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I've heard it this way from a fraternity friend of mine: women's recruitment is difficult, but their new member process is easy. Men's recruitment is easy, but their new member process is difficult. How many times do we tell PNMs that they should stick with recruitment even when they get cut from chapters they love, because they'll find their home? I'm sure these fraternity pledges are hearing something similar when faced with pledge tasks.
I've seen a difference in membership retention and involvement once initiated when a new member is treated like a china doll versus like an adult. New members who are given so many gifts and told they can just cheat on new member exams or miss meetings are often rudely awakened when they are initiated and need to buy a shirt for every philanthropy, need to come to not only chapter but recruitment, makeup ritual, workshops, and philanthropy. That's why I'm glad my chapter is very up front about what the expectations for membership are during recruitment, so that girls know what they're getting themselves into if they join a chapter. Yes, we love our new members and give them gifts for big little week and would never haze them, but the new member process is about learning about your new sorority, not just getting gifts and likes on your instagram. There needs to be a balance.
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