At DJS Research we have a specialist team of researchers who, together, have several decades’ experienceof designing and successfully delivering surveys and consultations, among businesses and stakeholders, for a range of public sector clients. Our experience includes:

• Large-scale surveys of businesses (by telephone and/or online), representative by size, sector and location, for clients such as The Bank of England and Natural Resources Wales. These surveys frequently involve interviewing senior decision makers in businesses/organisations, including business owners, CEOs, Finance or HR Directors.

• Surveys and consultations focused on specific sectors, business sizes, professions or regions.This has included recent surveys of Manufacturers, SMEs, Health Professionals (such as GPs and Nurses), Legal Professionals, Landlords, MPs and senior representatives of trade bodies and community/voluntary organisations, for clients such as the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Legal Ombudsman.

• Workshops and Stakeholder Depths/Group Discussions. Recent examples range from qualitative depths with dental professionals for the General Dental Council, to roundtable discussions and depth interviews with solicitors, HR professionals and senior legal representatives from firms such as Goldman Sachs, DLA Piper, and HM Treasury, for a study into the representation and experiences of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic solicitors, on behalf of The Law Society.

Our wealth of experience means we are confident handling the complex requirements of large scale consultations, which can often involve a range of research methodologies. We seek to find the optimum solution for each individual project which may involve multiple approaches, either to maximise response rates and improve representativeness or, more simply, where a mixed approach is the best fit. For example, a more sensitive consultation may benefit from an initial quantitative survey followed by a later in-depth qualitative study.

Our approaches include:

• Telephone Surveys with businesses/stakeholders.

We have a large, in-house team of skilled and experienced BtoB telephone interviewers, many of whom have worked for DJS Research for several years. Our interviewers have recent experience of speaking to senior business leaders and professionals, on issues such as business finance and investment, skills, recruitment and training, business performance, marketing and export activity. All our interviewers are trained to ICQS and MRS standards.

Using skilled, experienced BtoB interviewers helps get through gate-keepers (e.g. receptionists), maximise response rates and engage with business representatives to maintain their interest for the time required.

• Online Surveys among businesses and stakeholders

Our online surveys of businesses/stakeholders, offered either exclusively or as an alternative option following initial contact by telephone, are professionally designed, engaging and can be easily accessed at a time convenient to busy business professionals, via any internet-enabled device.

Online surveys at DJS Research are fully customisable, so they can be designed to meet clients’ brand guidelines, colour palette etc. The surveys can be suspended at any time and returned to at a later point. Users can also navigate backwards through the survey to amend or check their answers before submitting it. For a more dynamic experience, the surveys can include pictures, videos and audio.

• Qualitative Research with businesses and stakeholders

We have a team of specialist BtoB recruiters and researchers with many years’ experience of conducting qualitative research among senior business professionals and stakeholders. Our experience includes in-depth interviews, group discussions and workshops among senior representatives/officials, working in sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, transport and legal services, as well as within central and local government, including MPs and Local Councillors.

Engaging business professionals and stakeholders in research:

We have significant experience of securely receiving and carefully managing client databases and purchased samples, ensuring only relevant businesses/stakeholders participate in the research and controlling quotas, by screening on variables such as sector and business size.

We use carefully worded introductions on our surveys and in qualitative research, to ensure businesses and stakeholders are encouraged that taking part is a good use of their time. We maintain complete transparency with respondents regarding the purpose of the research, and how their data will be used. We need to gain their explicit consent, not only to adhere to the regulations, but to build trust and encourage participation.

We recognise the need for multiple attempts (by phone and/or email) and a flexible approach to appointment setting. Keeping surveys and qualitative discussions concise and relevant is also critical, to reduce the time burden on busy professionals, and to maximise response rates as well as the quality of their responses.

For further informationon how we can assist you with business or stakeholder surveys and consultations please contact Simon Driver, Research Director (sdriver@djsresearch.com) or Julie Hollingsworth, Associate Director (jhollingsworth@djsresearch.com).

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