Recruitment Is…No Excuses   

I had the privilege of speaking to presidents and recruitment chairmen of Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity in January of 2008 at the Delta Sigma Phi Summit meeting in Indianapolis.  My topic was, “73 Excuses That Should Never Be Used Again in Recruitment”.  I took some of those excuses from this article that was published several years ago. While this was written for men’s groups I have found that women’s groups may also fall into the practice of making excuses for a poor recruitment.

Take every excuse you have heard about a poor recruitment effort—every one of them.  Write them down on a piece of paper—it may take a flip chart size sheet.  Then, crumple or wad the paper into a ball.  Burn it. Shred it. Destroy it.

Now, we’re ready to start talking about recruitment.

Excuses for a poor recruitment have one common aspect.  Every excuse has been used for years…and years.  Most have been recycled—a change in a key term here, the use of popular slang there.  But the same excuses continue to enjoy a life well beyond their origination.

At your recruitment school for your chapter:

Exercise One:

Place four or five chairs in a row about four feet apart.  Ask one of the members to run through the chairs and then back to you—an agility drill for football or basketball if you will.  He will do so with ease.  Then, have him put on a blindfold.  After he is blindfolded, have two or three other members quietly remove the chairs.  Then, ask the blindfolded member to run the chairs again.

Of course, he will become tentative in his movements.  He will walk, not run.  He will hold his hands in front of him to find the first or second chair so that he won’t stumble or fall.

Tell him, “Okay.  Stop and remove the blindfold”.  Then, ask him, “Why did you slow down?”  He will say “I thought there were chairs there and I couldn’t see them”.

Now, turn to the audience.  Explain that our member “Saw” the chairs in his mind.  How does that relate to a poor recruitment effort?

Some of the members will respond that the exercise demonstrates what happens when we make excuses for a poor recruitment. Encourage them to elaborate.

“We see obstacles or hurdles that aren’t really there”, they will answer.  “We convince ourselves that there are barriers to success in recruitment and we use those  reasons to justify why we cannot succeed”.

Good answers.  Make that “Excellent answers”.  In order to justify a poor recruitment, we create or invent obstacles or use traditional excuses.

Some of the 73 excuses for a poor recruitment:

7) “The IFC didn’t publicize recruitment”

This is among my Top Ten Lame-O recruitment excuses. 

Let’s start with this fact:  IFC is not an acronym for “I’ll Fill Chapters”.  If your IFC or other  governing group is doing its job, it is helping with preparations, assisting those chapters that ask for help through mentors or advisors, and perhaps hosting an event or two on campus to increase interest.  But, it is not the job or the duty of the IFC to guarantee your chapter a successful recruitment.  That is your job.

The charter for your chapter does not contain the phrase, “The IFC will fill your chapter house for you”.  It is your chapter.  It is your house.  It is your recruitment.

21)  “No one did well this semester on our campus”

Response:  Yes, someone—at least one chapter and probably several—did do well on your campus.  The members worked hard, the recruitment chairmen were well organized, and the leaders of the chapter were united in their support of the recruitment effort.  I always like to ask the Fraternity/Sorority Advisor for the numbers and then casually mention to the excuse-makers that ___ ___ ___ did very well indeed.  Watch for the windshield wiper effect—faces turning toward each other as though to say, “Why didn’t we know that?” or “Who will clue this dude in?” Then, listen for 21a.

21 a) “Those chapters took anybody they could..they were desperate…they handed out bids to everyone”

Really?  May we see the numbers again please?  What if we contact the leaders of those chapters—what would they say?  Excuse 21a is usually used when the undergraduates of the chapter that did not do well assume that we will not check the facts.  But, we do.

37)  “We took quality”

This is by far the traditional, time-honored, venerable and most often used excuse for a poor recruitment effort.  It is a good excuse, as excuses go.  It not only explains away a poor effort with regard for details—it also provides the excuse-makers with an upside—that the chapter members consciously decided to take only the best men. 

Help me out here a minute, will you?  If Chapter A has 200 men through recruitment and extends bids to 20, and Chapter B has 100 men through recruitment and extends bids to 20, which chapter is being more selective?

“Chapter A” is the answer most undergraduates will give you.

And how did you arrive at that conclusion?

