ABC working for XYZ headquarters...
 

It seems to be very common these days for members of one GLO to be working for the head quarters (or whatever your GLO calls it) of another GLO.

For example, an ABC serving as director of communications for XYZ.

Thoughts?

Kappa's Executive Director is an Alpha Phi.

While it would be ideal to have internal members in HQ roles, I'd rather have someone qualified- and just being a member does not qualify you for a job. Just like being Macy's best customer doesn't mean you have any customer service skills, or complaining about Facebook's latest feed sorting methods or privacy updates doesn't make you a software developer.

I think it's a really easy gut reaction to say "but she isn't one of ours!" but at the end of the day, it is a paid job just like any other. I think that all else equal, being a member makes you more qualified than a non-member and being Greek in general makes you more qualified than not being Greek. Is it mandatory? No... but it's certainly ideal if you can find the right person who also has the rest of the required experience, skills, & culture fit.

I would say the same goes for Greek advisers in colleges. My school had two fantastic non-Greek advisers when I was there, and both self-admittedly said that it would've helped them in certain situations had they been Greek themselves. However, the rest of their work experience and personalities made up for it.

Well, that depends on the job description. If a GLO expects an Executive Director to have any ritual functions (say, for example, a role in charterings), then it would be mandatory.

A few years ago, the AGD Executive Director was a Theta (I think.)

There have been other groups on staff as well.

I wonder if I could get a job at the Phi Mu HQ about 10 miles from my house? ;)

Oh wait..we want to move somewhere else, lol.

When I was younger, I used to worry about this--"What about the secrets?" Only now they're all out there on the web plus as you age, you tend to lose interest in other groups' secrets. If you've worked in Greek life, you tend to know tons of them anyway.

So, yeah, I can see it.

Agreed- but that's different from a purely administrative role. We have a President who is the face of everything (including things like chartering) and our Executive Director is more of a business person who keeps things running. Or at least that's how I understand it :D

We're a young organization with an executive director. We've decided institutionally that it won't be mandatory for office staff to be members of the organization. The executive director happens to be a member, the external relations coordinator is not.

Our collective organizational experience (with three NPHC members and an APO member on the board) has led us to lean that way.

AOII's Foundation Director is a Gamma Phi Beta and is fabulous. She took over from an AOII that was not a good fit after our long term director, an Alpha Xi Delta retired. We also have a lovely Chi Omega that works for the Foundation. I talk to her on a regular basis and wish she was an AOII. The other full time Foundation employee is an AOII. I don't think we have any non-AOII HQ staff anymore (other than a male employee.)

As I posted back in October, our Collegiate Services Coordinator is an ADPi, and our Recruitment & Extension Coordinator - the sorority's first, in fact - is a Pi Phi.

http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...d.php?t=122841

Our advisors don't have to be members, and some of them are actually (male) fraternity members.

I have no problem with it. I think it promotes Panhellenic/Greek unity and cooperation. Non-members are not permitted to attend ritual events, so that might make things a little more difficult (more so within chapters; probably not so much at national conventions), but I think it's great to get good help from wherever possible.

Yes, the former Executive Director is a Theta. We have had other groups on staff at times. We have a man working at IHQ also, in finance. These are primarily business operations positions. We have had several unaffiliated women working at our IHQ and some of those have become AIs, which is always so cool :)

As carnation said, I think the longer you're involved, the more you realize that the groups are more alike than not.

We have several HQ staff who belong to other NPC groups and NIC groups. We also have a few who are not affiliated working mainly in the accounting dept.

When it comes down to it, and you get past all the externals - colors, badges, symbols, flowers, unique traditions, etc., we have a common set of values. I'd rather have someone who has pledged themselves to those ideals working for us rather than someone who is clueless about the whole GLO experience. Of course, in a perfect world, I'd want them to be a member of our organization, but I have been very impressed with the members of other organizations who work at our HQ. And it makes for a fun NPC Badge Day!

I know at DG, we have a Phi Mu (working in communications & PR) and a Delta Zeta (on the house corporation team) and I've had a lovely experience working with both of them. It just opened my eyes to how similar we all really are. :D

Somewhat related though, I am a little sad that all of the NPC organizations have sold out to companies like GIN. They definitely have provided useful services, etc. (and probably in the most const effective way) but I do miss the uniqueness of each group's web site, etc. Now every group has a similar brand, etc. I thought it was so neat when I joined DG that a DG developed and maintained our international web site - it just reinforced the idea that I had some super talented sisters in all kinds of career fields. Just a little bittersweet.

