a skill you can take anywhere, whether in research ops or working a hotel front desk."

"Creative collaborations yield the best results, so don’t shy away from inventiveness in building your research ops practice."

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