Recruitment and Retention: Cracking the Code

Roseville Rotary Club

January 6, 2014

“If you have always done it that way, it’s

probably wrong.”

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Change is an Unnatural Act

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Recruitment: How Do They Do It?

Seven Steps to Improved Recruitment1. State the challenge 2. Identify and know the prospect 3. Understand your assets and your barriers4. Refine the prospect5. Define your value proposition (AKA

promise)6. Develop strategies and tactics 7. Measure and refine

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Recruitment: A Rotary Example

1. State the Challenge Departing members are outpacing new members.

2. Identify and Know the ProspectsYoung professionals under 40

Question traditions, status quo

Lots of competition for limited time

Work is 24/7

Live in a digital world

Value social responsibility  

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3. Understand Your Assets and Barriers

Recruitment: A Rotary Example

Assets

“Ethical organization”

“Opportunity to engage with business leaders and peers”

“International opportunities”

“Life-long friendships”

“Global mission focused on eradicating polio”

Barriers

“Global mission focused on eradicating polio”

“Cost”

“Conservative, white male”

“Members skew toward my dad’s age”

Takes too much to ‘make it”

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4. Refine the Prospect Service businesses Limited travel Age 30-40

Favorability

Knowledge

5. Define Your Value Proposition Rotary offers a worldwide

network of inspired individuals who translate their passions into relevant social causes to change lives in communities.

Connections for good.

Recruitment: A Rotary Example

Where is Rotary?

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6. Develop Strategies and Tactics “Market to corporate social responsibility departments,

not just individual employees”

“More Rotaract and Interact clubs”

“Rotary ambassadors on college campuses”

“Offer a ‘no-meal’ option at meetings”

“Relax the meeting requirements”

“Raise the awareness of Rotary”

“More consistent recruitment efforts”

7. Measure and Refine

Recruitment: A Rotary Example

AwarenessUnderstanding

Interest/Trial

Adoption

Advocacy

Marketing materials

Publicity

Advertising

Social media

Other DTP marketing

Offer

Personal cultivation

Retention plan

Awareness-to-Action Continuum

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Retention: Lessons from the Front Lines1. Once you get ‘em, keep ‘em.

2. Always play to your strengths.

3. Knock down the major barriers (carefully).

4. Cultivate a relentless disregard for the status quo.

5. Listen and learn.

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Retention: Lessons from the Front Lines

What‘s out: What‘s in:

We could never do that. What would happen if we did?

We tried that before and it didn’t work.

What’s changed since then?

We’ll risk our base if we… How can we be sure?

Compared with our competition/ other regions/last year we are doing better

Is it the best that we can be doing?

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“Nothing great was ever achieved without

enthusiasm.”