SAE Recruitment Planning Guide

SIGMA ALPHA EPSILON RECRUITMENT PLANNING GUIDE

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TERMS TO KNOW

BID

An invitation to join the fraternity

CANDIDATE FOR MEMBERSHIP:

A student who the chapter has extended a bid to

INITIATED MEMBER:

A student who has completed member onboarding and has been initiated within the 96-hour period

TERMS TO AVOID

- PLEDGE - PLEDGE CLASS - RUSH

POTENTIAL NEW MEMBER (PNM): A student interested in joining the fraternity

PNM LIST: A documented list that Recruiting Brothers add PNM information to

RECRUITING BROTHER: The brother(s) in contact with PNM(s)

OVERVIEW OF THE RISE ABOVE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (RARP)

Recruitment is a vital component to the growth and sustainability of any organization, therefore, each member of the fraternity should be involved in chapter recruitment. The Rise Above Recruitment Process listed below is a comprehensive step by step manual on how to implement a successful recruitment plan into a Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter.

7 PHASES OF RARP

1 5

PRE-PLANNING

PRE-BIDDING

2 6

LEAD GENERATION & RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

3 7

4

THE TRUE GENTLEMAN

The True Gentleman is the man whose conduct proceeds from good will and an acute sense of propriety, and whose self-control is equal to all emergencies; who does not make the poor man conscious of his poverty, the obscure man of his obscurity, or any man of his inferiority or deformity; who is himself humbled if necessity compels him to humble another; who does not flatter wealth, cringe before power, or boast of his own possessions or achievements; who speaks with frankness but always with sincerity and sympathy; whose deed follows his word; who thinks of the rights and feelings of others, rather than his own; and who appears well in any company, a man with whom honor is sacred and virtue safe.

-John Walter Wayland

PRE-PLANNING PHASE

This beginning phase should focus on preparing members for the recruitment period in chapter meetings. Chapter meeting time should be dedicated to reflecting on the strengths and weaknesses of the chapter and the role recruitment plays in enhancing strengths/solving weaknesses. Proper preparation prevents poor performance.

1. Assign a leader (Who’s Responsible: Whole Chapter)

a. Elect Recruitment Chairman

2. Assemble a Committee ((Who’s Responsible: Recruitment Chairman)

a. 1:10 Ratio (Leaders to Members)

b. Draft/Assign all chapter members to a Recruitment Team Leader

i. Decide on an incentive program for highest performing team

ii. % off of chapter dues

iii. Free T-Shirts

iv. Free Dinner

3. Develop a timeline and budget (Who’s Responsible: Recruitment Committee and Treasurer)

a. What are the chapter’s stress points? Times during the year that the chapter needs to put additional importance on recruitment

i. One Month prior to Semester Start

ii. Formal Recruitment Period

iii. 2nd Initiation (Middle to End-Semester)

4. What is the chapter’s budget for recruitment?

a. The chapter should determine the budget based on return on investment. How much money is the chapter willing to spend per PNM recruited?

BEST PRACTICES

5. What recruitment events would the chapter like to host?

a. Do these events show the values of the organization?

i. Friendship, scholarships, leadership, service

b. Will these events be fun for the members and potential new members?

6. Chapter Evaluation (Who’s Responsible: All Members)

a. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats Analysis Chart Below)

7. How many new members does the chapter want/ need to take in?

a. What characteristics should the chapter look for in PNMs?

b. What’s important to your chapter? (Academics, Leadership Experience, Community Service History, etc.)

8. Plan Work (Who’s Responsible: Recruitment Committee)

a. Set weekly quotas for recruitment teams

b. Schedule weekly recruitment training and update meetings with teams

A portion of chapter meeting time (15-20 mins over 3-4 meetings prior to the end of the semester) should be dedicated to discussing recruitment for the upcoming semester.

1. Meeting 1: Elect a recruitment chairman and form a committee.

2. Meeting 2: Create an incentive plan, develop a timeline, and form the recruitment budget.

3. Meeting 3: Chapter SWOT analysis and values assessment

4. Meeting 4: Goal setting for committees and individual members.

USE THIS PAGE TO EXECUTE THE “PRE-PLANNING PHASE”

RECRUITMENT CHAIRMAN: RECRUITMENT COMMITTEE:

INCENTIVE PLAN: RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE:

SWOT ANALYSIS:

STRENGTHS

WEAKNESS

OPPORTUNITIES

THREATS

GOALS:

Target Number of overall PNMs:

Target Number of PNMs per person in the chapter:

Target Number of New Members Initiated:

Dollar Amount Spent per Initiated New Member:

LEAD GENERATION PHASE:

This phase should focus on providing opportunities/ideas for a Recruiting Brother to meet PNMs. Each Recruiting Brother should help develop a chapter Potential New Member (PNM) list. Once a chapter establishes a list of PNMs, each Recruiting Brother should start building a personal relationship with a corresponding PNM. Personal relationships are key because People join people, not organizations.