“Because Chapter A gave a bid to one of every ten men who came through recruitment and Chapter B gave a bid to one of every five men who came through recruitment.  Therefore, mathematically as well as philosophically, Chapter A was more selective”

“Marvelous” I will intone in my best Clint Eastwood imitation.  Then, may we agree that the chapter that has the largest number of men through recruitment can be more selective than a chapter that has a smaller number of men through recruitment?

We can.  Which puts a torpedo amidships into the “Quality” excuse.

Ironically, in trying to salvage a poor recruitment effort, the excuse-makers often will extend bids to a high percentage of those who visit the chapter, thereby becoming exactly what they claim other chapters have done to succeed in recruitment. 

45) “We didn’t get our advertising/posters/ads in the campus paper/website stuff/emails up or out in time”

Exercise Two:  Schedule a recruitment school each semester, even if the chapter does not have a major recruitment effort that semester.   Good chapters schedule these each semester to emphasize that recruitment is indeed 24/7/365.

During the recruitment school or workshop, have each member stand and state the name of the undergraduate  member of the chapter who was most influential in his decision to join the fraternity.  Don’t let them wiggle on the “Most influential” by naming two or three persons.    Don’t let them cite a parent or sibling, either.

As you may surmise, some names will be repeated…sometimes three or four times.  Capture those names—write them on a dry erase board or a flip chart.

Now, ask the members to tell the chapter what those individuals did to become the “Most influential”.  Of course, you will hear comments such as, “He took the time to get to know me…he followed up with me every day to make sure I was going to come by for the next event…he spent time explaining everything to me…he listened to what I had to say and answered my questions”.

In other words, nothing about text messages, emails, high-end websites, posters (I still see ‘em on campuses—do you?), advertising or marketing.  Just basic conversational tactics, sincere interest in others, good listening skills, and following up. 

Okay.  In reality, we are teaching ourselves what works during recruitment by listening to these stories and points.  We are also identifying the positive consistencies that characterize good recruiting members.

Recruitment is profoundly simple.  It is the excuse-makers who want it to be complicated, because that gives them a basis for excuses.  I do my best to turn that sleeve inside out and encourage each member to be the reason one man joins the chapter that semester.

52) “We don’t have famous alumni like __ __ or __ __ __”

Sigh. 

Perhaps the best response is, “Did you join because (insert the name of a famous alumnus here) joined at another college or university five/seven/twenty-two years ago?” 

No.  You joined because of the members in the chapter.  What other reason could there be? 

Sure, we talk about social, intramurals, homecoming, academics (sometimes), networking and all of the other time-honored reasons.  But, we join because of the members, and usually because of one or two.

73)  “We did about as well as we did last year/in 2009/in 2008/when I joined”

Life would be much easier if we were held to a vague standard of, “About as well” or that we need only maintain and never improve.  Life would be easy, indeed.

My question: If you were CEO of a major corporation, a coach, a university president...and all other things being equal, you stood up at a meeting of shareholders, fans or alumni, faculty and staff and said, “Uh, er, we hope to do about as well as we did last year”, what would happen?  I suspect that a standing ovation, a fat bonus and a new office would not be included in the response.

Recruitment is measured in different ways, including the ratio of bids to acceptance and the number of men initiated as opposed to the number who begain joining the chapter.

Regardless, we are not a mega-corporation.  We are men’s national fraternities.  And, on hundreds of campuses there are three to four men who are not involved in the Greek community for every man who joins a fraternity.

If our product is indeed good--and I join you in believing that fraternity and sorority life is indeed a good thing--and we have ample opportunity to recruit new members, then we should be improving, each and every year.  Improvement doesn't mean growing the chapter beyond its logical size or becoming the largest chapter on the campus.  Improvement means doing a better job each year in recruitment and reaching our goal of recruiting better members--better than we are.

Excuses?  Rationalizations?  Put 'em away.  The prospective members are out there.  Get rid of the chairs, and let's get to work.

I have had the privilege of writing a number of articles over the years for various publications and audiences.  I thought that you, my visitors to the website, might enjoy reading one or more of these articles. I have edited, updated and in some cases changed the focus of the articles.  Regardless, it is my hope that you find these of interest and of value in your endeavors in our sorority and fraternity world.

“They did see it…”

Soon after the opening of Disney World in Orlando, Florida, a group of visitors was given a bus tour of the sprawling complex.  As was the practice in those days, a Disney executive was the tour guide.  Near the end of the tour, a visitor remarked that it was regrettable that Walt Disney, the creative genius, founder and CEO of the company that bore his name, did not live to see the opening of the huge park. 