I agree. We have Groopt now, and they annoy all of us.

[QUOTE=WhiteDaisy128;2196126]I know at DG, we have a Phi Mu (working in communications & PR) and a Delta Zeta (heading up our house corporation) and I've had a lovely experience working with both of them. It just opened my eyes to how similar we all really are. :D

QUOTE]

I'm not aware of a DZ in FHC. The two Directors are definitely DGs, also. Not sure who what you mean by "heading up our house corporation."

I just recently found out that 2 of my alumnae chapter sisters work at the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity HQ. Their website has a staff directory that includes brief bios, and while it appears the majority of employees are Pi Kappa Phi brothers, they do have a few non-Pi Kapps (and non-Greek, as well) in their ranks.

As long as the position doesn’t involve ritual, then all qualified applicants should be considered. It’s probably good for an organization to bring in fresh perspective; someone more objective in terms of policies and procedures because they don’t have the same emotional involvement and less likely to say “but that’s how we’ve always done it, and it worked fine for my chapter in 1986.”

Again, though, this can vary from GLO to GLO. Being in a fraternity that has an emphasis that differs from that of most other fraternities (and a value system, if you will, that reflects that emphasis), I think it would be much harder for a non-member to "get" us in the way that those working in leadership positions in our national office should. And perhaps due in part to that, I think it probably matters to many of our members that those in "director-type" positions on our national staff (which is small) are brothers.

Our past Membership Growth Coordinator (an ASA) first moved to AChiO's executive office, and then to Delta Sigma Phi, which is where she is now. With a large amount of HQs in the same area, it's not a surprise that people move around like that.

Our foundation director was an AXO. Since this is pretty much completely a managing $$ position and has zero to do with membership or ritual I don't think anyone cared.

And I loathe, detest, despise GIN and website templates in general. I'd rather there be no website at all for a chapter than one of these cookie cutters.

.....Yes, a Theta. And before that, an ADPi.

[QUOTE=Titchou;2196130]My bad, after looking at the titles in her e-mails, she's not heading it up, but is on the administrative team for FHC. I edited my original post. :D I swear life with a 2 & 3 year old has cost me many-a-brain cell.

[QUOTE=WhiteDaisy128;2196163]OK, that I will agree to..she is a DZ but is not in any leadership capacity in FHC.

I think it's weird...
 

I wouldn't ever want a non-member serving in top or middle management positions. Just my opinion, mind you, but that's the way I feel. Support staff -- sure -- other Greeks and non-Greeks are welcome.

Out of 300,000 alumnae, if Chi Omega can't find a qualified, interested member to serve in top positions, well, something is wrong.

I would think that a members-only policy would really work against the sharing of best practices across organizations.

I think you can get that from other professional organizations which the staff members belong... NPC, NIC, AFA, NASPA. Plus, hiring staff who have held positions in other companies.

So I take it you don't dig the GIN system either?

If it makes you feel better, the GIN System was founded (created) by a Phi Mu, Zeta Tau Alpha, and I think a Sigma Alpha Epsilon. I'm pretty sure they were all graduates of University of Florida--so, the site comes from actual Greeks.

I know our former National President works for Tau Kappa Epsilon. She seems to love it as they are all very respectful to her. I'm proud of her for crossing over into "fraternity land" and serving as a great resource for many Greeks.

You don't have to use the GIN System set up or you can just link to it from your home page. Granted, it's easier for most people to use the template but not all chapter utilize it totally. Individual groups may have mandated but Delta Gamma has not (sorry, WhiteDaisy)- though it is free to alums and is a really great tool for collegians - esp if you are an adviser for a chapter! Lordy...it's great to know when something has been cancelled or changed before you get there. The text messaging option is great.

I don't think it's so much that as the fact that it makes everything look cookie cutter and so de-emphasizes the individuality of the chapters. I mean our Phi Delt chapter has a GIN website and I honestly 1) can't tell it from the national website, which if I wanted to see that, I would go there 2) have a very very very hard time finding the local stuff, which is what most alums/collegians go to chapter websites for. It's full of pictures and stories from other chapters that I frankly could care less about. I know that some groups put more work into it than others, but I think it just enables laziness.