The Best Strategy for a "Weak Recruiting" Chapter

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by LAblondeGPhi

I think bringing in another chapter to help a WRC is better than double- or triple-rushing, but it's not exactly going to fly under the radar with all the PNMs. They'll figure it out, and those who didn't will hear it from the other girls.

Ideally, you'd sandwich WRC members with visiting members in rotation so that the PNMs get to talk to members of the WRC, but don't have to be double/triple rushed. In that scenario, it's a win-win. Even better is if the chapters have some kind of relationship to one another, and the visiting chapter members are prepped appropriately on the campus culture and specific activities the WRC plans and participates in (this doesn't always happen!)

Best case scenario is that the PNM doesn't think too much of it and gets to meet at least one or two members of the actual chapter, and has a better experience at that party than she would have otherwise. Worst case scenario is that the PNM didn't get a chance to meet anyone from the chapter, and is either duped into liking women who she'll never see again or she's completely turned off; or that the PNM figures out toward the end of the party that she's been talking to visiting sisters and feels betrayed/duped.

YES. Not a fan of this for those exact reasons.

I know that there have been GC PNMs who posted about feeling duped by a chapter when they ended up really liking certain women, then finding out (thank goodness before pref) that these women were from a totally different school.

Generally speaking, when a PNM gets a bid to a chapter, she is going to excitedly look for the woman who preffed her at bid day. How upsetting would it be for someone to be all "YAY I got a bid to XYZ and look for the woman who preffed her, only to realize that she's not there? Boo.

[Titchou]

Without giving away our "rotation" secrets, there are ways to move PNMs thru to meet more women esp when you have to rush 1 on 2 or 3. We've done it effectively...not with Alabama size numbers but at some smaller schools - even one southern state u.

[Titchou]

You do what you have to do!

[Titchou]

That's why as the week goes on and the parties smaller, you pull the non chapter folks back and recruit with just the chapter members

[DubaiSis]

If you're going to use out of chapter members, this might be a good time to try the team rush format mentioned above. If you had one local and one "foreigner" and 3 or 4 rushees, then the foreigner might be used pretty effectively. This is especially true if she's a rush pro and can minimize awkward breaks in conversation. If done correctly (and I think it would require LOTS of coaching to be done right) it could be a great tool for teaching on the job. So to speak.

[KSUViolet06]

I think of it like this though, it's like me telling a guy I'm 5'7 and a C cup. Eventually the heels and padding are exposed and I'm still 5'0 and part of the itty bitty committee. So it's best to just work with what you have. And this is coming from someone whose chapter was quite small at one point, so I def get the whole feeling like you need more people thing. I feel like the bait and switch hurts more double rushing does.

[Titchou]

I don't know why this has generated such interest. I just mentioned it as a method that had worked a couple of times in very specific situations. It would never work everywhere and I would never recommend it across the board.

[33girl]

I think it can work if the chapters doing it are very similar and have a relationship. For example - I think RaggedyAnn's chapter and mine could have definitely helped "pad" each others' rooms in rush and it would have probably been a big hit, since the chapters had a history of hanging out together and being a lot alike.

But when you send girls from Big School Lots-O-Lilys Chapter to help out Small School Levis Chapter - well, it's going to not only make PNMs who connect w/ the BSLOLs feel duped, it's going to make the PNMs who liked the SSLs very wary. Like, does the chapter not feel secure enough about itself that they have to bring these other women in? They're not going to understand "double rushing" or the mechanical part of it.

[mandyk01]

One point being overlooked in this thread and one which our (AXO) headquarters covered in training this summer was the benefits RFM gives the PNMs.

Since strong recruiting chapters, especially ones with low quotas benefit from sticking the the RFM calculations the PNMs have a easier and greater chance at finding a home at a chapter that is realistically a better fit for them.

[redlady2]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I had another thought on recruitment strategies for WRCs. I mentioned upthread that my chapter was on the weaker half of recruiting strength on campus. DeltaBetaBaby's initial post supposed a ranking of PNMS 1-100. (Of course, you can't do a linear ranking because one chapters #1-10 will be different than anothers, but I get the overall point.)

Within each chapter, there are also women of different recruiting ability. You could take our 100 recruiting sisters and put them on a scale as well. Round One was always random as far as pairing for the most part, but then we'd aim to pair our top rushers with our top PNMs in future rounds. Makes sense, right?

In thinking about it, that may not have been the best strategy. Most of the women we'd put with our top rushers were also still attending parties at the strongest chapters, and were likely to go there no matter how strong our strongest recruiters did. Instead of putting our strongest recruiters with the girls who were the strongest women we had a realistic chance at getting (Say, on that 1-100 scale, the women in the 30-60 range), we'd put them with those 10-29 range girls who came back Round 2 but were likely to decline our Round 3 invitation.

It would inevitably come to pass that on bid day, our strongest recruiters would check the bid lists for their "rush crushes" that they'd preffed only to find they had joined one of the SRCs on campus. If we instead had focused our top recruiting talent on our top realistic recruitment prospects, perhaps we'd have gotten more of them to choose us. Just a thought...