Mike Vance, Creative Director for Walt Disney studios and the tour guide that day, quickly responded. 

“He did see it”, Vance said.  “That is why it is here”

Many a women’s and men’s national fraternity or sorority member has made a comment similar to that of the Disney guest.  The comment takes this form: “If only our founders could see us today!”

The response?  They did see us. 

Our Founders saw far beyond their respective campuses.  They saw a national organization, chapters in many states, the development of individuals into women or men who would contribute to campus life in many ways.

And, they saw the need to bring more members into the brotherhood or sisterhood.  That is a lesson we must emphasize and reiterate each semester and each year.

Regardless of the term used--rush or recruitment--the result in a chapter is usually “Good” or “We could have done better”.

During the past five years many men’s national fraternities have undergone what a financial advisor might call a “Market adjustment”. –the term used to describe a downturn in the price of a stock after a rally or anomaly in pricing.  The adjustment is usually explained as the price of the stock declining to a level that reflects the actual value of the stock.   

The reasons for the adjustment include but are not limited to the condition of chapter houses, higher expectations from young members, an ongoing battle with our image, the persistent perception that fraternities continue to offer little other than parties and alcohol, numerous hazing cases…and our ongoing reluctance to acknowledge that recruitment is recruitment and not “rush” and that it is indeed 24/7/365.

Within that adjustment is another anomaly.  Expansion activity and the recolonization of inactive chapters has become a growth industry in most men’s fraternities.  The number of “Spontaneous combustion” groups—young men joining together and then seeking affiliation with a national organization—appears to be increasing.  Most men’s national fraternities have growth in chapters as a top five priority.

And, when asked why they would choose to endure the lengthy labor pains of starting or recolonizing a chapter as opposed to joining an existing fraternity on a campus, the young men often say, “We don’t want to be hazed and we want to be different” (you can read that as being values-driven, having a reputation as gentlemen, and being a credit to the campus and community). 

What can we extrapolate from these seemingly inconsistent findings?

First:  The concept of fraternity remains as fresh and bright and clear as it did nearly 200 years ago.  There are tens of thousands of young men on our campuses who get it—who understand that fraternity stands for standards.  They understand that brotherhood is a two-way street—that in order to receive the benefits of brotherhood, you must meet the values and expectations of brotherhood.  They understand that being a brother may mean being tough or demanding with another brother in order to help him.  They understand that there is a significant difference between friends and brothers.  On too many occasions to count, the chapter leaders of a chapter in crisis will say, “Now is when we find out how many friends we have and how many brothers we have”.  The message: Friends will stand by other people.  Brothers will stand by the values of the organization.  Friends will take a narrow view.  Brothers will take the longer, deeper view.

Second: If they are interested in starting a new chapter, the message is simple.  “We have looked at what is available, and we aren’t interested”.  That is a message right back to the existing chapters on that campus.  Why not invite several of the colony members to an IFC meeting and ask them for their candid feedback (without naming names) as to the Greek community?  Or use an anonymous survey of those men or of members and new members from all chapters.  The answers may surprise you.  The stereotypes, college urban legends and painful perceptions will hurt.  So do the headlines as chapter after chapter loses university recognition.  It is a choice that each governing council is free to make.

Third:  If we are not offering what many undergraduates want, why do we continue to do the same things, year after year?  The founders of our national organizations saw a need and responded, again and again, with similar yet unique organizations called “fraternities” or “sororities”, from the early 1800s to the present day.  They used a blank sheet of paper and filled it with what they saw as something different.  Our chapters could do exactly the same thing…if leaders and sisters or brothers said, “We can make these changes”.

Our founders saw the promise.  Will we live up to that promise?

It is consulting with leaders and members of chapters at a given campus for brief periods of time--usually thirty minutes, although I'll take 45 if I can get them.  My rules are simple--honesty and candor trumpt diplomacy and euphemisms every time.  I won't waste your time with "Kind of...sort of...kinda like...a tiny bit...a little bit" in recommending changes.  You do the same with me. 

If you want to debate hazing or tell me why risk management sucks, I'll listen.  I will push back at some point, but I will listen. 