Provide opportunities to develop a PNM list, whether that’s holding events or just meeting people during class, building a PNM list is crucial. (Who’s Responsible: Whole Chapter)

1. What are the most effective ways to recruit on your campus?

BEST PRACTICES:

• In the classroom. Sit in the front row, ask questions, engage with other students during group exercises and wear SAE apparel. Show classmates that SAE brothers leaders in the classroom and recruiting becomes easy. Once relationships are developed in the classroom and PNM’s have been identified, ask PNM’s if they have ever considered joining a fraternity.

• Campus events. Attend campus events and contribute to the event. Listen, ask questions, be proactive in meeting new people and again wear SAE apparel. Law of Attraction: Become the member SAE would like to recruit (leader, engaging, community builder, relationship builder)

• Social Media. Consistent posting (1 post per week) about the chapter displaying SAE values (friendship, scholarship, leadership, service.) Additionally, following PNMs on social media and sending personal messages asking about a respective PNM is a great way to build relationships. Follow different pages searching for PNM’s to build a recruitment list (ex. Class of 2023,2024 at (school name ), (school name) Activities Council, (school name) Writing/ Psychology/Art/Business/Engineering clubs)

• Friends Network. Have SAE members go through their social media pages and phone contacts messaging friends about the opportunity to join the fraternity. Most students never join a fraternity because they are never asked. Take the time to ask friends about joining.

2. How is the chapter documenting potential new recruits?

BEST PRACTICE:

• Create a Google Sheet listing PNM contact information. The google sheet should be shared with other Recruiting Brothers and should be updated whenever a university student shows interest in joining (PNM stage). Recruitment Chair should be responsible for maintaining PNM list or delegating the assignment in the Recruitment committee.

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING PHASE:

Once the chapter has developed a PNM list, it’s important for a Recruiting Brother to start building a personal relationship with a corresponding PNM.(Who’s Responsible: Whole Chapter)

1. Why is it important to build relationships with potential new members?

2. What does the chapter want to learn about each prospect?

3. What are effective talking points in building relationships?

What are some questions that you can ask a PNM to develop a better relationship with them?

BEST PRACTICES:

Utilize a Google Form to collect this information

• Education Goals. Ask PNM what his chosen degree is and why he picked it.

• Life Goals. Ask PNM what he is interested in accomplishing throughout his life.

• Campus/High School involvement background. What sports did PNM play, what organizations/clubs was he involved in. Did he serve in any leadership positions?

• What did he learn about himself as a leader?

• Family. How has family shaped PNM’s life?

• Hobbies. What are the PNM’s personal interests

DISCOVERY PHASE:

This phase is focused on Recruiting Brother discovering a match between fraternity resources and PNM value. The Recruiting Brother should ask open-ended questions and LISTEN, let the PNM drive the conversation and find out their needs. The Recruiting Brother should then decide if chapter resources fulfill PNM needs. Speak less, Listen more.

Once a Recruiting Brother has formed a meaningful relationship with a PNM, an open conversation about PNM goals and expectations in a fraternal experience can occur. (Who’s Responsible: Whole Chapter)

1. What is the PNM looking for out of his collegiate experience? Why is he interested in joining Sigma Alpha Epsilon?

2. What are positive and negative reasons a PNM has for wanting to join the fraternity?

a. List 3 positive reasons why a PNM would want to join the fraternity

b. List 3 negative reasons why a PNM would want to join the fraternity

3. How do Recruiting Brothers identify positive traits/values SAE is looking for out of a PNM?

4. How do Recruiting Brothers identify traits that SAE is not looking for out of a PNM?

BEST PRACTICE:

• Listen to the PNM’s words. What does the PNM talk about when around other brothers? Does he consistently ask about parties? Is he interested in how the chapter serves the community?

• Watch the PNM’s behavior. How does the PNM present himself when around other brothers?

DEMONSTRATION PHASE:

This phase is focused on demonstrating how the chapter can add value to a PNM. If the Recruiting Brother determines the chapter can add value to the PNMs fraternal experience, pre-bidding actions must be taken. On the flipside, sometimes PNMs are not right fits for the chapter and the Recruiting Brother needs to be upfront and honest by telling the PNM. Show don’t tell. (Who’s Responsible: Recruitment Team Leaders)

1. What are the most effective ways to demonstrate what the chapter has to offer?

2. Who should be doing the demonstration?

ACTIVITY:

List your Chapter’s Top 3 Selling Points

1.

