So the formal recruitment period ended... 

now what?

1. Talk about it

During the formal recruitment period, it is easy to complain and point out things that don’t work. But if at the end of the period, we take some time as a group to discuss what went well or didn’t go well, we have a better chance of implementing changes to our recruitment system next year. Take notes and build next year's schedule while debriefing this year.

2. Ask the seniors

So many chapters say that one of their problems is senior engagement, but they obviously knew how to recruit, that’s how you joined. Ask them what they have seen change over the past couple of years or what they think did/didn’t work.

3.A. Gather referrals

Congratulations, you just got a new starting line up of star recruiters with your new members! Ask them who their friends are and who they are in classes with. Add them to your names list and start including them in the recruitment process.

3.B. Keep gathering referrals

Go to sororities, campus organizations, and other places with a lot of students, and ask! Ask if they know someone who would want to join and didn’t go through formal recruitment. Let’s be honest, formal recruitment is intimidating and can be terrifying. So, there is probably someone out there who didn’t go through it, because it isn’t always fun to do!

3.C. Yes, more referrals!

If your campus has a registration to go through formal recruitment, there is potential for a “no-bid list.” This list on some campuses can have dozens to hundreds of names of potential members who did not join someplace else. Reach out! They showed interest at some point, it could still be there!

4. Follow through on making friends

Even if someone didn’t join during the formal period, they don’t mean we can delete them from our names list! Keep bringing them to events and including them. Unless there is a major reason to remove someone, then we should be working to build relationships with them.

5. Celebrate!

Formal recruitment is often one of the most contentious and heated times of the year as a chapter. It is stressful and a difficult job. It is a year-round position and developing a systematic approach to year-round efforts is exhausting. However, take a second to look back and reflect on the hard work you put in, and the progress you made with your chapter.

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"... hours of work down to seconds!"

One of the biggest time commitments during any point in a year-round recruitment system is texting a large number of potential members. No matter what sized campus, hours are spent mindlessly copying and pasting, or (in an ultra-impersonal way) adding potential members in a GroupMe and hoping they feel a personal connection and show up excited to join. But not anymore! ChapterBuilder has made this easy and taken hours worth of work, down to seconds! Chapter Builder allows recruitment chairs to select as many names as you can gather on your names list, click "New Text Message," type your message and send it out! There is even a way to include their first names, so messages come off as customized and personal! 

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Fraternally,

Nick Hawley - Director of Growth

Perge!

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