Citizen Entrepreneur Explorer Program (CEEP) adapted to the current pandemic challenges like social distancing, social anxiety of meeting new people, and video call fatigue.

12 Strategies for Conducting Virtual Field Interviews

CEEP will not let the inability to travel deter one from field research. With the right adjustments, we will conduct interviews over video calls that are as effective as in-person conversations. These guidelines, initially developed by the Harvard Business School Case Writing & Research Group, are a great place to start. These have been adapted for CEEP.

1. Ask interviewees if they consent to the conversation being recorded. Let founders know that you are interviewing them for the purposes of developing a research and that you’re seeking their candor. Start by putting them at ease: set expectations that they will have the opportunity to review all quotes prior to publication.
2. Practice online social skills. Train students on how to put interviewees at easy early in the coursework for the researching-learning process. Offer them practice with each other and use other tools to warm up contacts (see #11)
3. Limit capacity. Zoom makes it easier to have many people join the conversation—be sure to ask yourself, “How many attendees is too many?” If the interviewers outnumber the interviewees, interviewees might feel overwhelmed. At the very least, suggest that some people on your team turn off their videos.
4. Plan for a slower process. Use fewer interview questions or send questions ahead of time. Expect that there may be technical issues and that lag time may increase interruptions. If multiple interviewers are involved, coordinate an approach for asking questions to avoid potential interruptions.
5. Build in breaks. When coordinating back-to-back interviews, allow time for breaks between calls. You will want to stand up and stretch, and connect with your colleagues on their impressions of previous interviews. Allow time to strategize and adjust for your next call.
6. Maintain professionalism. Dress as you would when traveling for a field visit. Make sure the video background (real or virtual) is professional and limit interruptions as best you can.
7. Remain flexible. You will find that virtual interviews may be easier to schedule, but they’re also easier to cancel. Leave time for rescheduling the interview if the need arises.
8. Be comfortable offering technical support. Get familiar with coaching interviewees on how to navigate Zoom—particularly if you are using screenshare or displaying documents. Offer advice to help interviewees configure their set up (distance, light, sound, etc.), particularly for video recordings.
9. Accept awkwardness. It is often more difficult to read social cues and body language virtually, especially when many people are on a call. Some people may be less talkative or comfortable on screen than they are in person, and the usual tools of connection, such as small talk, are harder to use. However, if things just are not working…
10. Bring the phone call back. Some interviewees may just not be comfortable on screen. Don’t be afraid to suggest a voice-only phone call—Zoom isn’t always necessary.
11. Warm the community up. Utilize surveys or pre-surveys as a starting place to gather overall data. This can give you a targeted list for future research by other CEEP students.
12. Define the specific community well. Work closely with business groups in specific neighborhoods to partner for this research. Make it clear that the organization is helping student as well as it could be an opportunity to understand the local businesses better.
13. Offer win-win scenarios. When appropriate offer general overview data summaries that can be helpful for the neighborhood business associations. This can create a win-win scenario and give students access to more businesses for initial contact.
14. Think community first. Frame interactions as a community partnership for the small business, associations and other stakeholders who may help with answering the research questions posed by the students.

During these challenging times, all businesses are trying to figure out how to keep their customers and connect to new markets. Some of the research offered by students with their questions can help with this. Teaching the students about adapting their learning to current situations is another type of skill for them to practice. The pandemic is here so keeping the knowledge expanding around entrepreneurship is essential right now. The discovery process of the BMCC CEEP students will make an important statement about community involvement and neighborhood awareness.

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