AlphaSights explains: What is the vetting call?

Lisa, Director of Expert Engagement, focuses on improving and enhancing the AlphaSights expert experience globally.

From working closely with our Client Service Team, I know that experts often wonder: ‘Why is AlphaSights calling me? How long is this call going to take? Can’t you just send me the details via email and I’ll get to it later?’

We appreciate our experts are busy, so why do we ask them for a quick phone call before connecting them with our clients?

Why is a vetting call better for experts? 

Our clients have very specific and niche needs, so we do our very best to accurately source experts that match their requirements; this involves a highly targeted recruiting strategy. 

It starts with using publicly available information (e.g. editorials, blogs, social media) to establish a baseline understanding of what and who we are looking for. Although we are no experts in the industry, we comb through articles about advanced robotics, machine learning, horticulture, pascalization (you name it) to find you. 

Once we have identified you, we need to verify that your experience is, in fact, a good match for the project, and that you are interested, available, and eligible to take part. A phone call, the so-called “vetting call”, is the quickest and most effective way to achieve all of these goals in one go – no lengthy email chains, no sign-up forms and no endless back and forth over details.

• You can learn what kind of questions our clients have about the topic you know inside and out. 
• We can get a clearer picture of the nuances of your expertise.
• It gives us the chance to double-check there are no conflicts of interest thereby ensuring a safe exchange of knowledge.
• Any clarifying questions you have can be answered straight away and we can introduce you to AlphaSights if we haven’t worked together already.

Interested in learning more about our overall project process from an expert’s point of view? Check out Serving as an expert for a knowledge services firm.

Why is match quality important for you?

At the end of a vetting call, it should be clear whether or not the project is a good fit for you. It’s obvious why match quality is important for AlphaSights’ clients, but why is it also important for you?

• Avoiding mismatches: We want to avoid connecting you with a client on a topic you are not familiar with. Where this occurs, the interaction is usually short, ends abruptly, and is not a helpful experience for anyone involved. 
• Maximize value for you: We want you to benefit from the interaction with our client. Our experts value working with AlphaSights because the interactions relate to topics they are knowledgeable and passionate about. Accurately matching you to a client project provides the opportunity to share your knowledge and spark your curiosity. You may even uncover some new insights on the topic.

In summary, a successful vetting call ensures good use of time for both you and our clients.