Recruitment and Retention
While recruiting members for your group may vary depending on the nature of your group (e.g. honor society, special interest club, athletic club with tryouts required, etc.), here are a few other suggestions you may consider investigating.
- Participate in Activities Night.
- Schedule a Recruitment Night in the LaFortune Ballroom! Have your committee chairs on hand to answer questions,
sign-up new members, etc.
- Place an ad in Scholastic
Magazine or the Observer.
- Post posters, or reserve table tents in the dining halls through SAO360.
- Reserve an information table in LaFortune/Dining Halls
to disseminate information about your group.
- Ask members of similar clubs to join.
- Send out a letter to new students on campus (labels can
be ordered through the Student Activities Office).
- Make announcements before/after your classes or in Hall Council Meetings.
- Put a flyer in the club mailboxes in the CRC to educate other groups about your existence.
- Establish a club listserv.
- Participate in Saint Mary's Activities Night.
- Send out an e-mail to your friends/classmates.
- Ask professors to make announcements in class.
- Sponsor events during finals the first few weeks of the semester.
- Spread the Word! The most effective way to encourage new members to join is by personally inviting them!
Retention
Too often, groups focus on group recruitment without taking the time to work with new members and getting them acclimated into the group. The following are some suggestions to help increase membership retention efforts.
- LEARN
THE NAMES OF THE MEMBERS, AND USE THEM!
(Not only in meetings, but make friends outside meetings; followers are more likely to follow if they have a personal relationship with you!.)
- GET
TO KNOW EACH OTHER
(The more you get to know each other, the more likely the group will work better together. Click here for a good activity)
- BE
POSITIVE AND SMILE!
(Folks like being around happy people!)
- TAKE
THE TIME TO MEET WITH EVERY MEMBER ON A REGULAR BASIS
(Let them know you value them, and ask how they think the group is operating.)
- SPEND
EXTRA TIME WITH NEW MEMBERS.
(Let them know how they can get involved in the group. A little attention now will pay off big later!)
- IMPLEMENT A MENTORING SYSTEM WITH UPPERCLASSMEN AND UNDERCLASSMEN
- ASSIGN TASKS TO EVERYONE--ESPECIALLY DURING PLANNING STAGES
- ASK FOR MEMBERS' OPINIONS
- PROVIDE REDUCED ADMISSION COSTS (OR FREE ENTRY) TO EVENTS
- PRAISE YOUR GROUP MEMBERS
(Simple ideas can reap many rewards.)
- ORGANIZE
A FUN GET TOGETHER!
(Get to know each other outside weekly meetings.)
- LEARN
MEMBERS' TALENTS AND PUT THEM TO USE
(What better way to get people involved than to give them a task they are good at!)
- CREATE
AN ORIENTATION PROGRAM FOR NEW MEMBERS
(Inform new members of the group's expectations.)
- COORDINATE TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES REGULARLY
- BE OPEN AND HONEST
- SURPRISE MEMBERS WITH A SPECIAL THANK YOU GIFT
- PLAN AND COORDINATE EFFECTIVE MEETINGS
- REWARD
MEMBERS WITH INCENTIVES
(Different things motivate different people--find out and follow through!)
- SAY THANK YOU
(Make new friends and develop future leadership.)
(People are more likely to support what they help create.)
(When was the last time someone asked for your personal opinion?)
(If you get a free ticket to an event, you are most likely to bring a friend, thus potentially doubling your attendance!)
(Have a little fun at your meetings and learn about each others' roles within your team.)
(People are more likely to trust you if you are honest; Trusting people are more likely to be motivated to do a good job.)
(Have a little fun at your meetings and learn about each others' roles within your team.)
(Know what you are doing and build trust by displaying confidence in doing your job.)
(These two simple words will get you a long way-use them regularly!)
While it may seem easy to implement one of the motivational ideas above, it may be even easier to set the tone for apathy. Simple phrases or actions may be more dangerous than you realize. Things you should avoid include:
- Showing up late to meetings.
- Not allowing anyone else to give a report at a meeting.
- Sticking to the "traditional events," and don't be creative.
- Meeting infrequently.
- Not "Doing as you say."
- Failing to give credit where credit is due.
- Telling others how to do their job.
- Not paying attention to group dynamics.
- Failing to address the needs of the members and consider their circumstances.
- Responding to new ideas with statements such as: "Yes, but..." or "It won't work"
For additional suggestions or advice on recruiting members, contact the Student Activities Office.
