RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION

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RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION

• Presented by
• Amy Geist
• Assistant Director of Student Activities

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WHAT do you hope to gain from this session?
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Why should people join your group?

• How is your organization different from others on
  campus?
• What does your organization do?
• Can anyone join? At any time? Are there
  eligibility requirements?
• Use co-sponsorship opportunities to make
  connections and publicize the groups identity.
• Advertise!
• Who you are
• What you do
• How to get involved

• Voice actually gets heard
• Gain leadership and organizational skills
• Makes the resume look better
• Incentives or bonuses (backstage passes, free
  entry to events)
• Leadership opportunities

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How do you describe your group?

• The group needs a prepared, descriptive statement
  that everyone in the group can remember and use
  when asked
• Abbreviated, Accurate, Articulate
• Concise, Convincing, Comprehensive
• Try this with your group!
• Have a visual image and keep it consistent! Its
  important for branding so your group is
  recognizable

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WHY do you recruit?

• What are your reasons?
• 1.
• 2.
• 3.
• 4.
• 5.

• New ideas
• More diversity
• Future of the Organization
• New friends
• New talent
• More hands to do work

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WHEN do you recruit?

• Truthfully, it should be 24/7/365!
• Every event, every poster, every t-shirt, every
  handoutSOMEONE notices.
• Its important to incorporate recruitment into
  everything your group does.
• Its doing what you normally do, but inviting
  others along to join you.
• Activity
• List 5 events/activities your group does that
  could include inviting new people (share aloud)
• Have a membership table at each of those events
  and make an announcement about joining!
• Focus on personal relationships (a 5-step
  sorority and fraternity method)
• 1. Meet them
• 2. Make them your friends
• 3. Introduce them to your friends
• 4. Introduce them to your organization
• 5. Ask them to join

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WHO do you recruit?

• Create a wish list
• Make a list of people you would like to have join
  the group (special skills, personality, major,
  enthusiasm, etc.)
• Keep adding to the list throughout the year
• Ask members to bring roommates, friends, and
  classmates with them to events and meetings
• Have members ask professors, rectors, and
  advisors for suggestions of students to recruit
• Do professors, rectors, and advisors know that
  you are in the group?
• Do they know that the group is open to new
  members?
• Do they know that their suggestion of a
  prospective recruit is important to you and the
  group?
• Have you thought about approaching students who
  applied for something and werent selected? (Hall
  Govt, Senate, Class Council, Study Abroad,
  Resident Assistant)

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HOW do you recruit?

• Set a goal
• Have a number at the beginning of the year that
  you want to have join and make sure its
  manageable
• Determine who is responsible for what (ads,
  reservations, refreshments, speakers, giveaways)
• Keep looking at the goal and dont forget it
  talk about progress toward the goal throughout
  the year

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RETENTION of membership

• Offer incentives for excellence
• Appreciate validate and praise
• Thank and reinforce their decision to join
• Point system to redeem for tickets to events or
  free skip meeting
• Cookies or other treats at meetings or presented
  to high achievers
• Have a plan
• List of opportunities for involvement ready
  immediately
• Make them feel included and needed
• Social activities mixed in with meeting schedule
  - continue friendship
• Training program for new members to orient them
  to the group

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WHAT are you doing to recruit?

• Drawings at events
• Ropes course/team builders
• Ads in Observer for members or exec positions
• Strong members send letters to members of other
  groups who would be good
• Ask RAs to talk about the group
• Hand out t-shirts and info at events
• Info table at D-Halls
• Brainstorm how group events strengthen their
  talents for job search (teambuilding, problem
  solving)
• Ask profs to allow announcements about the group
  in class
• Dorm Storm knock on doors and talk
• Meet Greet with club members
• Branding Same logo on all ads, shirts, posters
• Make sure campus media knows what events are your
  groups
• Contact names from Activities Night again at
  semester break

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Questions?

• Feel free to stop by the SAO,
• Call to make an appointment,
• Or send an e-mail!
• Amy Geist
• ageist_at_nd.edu