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by redlady2

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I had another thought on recruitment strategies for WRCs. I mentioned upthread that my chapter was on the weaker half of recruiting strength on campus. DeltaBetaBaby's initial post supposed a ranking of PNMS 1-100. (Of course, you can't do a linear ranking because one chapters #1-10 will be different than anothers, but I get the overall point.)

Within each chapter, there are also women of different recruiting ability. You could take our 100 recruiting sisters and put them on a scale as well. Round One was always random as far as pairing for the most part, but then we'd aim to pair our top rushers with our top PNMs in future rounds. Makes sense, right?

In thinking about it, that may not have been the best strategy. Most of the women we'd put with our top rushers were also still attending parties at the strongest chapters, and were likely to go there no matter how strong our strongest recruiters did. Instead of putting our strongest recruiters with the girls who were the strongest women we had a realistic chance at getting (Say, on that 1-100 scale, the women in the 30-60 range), we'd put them with those 10-29 range girls who came back Round 2 but were likely to decline our Round 3 invitation.

It would inevitably come to pass that on bid day, our strongest recruiters would check the bid lists for their "rush crushes" that they'd preffed only to find they had joined one of the SRCs on campus. If we instead had focused our top recruiting talent on our top realistic recruitment prospects, perhaps we'd have gotten more of them to choose us. Just a thought...

Oh, this is very interesting; thanks for bringing it up!

Even if the first round is random, I think most chapters put their best rushers at the front of the line to pick up women at the door. I would also make the assumption that the most desirable PNM's are closest to the front of the line coming in***. So, by default, you are going to put the best rushers with the most desirable PNM's, when perhaps that will work against you.

***I know this is a pretty big assumption, but I think generally the most confident, outgoing women will find their way to the front.

That said, I also think that many WRC's don't truly know who their best recruiters are. My partner and I, sophomore year, had some of the best return rates, along with another pair that I would call a little bit, um, "bookish". I don't think anyone expected that, as compared to the women that most would consider more traditionally popular.

[33girl]

^^Excellent point.

Not only do you have to be realistic, you never know - the "Miss Everything" rushee may be sick to death of being paired with super gregarious, super chatty women, and welcome more than you know a rusher who is a little more laid back. It may make her feel a little less like a commodity.

On another note, chapters have to remember that the most outgoing women in regular situations are NOT necessarily the best rushers. (Jinx DBB, buy me a Coke.)

[DubaiSis]

I think this is where recruitment strength and realistic expectations from both sides needs consideration. Instead of putting that top rusher on that most sought after girl, put her with the girl you think has the strongest chance of being a great fit but maybe not the most prestigious girl walking through the door. Or put in a numbers structure, assuming 100 rushers and 100 rushees, put the #1 rusher with the #25 rushee and put your #25 rusher with your #1 rushee. You still want that dream rushee to have a positive experience, since you never know how the rest of her rush is going

I'd say the same thing about double rushing. Pick out a couple girls from each party who are realistic "gets" who you would also be really happy with, and rush them solo. Double up the top and bottom rushees.

I'd love to know if any of these tactics get used this fall and how it turns out.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

I think this is where recruitment strength and realistic expectations from both sides needs consideration. Instead of putting that top rusher on that most sought after girl, put her with the girl you think has the strongest chance of being a great fit but maybe not the most prestigious girl walking through the door. Or put in a numbers structure, assuming 100 rushers and 100 rushees, put the #1 rusher with the #25 rushee and put your #25 rusher with your #1 rushee. You still want that dream rushee to have a positive experience, since you never know how the rest of her rush is going

I'd say the same thing about double rushing. Pick out a couple girls from each party who are realistic "gets" who you would also be really happy with, and rush them solo. Double up the top and bottom rushees.

I'd love to know if any of these tactics get used this fall and how it turns out.

Similarly, introducing PNM's to the president or rush chair...if they were introduced to exec members at every chapter, no biggie, but if your chapter is the only one where that happened, it makes them feel special.

[Greek_or_Geek?]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

Oh, this is very interesting; thanks for bringing it up!

Even if the first round is random, I think most chapters put their best rushers at the front of the line to pick up women at the door. I would also make the assumption that the most desirable PNM's are closest to the front of the line coming in***. So, by default, you are going to put the best rushers with the most desirable PNM's, when perhaps that will work against you.

***I know this is a pretty big assumption, but I think generally the most confident, outgoing women will find their way to the front.

That said, I also think that many WRC's don't truly know who their best recruiters are. My partner and I, sophomore year, had some of the best return rates, along with another pair that I would call a little bit, um, "bookish". I don't think anyone expected that, as compared to the women that most would consider more traditionally popular.

Well, I hope this doesn't happen at schools where the PNMs line up alphabetically or by height.

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

Similarly, introducing PNM's to the president or rush chair...if they were introduced to exec members at every chapter, no biggie, but if your chapter is the only one where that happened, it makes them feel special.

You have to be careful about this. It can come off as desperate if you're the only chapter that does it.