If you want to talk about recruitment, or accountability, or why things aren't working for your chapter, I will listen but I will also call you out on excuses and rationalizations.

If you think everything is great and the chapter is as good as it can be, I will do my best to draw out other opinions, especially from younger members who are there with us.  That is not a criticism--that is a challenge.  And that is my job, as I see it.

During a recent visit to a campus on the West coast, I met with seven different groups from 8 a.m. to noon on a Saturday morning, with one break when a group was not able to participate.  For me, those were enjoyable meetings, even when the topics were not positive. And, I was impressed with the fact that young men would show up on a weekend morning to talk about their chapters.

Two of the presidents who participated were new.  As is often the case, they were uncertain of how to handle issues in the chapter...how aggressive they should be...how much control they should exert.  I found an opportunity during each discussion to share this thought with them.

In my experience, every new president will be challenged within three weeks of his or her election. 

The challenge may come in any number of forms or ways.  It may be a rebellious member...an over-involved alumna or alumnus...a financial crisis...a poor choice by some chapter members.  It may be a disgruntled executive council member who feels that she should have been elected president or a past president who can't let go.  Regardless, it is a challenge and it usually surfaces within a few weeks of taking the gavel.

My advice?  This is life.  There is no "honeymoon" for a new president.  You have stepped onto a moving sidewalk.  You have strapped yourself into an F-22.  You have taken the last step off the 10 meter diving board.  You have that uncertain feeling in your stomach--the "Whoa! What have I done?"

It happens to every leader.  Sometimes some of your sisters or brothers are intentionally testing you to see just how committed you are to the values of your organization. Sometimes the frustration with a previous leader is bubbling up.  Sometimes members just want "Different".

You may be taking over for a very hands off president who went along to get along...or a dictatorial control freak who wouldn't allow anyone to do anything without approval...or a leader who hung her banner on the "That government that governs best governs least" flagpole, using that as a means of justifying no involvement in risk management, for example.

Aside from the metaphors:

First, evaluate the problem, challenge or issue.  Is this really a big deal, or just a deal, or have you or someone else inflated it beyond its significance?  That isn't difficult to do when you are new. 

One of the best leadership manuals I have read...was not a manual.  I found it while rummaging through the attic of our chapter house one December afternoon after final exams.  It was a journal kept by our chapter president in the early 1960s.  He wrote nearly every day.  His writing was concise and candid and he allowed the reader to draw the conclusions.  At the beginning of his term, his problems as he saw them were enormous.  By the halfway point of his term, he was gently mocking those same concerns.  With a few weeks to go, he was reviewing what he had learned as president, and the most important lesson he learned was, "Perspective".  The mountains he saw in the distance as a new president were reduced to speed bumps by the time he handed over the gavel.

Don't allow the drama majors to make your decisions for you.

Secondly, define the issue.  Look below the surface.  Is this truly a financial crisis or is accountability the issue?  Are we floundering in recruitment because members "don't care" or because they have chosen to take their talents and abilities elsewhere after being frustrated by the culture in the chapter?

Finally: let's work on an action plan.  One of the groups that I met with on that campus (but the president was not new) was encountering consistent challenges with some people not involved with the fraternity/sorority community.  An officer provided what one might call the TFM (Total Frat Move) response--a list of things that "We're working on".  Every response--every single plan or action--was cast in the future tense.  "We plan...We intend...We are expecting"  Every response was also in general terms, as in, "Well, we'll sit down and talk" or "We'll get to that".  In other words, nothing was specific, nothing was measurable, and nothing was expected.  The result could be nothing, but it would be concealed behind all of those nicely stated future tense terms.

I told the group that I didn't want to hear any more plans.  I wanted specific, measurable, steps that would be taken.  When would the meeting be, and where?  Who would attend?  What were the anticipated outcomes?  And rather than wring our hands about, "What if?", why don't we plan for "What is" as in, "This we know for certain".

Did the session help?  If you're me, you are rarely certain about that.  Some of the men nodded with me, while others were engaged in what I call the windshield wiper effect--looking back and forth at each other.  But, you do your best. 

For new presidents, the first few weeks of office may seem like a roller coaster in reverse--the scariest descents and G-force curves occur immediately.  Hang in there.  The ride will smooth out, and as with that young president at a Midwestern campus many years ago, the fun is discovering that you can do this job...and do it very well.  Congratulations and enjoy the journey.