Member RecruitmentUnderstanding, Planning, and Executing

Presented by Student Leadership AdvocatesStudent Organization Summit– Spring 2012

Who Is Here Today?• SLA Facilitator Introductions• Participant Introductions– Name– Year– Your Organization, why you joined, why you’re still

involved (and here today!), and why would someone else want to join the fun?

What We’ll Do Today• Discuss the basic elements/Goals of

recruitment• Focus on interactions between you, your

organization, and prospective members• Discuss best practices for successful

recruitment of an individual person

Get on the (c)Bus!• What are we “selling”, and how can we make

it different?– Why did you get involved, is that why you are still

involved?• 80/20 vision– Where are you spending your time?

• Understand it, Embrace it, Improve it– Keeping the flow of new and better ideas,

motives, energy and relationships

Formal Vs. Non-Formal• Events that are separate from regular

organization meetings• Marketing tables• Student Involvement Fairs• Informational flyers/emails, etc.• Inviting people to attend regular meetings• Other FUN things you do• Are you building bonds, or just adding numbers?

Effective recruitment starts with EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION!

• Whatever your publicity method, the INTERACTION with prospective members is the MOST important element. That’s what we’ll focus on today.

• Foundations of Effective communication– Understanding – Embracing– Collaborating

• Again, why is it you’re involved with your org?

The Member Recruitment Process

Initial Interaction Pitch

Selections (if applicable)Follow Up Involvement

The Recruitment Event

Execution

Initial Interaction• First impressions are everything!

– Don’t talk about your organization – focus on personal connections you have with the prospective member!

– Let them talk about themselves (Everyone’s favorite subject!)

• “F’em” – focus on:– Friends– Family– From (where they live, where they grew up, etc.)– Fun (hobbies)

• These connections are VITAL to recruiting new members: “People don’t join organizations, people join PEOPLE”

“Pitch”• After getting to know the person as a PERSON, you

can then talk about your organization.• Be ready to answer the question “why should I

join?”• Give them a SLICE of your organization:– Succinct– Legitimate– Informative– Challenging– Exciting

SLICE: Succinct• Elevator speech: Can you explain what your

org is about in 2 minutes or less?• What are the most important things about

your organization?• Are you sure they’re listening to what you’re

saying?• Have I repeated any information more than

once?

SLICE: Legitimate• Be authentic and real. You’re not a cheesy

salesperson… we hope.• Provide a “realistic preview” of your

organization. Would YOU want to join an organization that was not truthful and/or open from the beginning?

• Remember: A person begins building trust in an organization before ever joining.

SLICE: Informative• Cover as MUCH as you can without being

overwhelming: – Purpose of your organization– What is your organization’s “X factor”: the thing

you do better than any other organization or that makes your group unique?

– What are your events/programs?– How often and where your organization meets– Any costs associated with joining

SLICE: Challenging• What can YOU and your group do for the

prospective member?• What can the new member do for your

organization? Why would they be a good fit?– Example: “I notice that you’re really passionate

about____,” Show them how that passion fits in with your organization’s purpose or with other members of the organizations.

SLICE: Exciting• What’s FUN about your organization?• What do people in your organization like to

do?• What are the new developments in your

organization?• How do you see the prospective new member

contributing to the excitement?

Selections (if applicable)

• Determine selections process BEFORE recruiting begins

• Make sure all members are clear on the selections process

• Considerations:– What will your application look like?– Who is involved with selections?– When is the deadline?– Why should a person join?

Follow Up• Maintain communication with the prospective

member• Answer any questions• Emphasize the points that the potential

member was most interested in during your discussion

• Do not forget to thank them for their time and consideration

Reminder about RETENTION!• RECRUITMENT DOESN’T STOP AFTER THE

FIRST MEETING!!!!• Make sure you don’t forget about your new

members: continue to reach out to them!• Continually reinforce the value of your

organization to all members, particularly new members who are just forming their impression and expectations of the organization.

WHAT QUESTIONS HAVE WE CREATED?

Thanks for attending!

Continue the Conversation• Contact SLA

– http://ohiounion.osu.edu/get_involved/csls/sla– Email advisor Melissa Rocco at rocco.18@osu.edu– Talk to one of us today!

• Andy Porter– vanwildporter@gmail.com

• Meredith Kozak – mlkozak1015@gmail.com

• Websites:– Coca-Cola Retreat Packages: http://

ohiounion.osu.edu/get_involved/csls/retreat_packages– Student Org General Resources:

http://ohiounion.osu.edu/get_involved/student_organizations/resources

ACTIVITY!• Let’s practice!• Find a partner and recruit them to join your

organization.– Remember what we talked about today!• Are you being REAL?• Are you learning about this person?• Are you being CLEAR about your org?• SLICE