Survey Interviewer

Kaiuiui Rangahautanga

This job is sometimes referred to by alternative titles

Survey interviewers collect facts and opinions by interviewing people. They conduct interviews for market research companies and other organisations.

Pay

New survey interviewers usually earn

$15-$19 per hour

Experienced survey interviewers usually earn

$20-$40 per hour

Source: Trade Me, 'Salary Guide', September 2015.

Job opportunities

Chances of getting a job as a survey interviewer are good as vacancies come up often.

Length of training

There are no specific training requirements. Find out more about how to enter the job.

About the job

Pay

Pay for survey interviewers varies depending on experience.

Those starting out usually earn between $15 and $19 an hour.
Experienced survey interviewers may earn between $20 and $40.

Some companies offer performance incentives and long-service incentives.

Some experienced survey interviewers are self-employed. They contract their services to market research companies for an hourly rate, which is usually between $20 and $40.

Source: Trade Me, 'Salary Guide', September 2015.

(This information is a guide only. Find out more about the figures and diagrams in our job information)

What you will do

Survey interviewers may do some or all of the following:

phone people to make appointments for interviews
interview people in person or by telephone at their home or business
approach and interview people in the street, or other public places such as railway stations or shopping centres
ask set questions on the survey questionnaire
record the answers on a survey form, computer or tablet
keep a record of the interview for the survey supervisor.

Skills and knowledge

Survey interviewers need to have:

knowledge of their interview topic and different interview methods
good communication and people skills for dealing with a wide variety of people
good listening skills for accurately recording information
research and writing skills, including the ability to spell correctly
good keyboard and computer skills.

Working conditions

Survey interviewers:

may work full time, part time or on a casual basis
work in many different locations including market research company offices and call centres. They may also conduct surveys in people's homes or on the street
sometimes travel locally or nationally to conduct surveys
may be required to complete a set number of interviews within a certain time frame, which can make the work pressured.

What's the job really like?

Rochelle Tapuai - Survey Interviewer

A job that's great for building people skills

Rochelle Tapuai works as a survey interviewer for a large market research company. "My job is to ring up a random selection of people and interview them about their opinions on current issues in New Zealand or a company’s products or services. Our clients then use that information to better their customer services or improve their business.

"Being able to talk to different respondents and hearing so many different points of view helps you deal with people and understand the different ways people think."

Remaining polite in difficult circumstances can be challenging

"You need to have patience and be persistent with your respondents. Sometimes when they refuse to talk to you or are quite rude you can take it personally. But you have to remember that you’re representing your company and your client, so it’s important to make sure you’re always polite."

Efficient multitasking is key

"We also have to take down everything our respondents say verbatim. So fast typing skills and an eye for detail are important to ensure you take down their answers accurately. But I get given a lot of training and support so I feel confident in what I’m doing."

How to enter the job

Entry requirements

Survey interviewers usually train on the job. However, to become a survey interviewer you may also need:

a good standard of spoken and written English
good keyboard and computer skills
a driver's licence.

Secondary education

There are no specific secondary education requirements for this job. However, NCEA Level 1 English and maths are preferred.

Personal requirements

Survey interviewers need to be:

outgoing, confident and motivated
tactful, polite and friendly
able to put people at ease
persistent and patient
able to follow instructions
accurate and honest when recording information
able to keep information private
good at planning and organising.

You need to be cheerful, positive and well-presented, because if you knock on someone's door looking scruffy and in a grump, they're not going to invite you into their home.

Janet Lawson - Survey Interviewer

Useful experience

Useful experience for survey interviewers includes:

interviewing
sales
public relations work
hospitality work.

Physical requirements

Survey interviewers must be fit and healthy as they may need to walk long distances. Good hearing is also important.

Telephone interviewers need to be able to sit for long periods.

Find out more about training

Market Research Society of New Zealand: (09) 476 0439 - secretary@mrsnz.org.nz - www.mrsnz.org
New Zealand Institute of Sales: (09) 887 4155 - www.instituteofsales.co.nz
New Zealand Marketing Association: (09) 361 7760 - marketing@marketing.org.nz - www.marketing.org.nz

Check out related courses

Job opportunities

What are the chances of getting a job?

Despite a gradual decline in the number of people working as survey interviewers, vacancies often arise because many survey interviewers work on a casual or part-time basis, and only stay in the job for short periods.

Numbers are falling due to:

online surveys becoming increasingly popular, reducing the need for interviewer-assisted surveys
some companies using cheaper overseas call centres, to cut costs
inconsistent spending on market research.

Short-term opportunities arise every five years when survey interviewers are needed for Census work. The last Census was in 2013.

Types of employers varied

Survey interviewers may work for:

research firms
large private companies
government departments.

Some experienced survey interviewers are self-employed and work on contract.

Sources

Herbert, M, human resources manager, AC Nielsen New Zealand, Careers New Zealand interview, June 2015.
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, '2006-2014 Occupation Data' (prepared for Careers New Zealand), 2015.
Statistics New Zealand, 'Census of Population and Dwellings', 2014, (www.stats.govt.nz).