This is a continuation of an interview I had with Lark of Sunlark Research. If you missed the beginning of the interview, please check it out here.
Me: Do you use a custom-built program for the ICs to input the records into, or do you use Excel sheets? Why?
Lark: We use both. At present, some of our clients have their own systems for data entry. For our others, we are using spreadsheets for now. Our intent is to eventually develop our own data entry software for those clients that don’t already have their own. In most cases, a data entry program will allow the researcher to work more efficiently. For one client, we actually do both, because most work is more efficient with the data entry program. But we also are assigned to enter a high number of very similar records. In this case, Excel is faster, as we can drag and fill all the fields that are identical.
Me: What is the pay is per record?
Lark: Pay varies according to the project. One project may only pay .25-.30 per record because the collection goes fairly quickly per record. Another program pays $1.50 per record, because these take more time to locate. We also have programs that pay on commission or even per visit. There are other programs that we have on the drawing boards that could pay much more on a per-record basis. Our overall intent is that a slow researcher will earn at least $7 per hour while a highly skilled researcher could earn upwards of $25 per hour. By paying per record and/or on commission, the researcher is rewarded directly for increasing their speed and accuracy. In the above example, more of our researchers are satisfied with the rate of pay on the .25-.30 project than on the $1.50 project. Potential researchers shouldn’t make their decision based on the pay per record alone. Often, the best way to decide if this work is for you is to accept an assignment, go do it enough to hit a good pace, then see how you like it.
Me: How long does it take from when someone first applies to when they get hired with Sunlark?
Lark: This varies greatly, as it depends on what is available in the applicant’s area. Also, if we have a new program start up, we may go through old applications for those areas where we either don’t presently have a researcher or need to add to our workforce.
For part three, please click here.