The recruitment committee is structured much like a vice president’s cabinet, with the recruitment chairman at the head. Just like other executive officers, the recruitment chairman delegates down to his recruitment captains, who then delegate down to their team. Every member of the chapter can participate in the recruitment committee in some capacity, so long as they have the desire to do so.
Ideally, the recruitment committee would include several recruitment captains having specific areas of responsibility, with additional committee members included to help the captains in their duties. In smaller chapters, this may not be completely possible; but it is always possible to appoint at least a couple of recruitment captains to help the recruitment chairman execute the program.
To achieve outstanding recruitment results, a committee must do more than exist in name only. The committee must be an active force of the recruitment program. As recruitment chairman, a list of names designated as the recruitment committee will be of no service to you. In order to be effective, the recruitment committee must meet regularly and in private. The recruitment committee is responsible for bringing in members that will create the future of your chapter, so it is imperative that the committee members be dedicated, motivated, and organized.
For the planning process and the actual recruitment effort to be effective, it is necessary that the committee be given the right to act and make decisions on behalf of the chapter. This cannot be achieved if the committee seeks the approval of each and every member as they prepare for recruitment. The recruitment committee must have the confidence that they can speak with candor, and that they have the freedom to make the proper decisions from the first days of preparations to the final moment when a recruit is extended an invitation to join the chapter.
RECRUITMENT ROLES
Generally speaking, the recruitment chairman’s responsibilities can be defined by the
following:
- Setting recruitment goals and devising strategies to accomplish them
- Educating the chapter on effective recruitment techniques
- Motivating the chapter to recruit aggressively
- Managing and delegating tasks to the recruitment captains
- Maintaining the ChapterBuilder account (formerly known as the “Green Book”) or recruitment database that keeps track of all potential members Change link to Chapter Builder blog
- Incorporating year-round recruitment into all chapter activities
- Making the ultimate decision on who gets invited to join
One of the primary responsibilities of the recruitment chairman is to delegate tasks to his recruitment captains. These captains need to be capable of running a chapter program, so they must be organized and driven. Below are a few examples of what kind of recruitment captains you may appoint, as well as what their responsibilities may be. These may be tailored to your individual campus and/or Greek system. Most of these roles are centered around a certain program or function, such as sorority presentations or marketing. Another option is to organize the captains geographically, which is also known as regional recruitment.
Rush Event Captain – in charge of planning and organizing rush events. Procures materials, makes reservations, sets up events, and coordinates clean-ups.
Marketing Captain – prints flyers, t-shirts, and other promotional materials. Finds creative ways to get the word out about joining Pi Kappa Alpha.
Summer Recruitment Captain – manages involvement at summer orientations and runs regional recruitment program. Hosts various recruitment events during summer months.
Referral Generation Captain – organizes presentations to campus organizations (particularly sororities) and contacts professors and alumni to generate contact information for possible recruits.
Recruitment Scholarship Captain – administers recruitment scholarship program. Sends out applications to incoming male freshmen, collects information, and sets up awards banquet.
Chapter Builder Captain – manages recruits’ contact information on ChapterBuilder, keeps track of contact w/ recruits.
Transportation Captain – in charge of facilitating recruits’ participation in events by setting up transportation to and from the event by various means.
Brotherhood Captain – in charge of “rushing the chapter” to participate in recruitment, show up to events, and contribute referrals to the green book.
Scholastic Captain – recruits scholars through a recruitment scholarship and by targeting the Dean’s List.
Leadership Captain – in charge of recruiting leaders from other organizations such as student government or professional groups.
Athletic Captain – in charge of recruiting players from other intramural sports teams, club sports, and for meeting with varsity coaches to recruit varsity athletes.
Gentleman Captain – finds gentlemen by conducting sorority presentations and asking women for recruitment recommendations.
Regional Captain – has comprehensive responsibilities for a particular region, where they manage all recruitment activities for that geographic area.
RECRUITMENT TEAMS
Every last member of the chapter can have a role on the recruitment committee, so long as they are willing. Each recruitment captain has a lot of responsibility, so they can undoubtedly use help in their area of programming. If a few members have no desire to help, do not fret. Let them sit on the sidelines and watch the rest of their brothers build the best fraternity on campus. But anyone that is willing to help with the committee should be given a role.
This can be as simple as assigning the members to a particular team and having them report to one of the captains. The more involvement and input you have from all members, the more participation you will have in recruitment, and the more buy-in you will have for the recruitment plan. Members of the rush event team can help set up and plan recruitment events. Members of the sorority presentation team can help execute presentations and build relationships with each sorority. The possibilities are numerous, and there is always plenty of work to be spread around when it comes to recruitment. Another alternative is to set up competitive teams for recruitment. Dividing committee members into teams, and setting up a contest to see who can contribute the most recruits to the green book or which team eventually yields the most signed new members can create a competitive environment that will increase the chapter’s effort and results.
For more recruitment information, check out the recruitment chairman handbook.
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