Like with the WordPress websites I have built in the past, I was asked for this qualitative interview research project by Labyrinth Onderzoek & Advies. The project employee (projectmedewerker) who contacted me found me through internet. She had read an interview with me. An appointed was made and during the call she asked me not only to do the qualitative interviews for the social research they were going to do for Sociaal Cultureel Planbureau (SCP), but also to lead a team of interviewers which were going to interview people from Dutch Caribbean roots. I did this project in 2020 as an entrepreneur. This is the only project I did for Labyrinth Onderzoek & Advies.
Before the project could start there was a COVID-lockdown delay. I had already sent in A VOG-request and this was granted. I had also done the online training when the project was postponed like most of my projects due to COVID. The only projects that went on for me were my online Big Data course and Excel ecourse. But when The Netherlands was open again this project was picked up again. I went to an interview training specified for this project of half a day and afterwards I had also a training about managing a team of interviewers. In my team there were only going to be interviewers with Dutch Caribbean roots and they were only going to interview people with the same roots. Although the interviews were in Dutch most researchers think it is necessary to send people with Dutch Caribbean roots to interview people with Dutch Caribbean roots. I don't agree with this theory! Labyrinth Onderzoek + Advies is not the only research organization who thinks this is necessary. If the interviews are in another language I agree, but if it is in Dutch, European Dutch people should also be able to interview people with Dutch Caribbean roots.
Before I could start interviewing myself I had to meet my team and have them ready to interview. I met all the interviewers in my team in person and each of them got their last training with me and could ask their last questions. I also checked if they had all their materials and knew when to use each material. Managing a team of interviewers is a lot of work, because I had to be available by phone when they were interviewing if they had to ask something and I had to be briefed after each interview day. I was there to hear their stories, but not in emergency then they had to call 112. The system asked me sometimes randomly to check if an interviewer had really interviewed the person they were supposed to interview and a supervisor above me did the same when the system asked him to do that. This takes a lot of energy and is a big job, but I am paid for this with extra bonuses. With each door they rang, each interview and after a few interviews, etc. I got bonuses ranging from 4 cents to 35 euro. The interviewers themselves were also bonused after a few interviews, etc. These incentive makes this work attractive for interviewers. I myself do not get extra motivated by this kind of incentives. I personally met myself when I went to interview. I found it and still find it scary to go to unknown peoples house to interview them. Because the lockdown was lifted I had the choice between all my projects I was doing and asked to transfer my interviewers to the other team of interviewers with Dutch Caribbean roots. This was possible and I could go on with only the projects that makes me happy. In 2006 I also interviewed families at home for Nederlandse GezinsRaad (NGR), but with 2011 in mind I couldn’t go to interviews at homes anymore without being too scared to be healthy for me. I also tried it a few times for IPSOS I&O, but with them I even left before ringing the doorbell. I still do street interviews and interviews in public places. I find these kind of interviews safer and like to do these kinds of interviews. I keep away from interviews at homes. This does not mean everybody has to do this. I don't feel save, because of something that happened to me in 2011. I know a lot of interviewers who don't like the interviews I do and they love to do the interviews at peoples home.