Recruitment Programs
 

Hey all,

I am now working with my chapter to help them derive a more formally documented recruitment process. I would be eager to hear what other chapters are doing and how that is going.

I figure in addition to a calendar of scheduled events, we should have some kind of benchmarks along the way as summer events take place with goals for numbers of committed pledges and top prospects.

Any further thoughts on those 2 items or additional aspects of a documented program would be very welcome!

Also, how involved are your advisors in recruitment? I would like to help them set up a game plan and track goals, but otherwise I really feel like recruitment is up the actives. I am reluctant to get into the decision making process in any way.

How is formal recruitment organized at your chapter?

At WVU, there is no formal recruitment and has not been for years. The one time they tried it was about 5 years ago with disastrous results. I would be interested in learning how you all approach it.

My chapter's advisers were not involved at all. It's a shame b/c with just a little experience, my chapter's recruitment (usually in the top 3 on campus) could easily take number one.

Keep me up to date on how it works out for you. What's successful and so forth. In a few years once I'm back in the States I'd like to get involved as a recruitment adviser.

On a side note, this is the one area that I feel our GF doesn't emphasize enough. Recruitment is basically what determines the type of men and the direction a chapter follows. The leadership and brotherhood stuff is great...but you can't turn a weak rudderless college freshman into a strong leader with a few conferences. This goes back to realizing that a lot of kids are not cut out to be Betas. The all inclusive recruitment practices I see in effect are not doing us any favors in the long run.

Hi Coramoor,

There is no formal recruitment here. We do have a one week period where in theory anyone who wants to rush can visit any house during certain hours, but in practice 99% of guys in middle to top tier houses have their bids before that happens or at least are known to certain houses and are invited to events for final consideration.

So we have the same issue as you where spring and summer recruitment on the chapter's initiative will make or break the fall class. Spring is a bit easier. Even though fewer people rush, in that fall semester freshmen who did not pledge will find their way around and meet people.

GF is pushing this now, hence my getting a call to get involved last month. I have not yet sat down with our rush chair to see the various checklists and suggestions they have offered, but I am hoping this will help us set up a consistent approach.

Our rush all last year was awesome. The chapter doubled in size in terms of people who actually are actives and participate- and is back at the level where we could afford formals again and do good mixers. But since rush chairs change every year, it just needs constant oversight. Luckily we have another good rush chair this year too.

As for inclusive recruiting, we have always avoided that. I think some direction is good on things like grades to make sure we are looking at some other key criteria besides what is there now, but like you I am a huge believer in quality over quantity. That attitude is what has kept my chapter in socially respectable standing despite going through a few years where the membership got down as far down as the low 30s.

The only advice I could give is that you should be careful with setting goals of committed pledges. It should be about finding quality, and not quantity. Falling short of a goal can be disheartening to many within the chapter, especially if it happens over a series of occasions. Secondly goals encourage members to vote for those less in quality in order to meet quota and get the most pledges, etc...

One thing I would like to add is ask a couple of your Seniors to check with the guys that went through the Fall Rush and ask them why they did not elect to go greek.

Of course, this is only applied to those that meet the quality standards as applied by your chapter to all potential members.

This is how I found Beta Theta Pi at Indiana State University 25 years ago.

I've done this several times, and always received the same answer.

It was due to their preconceived notions of fraternities. After they grew up a little and neared graduation or had actually spent a few years in the world after college, they regretted their decision. They have nothing to really go back too.

I am sorry, I meant have the Beta Seniors ask the Freshman why. For me it was because I did not find a "house" I liked. I withdrew before bids were handed out.

If this recurring theme of preconceived notions keeps coming back, take the time to explain that this is happening all over the Greek community and a almost every campus that has a Greek system.

Then ask if they will step back and reevaluate their position and for those that you would like to have in your chapter, ask them to reconsider.

If a chapter makes a more personal approach to potential members, they might have more success. Awkward at first, but it can work.

In reference to "quality over quantity"... that is what my chapter has said for years. and just recently, i found this website about recruitment, PhiredUp.com. VISIT IT! The one thing they emphasize repeatedly is that "QUANTITY drives QUALITY" ... rather than gathering 10 PNMs who are all of a high quality, obtain names of 50 PNMs, maybe half of which are quality men/women that you choose to extend a bid to. If you have more people to choose from, you'll find more of what you're looking for. So simple, yet most of us don't see it.

Again, visit that website! And if you can, have them put on a presentation at your school. It's well worth it.

The important thing to emphasize though, is you are gathering large numbers of rushees so you can choose from them - NOT giving a bid to everyone who shows up. Many chapters who embrace the "quality not quantity" thing have reason to do so as they have had the "bid anything that moves" philosophy shoved down their throats by their HQs, with disastrous results.

(Also these are guys talking and they rush differently - they don't have to worry about total and quota.)

True. But my chapter, and from what I understand AST in general, is not pushed to meet total or quota. Total on my campus is at 40, and I've never seen my chapter reach half of that. The point is, try to meet as many people as possible. Get names and email addresses. Don't bid anyone and everyone who's breathing, but find out as much as you can from as many people as possible. That website says, instead of starting with a "wish list" build a "names list". From that, you can personally invite people to events... whether they're recruitment based or not.

Thank you everyone for the feedback. I wanted to post a follow-up now that summer rush is underway.

a.e.B.O.T- I appreciate your thoughts above. Based on your comments I pretty much did a 180 and took out head count expectations by the advisory team and the rush chair agreed. Not worrying about the numbers definitely seems to have made it easier to get good numbers since we are now up to 7 pledges, which for this chapter is a return to the kind of results we had back in my time with 100+ guys and the largest chapter house on campus. And they are solid guys too from good high schools.

Oldest Pledge- good suggestion on your part and based on what you said- the advisory team asked EC officers and the rush chair to think about who we lost during rush that we wanted, and why. And sometimes the answer is that they wanted something other than what we are about. The lesson I think was not to try and find a way to get everyone we might miss- but find out why we did not get people we really did want AND who would have been a good fit.

33girl- you raise a good point about having the big pool to select from, and our rush chair came up with the right answer. For state rush weekends- Fridays have been structured as very inexpensive events like BBQs where we could invite everyone and then pick our top candidates. Then the more expensive events like dinners, sporting events and concerts took place the next day only with people we invited back.

Summer rush has been a huge success so far, and I have to credit a lot of that to our rush chair, alumni chair and the outreach efforts they have made with our alumni.

By having a formal rush schedule in place, we knew going into the summer where we would be and when. That made it possible to get alumni involved- and when you add in dry recruitment that just set them on fire. Alumni don't seem to want to have keggers at their houses (I am being sarcastic here- I feel the same), but they will gladly have guys over to their home for a BBQ or sponsor sporting event tickets for dry rush. One group even set up a reception at their country club.

So I have to admit that having a formal dry recruitment schedule in place makes a huge difference. We have the results to prove it.

We'll see how the rest of the summer goes, but I have high hopes.