You have probably heard of the 80/20 rule, which says 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. With a well-trained researcher, you can focus on the 20% that produces results and virtually nothing else. A skilled researcher will allow performers to focus on “money activities” and closing deals and will free up a ton of valuable time.

Some researchers are admin oriented whereas others function more as “junior recruiters.” I’ve used researchers for several years and have had them perform a large variety of tasks in my office. Here are 21 things a researcher can do for your firm:

1. Send out follow up email marketing information (articles, newsletters etc.) to clients and prospects.
2. Generate marketing leads using the web and company databases to develop reports.
3. Prepare a “hot list” of candidates for email marketing.
4. Return low level messages for senior staff.
5. Gather key data from client websites: contact names, systems used by that company, buzzwords. This can be tracked and then later searched.
6. Name gathering, sourcing and pre-qualification of candidates.
7. Handle interview travel arrangements.
8. Client visits with the senior staff (adds credibility to bring your “Research manager”).
9. Invoicing.
10. Collections.
11. Cover for staff when on vacation.
12. Answer the telephone/screen calls.
13. Post all jobs to relevant sites.
14. Screen all incoming resumes.
15. Schedule interviews.
16. Conduct reference checks via a standardized, professional format.
17. Web page administration and refinement.
18. Web research for industry information: gives you just the best parts. Reading industry news feeds on mergers and acquisitions etc and feeds it to your team.
19. Keep the database contacts fresh and standardizes data entry.
20. Create PDFs for your articles or marketing materials.
21. Water plants, sort mail, keep supplies stocked.