2.

3.

BEST PRACTICES:

• Explain SAE benefits and past accomplishments. Show PNMs past community service projects, brotherhood activities, chapter awards, and notable alumni.

• Introduce the PNM to older Brother of the same degree/background

• Introduce the PNM to Alumni Advisor and other Alumni Volunteers

• Intro the PNM to Chapter President and other Exec Board members

PRE-BIDDING PHASE:

This phase is focused on gauging PNM interest and overcoming PNM objections. Think of this as trying to secure a verbal commitment, if the PNM has any last concerns, this is the opportunity to talk about them. This also lets the PNM know that the Recruiting Brother is serious about him joining the fraternity. Treat objections as requests for further information.

1. What closing questions should the recruiting brother ask?

ACTIVITY:

How would you answer the following objections (Example Answers Below):

1. “I don’t know if I can afford it”

2. “I don’t have time to be a part of a fraternity”

3. “I don’t want to be hazed”

BEST PRACTICES:

• Ask the potential new member “If we were to offer you a bid today, would you accept?” If the answer is anything other than yes, ask him why. This is called an objection.

2. How does the recruiting brother overcome objections?

ACTIVITY EXAMPLE ANSWERS:

1. “I understand, we have quite a few brothers on payment plans to make it more affordable. Our treasurer can sit down with you and work through your financial situation to make sure that you don’t miss out on this great opportunity.”

2. “Since SAE doesn’t have pledging, the time commitment is lower than if you were to join another organization. All we ask is that you come to chapter meetings once a week. If you’re able to put more time in, great, if not, that’s okay too”

3. “SAE got rid of pledging in 2014 and we have a zero tolerance policy for hazing. It’s immoral and illegal. If we offer you an invitation to join, you will be treated with the same respect that all brothers are given.”

BID SELECTION AND CLOSING PHASE:

This phase focuses on creating a chapter discussion about why each respective PNM should or should not receive a bid. An open, honest, and detailed discussion should take place debating if each PNM is meeting the witten criteria. Extend a bid to a PNM if he meets chapter requirements and/or can add intangible value to the chapter. Disqualify a PNM if he does not meet chapter requirements or cannot add intangible value.

Once bid selection is complete and bids are passed out, welcome the new men into the chapter. Just the same, reach out to the guys who didn’t accept bids for feedback on why they decided not to accept. Collecting this data will help with the following phase. Quantity of Quality in Bidding. (Who’s Responsible: Whole Chapter)

1. Do the candidates meet the minimum standards that the chapter has set?

2. Who is the chapter going to give bids to? When and how is the chapter going to distribute bids?

a. Is the chapter going to present bid cards? Are bids going to be extended virtually?

3. Who is going to enter the new members into mySAE? (President, Treasurer, Member Educator, etc.)

BEST PRACTICES

• A meeting should be arranged to discuss each PNM and their credentials. Brothers should assess whether a PNM meets the standard criteria established in the pre-planning phase and is deserving of a bid. The Recruitment Chairman should have the Google Form (Information Survey) that contains the PNM data. The Chapter should review the documented PNM data to aid in making decisions on who to give a bid to.

• The Recruitment Chairman should have pre-determined if bid cards will be used in the process. The chapter should discuss who is the most appropriate brother to give out a bid to each respective new member.

FEEDBACK AND ADJUSTMENT PHASE:

This phase is dedicated to chapter reflection on how successful the recruitment process was. It is important to evaluate the process and find where the biggest improvements can be made as well as developing a plan for the rest of the semester.

Good Feedback is the Key to Improvement. (Who’s Responsible: Recruitment Team Leaders)

1. How many bids did the chapter distribute? How many men accepted? How much money did the chapter spend per new member?

2. What went well, or didn’t go well, from the recruitment chairman’s perspective? From the committee perspective? From the chapter perspective?

3. What are short term improvements that can be made to the recruitment strategy? What are long term improvements that the chapter can plan for?

4. What did your newly initiated brothers enjoy about the process? What suggestions for improvement do they have?

BEST PRACTICES

• After the first cycle of recruitment, take time at the next chapter meeting to discuss the above questions and take notes. Put extra emphasis on the feedback from the new members, as they saw the process from the other side.

• The current Recruitment Chair should document this feedback and give this information to the next Recruitment Chair during Officer transitions.