The Best Strategy for a "Weak Recruiting" Chapter

[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.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by Greek_or_Geek?

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

By height? Really? That's a thing?

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

By height? Really? That's a thing?

I couldn't remember if I had asked about it before and don't know how to use the search function well, but I really think PNM lined up randomly back in the day for most of the rounds. It wouldn't surprise me if the recruitment groups sometimes just goofed around lining up different ways for fun.

Can anyone from UGA speak to whether anything but pref is matched up in advance these days? My guess is that it varies a lot based on your return rate and how many girls you have a party, but for the groups that invite a whole lot of girls to each party, are they walking the whole recruitment group in with a certain order and have the chapters lined up to catch them?

I'm not asking for recruitment trade secrets. I'm just curious. It seems so hard to pull off in a meaningful way with big numbers. By pref, I get it, but for the early rounds?

[LAblondeGPhi]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

I couldn't remember if I had asked about it before and don't know how to use the search function well, but I really think PNM lined up randomly back in the day for most of the rounds. It wouldn't surprise me if the recruitment groups sometimes just goofed around lining up different ways for fun.

Can anyone from UGA speak to whether anything but pref is matched up in advance these days? My guess is that it varies a lot based on your return rate and how many girls you have a party, but for the groups that invite a whole lot of girls to each party, are they walking the whole recruitment group in with a certain order and have the chapters lined up to catch them?

I'm not asking for recruitment trade secrets. I'm just curious. It seems so hard to pull off in a meaningful way with big numbers. By pref, I get it, but for the early rounds?

I can't speak to UGA, but a couple of years ago UCLA started to line up the PNMs in alphabetical order right before each round. The Rho Gammas would also take roll call and give it to the chapter moments before the party started. This way, the chapter knew exactly who was there, and in what order.

[Greek_or_Geek?]

Yes, there are schools who line up by height. I think it's designed to make sure diminutive PNMs aren't lost in the crush as they enter the house, especially on the earlier days of recruitment.

As to the question about matching PNMs, I will give a general answer that yes indeed they are matched in earlier rounds. It's actually an important thing to do at competitive schools, but the hows and whys are internal business. I'm becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the way we continue to chat about internal chapter recruitment details here on Greekchat. For me this borders on membership selection information, not to mention a lot of it is specific to very competitive schools and can make a PNM crazy with worry no matter what kind of school she's going to be rushing at.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by Greek_or_Geek?

Yes, there are schools who line up by height. I think it's designed to make sure diminutive PNMs aren't lost in the crush as they enter the house, especially on the earlier days of recruitment.

As to the question about matching PNMs, I will give a general answer that yes indeed they are matched in earlier rounds. It's actually an important thing to do at competitive schools, but the hows and whys are internal business. I'm becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the way we continue to chat about internal chapter recruitment details here on Greekchat. For me this borders on membership selection information, not to mention a lot of it is specific to very competitive schools and can make a PNM crazy with worry no matter what kind of school she's going to be rushing at.

I don't think we're touching on anything bordering on secret membership selection in this thread. Here's what I'd say: if recruitment counselors or Greek advisors from other groups know what's being done and can tell simply by watching that girls that are being matched at a party, and I suspect they could, it's probably not MS. If PNMs themselves can observe it at a party, it's probably not straying close to MS.

I think the recruitment forum has some excellent moderators who watch out for disclosure of MS and will respond to your concerns if you PM them when you feel something has crossed the line.

GreekChat doesn't just exist for PNMs. So while some of the information shared would go way over their heads or might be counterproductive for them to worry about (matching, rfm, return rates, etc), there's nothing wrong with our talking about the things that interest alumnae or advisors, I don't think. My question about matching is a case in point. We didn't seem to do a lot of it at the chapters I attended as a PMN. It was a long time ago. It's interesting and helpful for me when I talk to members or PNMS in real life to know how different things are today even at my own campus.

[AnchorAlumna]

Originally Posted by LAblondeGPhi

I can't speak to UGA, but a couple of years ago UCLA started to line up the PNMs in alphabetical order right before each round. The Rho Gammas would also take roll call and give it to the chapter moments before the party started. This way, the chapter knew exactly who was there, and in what order.

????
We did this back when we had to use torches to scare the dinosaurs away from our rushees.

[KSUViolet06]

Yeah, I think there's something to be said for focusing recruitment on the "middle of the bell curve."

This sounds bad, but it makes sense.

Don't concentrate your "single rusher, meet the President, top shelf best recruiter in the chapter on her" efforts on that top 2% of PNMs who are going to have their pick of any chapter and (being honest) probably aren't all that interested in you and are just being polite.

I think that's where chapters make mistakes. Don't focus on Superstar Suzy who is probably getting the red-carpet treatment at every top house. Sure, give her a great experience, but don't overdo it.

Focus it on that middle group who maybe isn't super well-known, or maybe not even super sold on the idea of being Greek. A lot of those women just get cycled through parties with small talk and just kind of fall through the cracks.

I think your returns change a lot when you switch your focus.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

Don't concentrate your "single rusher, meet the President, top shelf best recruiter in the chapter on her" efforts on that top 2% of PNMs who are going to have their pick of any chapter and (being honest) probably aren't all that interested in you and are just being polite.

I think that it not only messes up your returns, but breaks girls' hearts. I can't tell you how many times I'd see a sister SO excited about someone she rushed, only for that girl not to be on our list.

[UGAalum94]

I had thought that RFM would pull those super-highly desirable, polite but really uninterested PNMs from a WRC as the process went on. Does it not work out that way because very few PNM are wanted by all chapters?

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

I had thought that RFM would pull those super-highly desirable, polite but really uninterested PNMs from a WRC as the process went on. Does it not work out that way because very few PNM are wanted by all chapters?

No, not at all. If anything, there are MORE of them there, because they are getting cut more harshly from the SRC's. In order for it to do what you describe, you'd have to let the top PNM's return to fewer parties as well.

[FleurGirl]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

Focus it on that middle group who maybe isn't super well-known, or maybe not even super sold on the idea of being Greek. A lot of those women just get cycled through parties with small talk and just kind of fall through the cracks.

Along those same lines, I think those sort of "middle of the pack" PNMs getting the superstar treatment at the weak recruiting house will make the chapter stick out more in her mind and creep up to the top of her list. If you're just getting the "uh huh, yeah, that's nice" treatment everywhere else and then you go to a chapter that makes you feel like a rockstar by focusing the strong recruiting girls with those PNMs, you're probably more likely to get a better return within that middle group.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

No, not at all. If anything, there are MORE of them there, because they are getting cut more harshly from the SRC's. In order for it to do what you describe, you'd have to let the top PNM's return to fewer parties as well.

I trust your experience. I'm not second guessing, just explaining.

I was thinking that having fewer parties [edited for clarity] as the rounds went on would sort of have that effect. PNM #1 can only go back to 10 of 17 (or whatever the real number) for second round, so assuming she was going to be invited back everywhere, she's now out of the running at 11-17. And since, as you don't re-invite as I understand RFM, she's gone for good.

I did understand that WRC ended up with more girls than SRC, but I was thinking they were mid-range PNM in an imaginary world where all PNM were equally as desirable to all chapters.