This semester was my first time ever participating in formal recruitment as an active member of a Greek organization, and the whole experience was eye-opening and exciting. My chapter spent several days preparing for the events, and practicing conversations so that we could welcome potential new members (referred to as PNMs) and make some new friends.
After three days of speaking with women making new friends, I discovered that there are many things that make recruitment easier for everyone, and other things that make it more challenging. I decided that I wanted to share what makes a PNM more fun to engage with, and I wanted to share some insider tips.
Active Members are looking to have a fun conversation.
When I was speaking to PNMs, really my goal was to engage in a fun conversation and get to know the woman I was talking to. I wanted to learn about her interests and hobbies, what makes her unique. I also wanted to answer her questions, and provide a good experience. I found that when a PNM was able to talk about her interests and hobbies in-depth, that conversation flowed with more ease, and I was able to learn more about her.
When a PNM didn’t have any hobbies, interests, or extracurricular activities, or at least a desire to get more involved, I noticed it caused a stall. Pauses in conversation are natural, but a downright stop can make things awkward, and probably, at least from our end, make it less likely that we might want to continue the conversation. No one likes it when conversations are dry! We want to know you, not scrape a PNM for information. Don’t be afraid to geek out about your favorite things, because secretly, we want to too.
Active Members want to see that you are genuinely interested, or honest about your desires.
A great way to show interest in a chapter is by asking questions. Do some research on the chapters on your campus, and come up with a list of prepared questions. They don’t have to be unique for each chapter, of course, however, asking questions shows a member that you are genuinely interested in becoming a member.
Sometimes, a PNM might not be interested in all of the chapters, which is completely fine. However, that doesn’t mean that you should shut down completely. Communicate politely that you aren’t interested in a particular chapter, but you are still interested in conversation and are willing to give anyone a shot. Your honesty is appreciated. Also, just because a PNM isn’t interested in being a member of an active member’s chapter does not mean that they can’t be friends. Once a PNM becomes a member, they are a member of the Panhellenic community. Many women have friends from different chapters.
Be true to yourself.
Going through recruitment can be so nerve-racking because it feels like everyone is judging and watching your every move. But, at least from my experience at my chapter, we aren’t being negatively judgemental, but instead trying to figure out where a PNM will thrive. Don’t create a fake personality to try and make yourself fit in better. It won’t work. Instead, be yourself.
I knew that my chapter was the right fit for me when I could geek out with the active members, and not feel pressured to be a certain way. The end goal of recruitment is to find a community for PNMs where they feel comfortable and welcomed, and it can be more difficult to find a good match if a PNM isn’t being genuine.
We are also very nervous.
Believe it or not, active members are also very nervous when formal recruitment comes along. We want to make sure that every PNM that walks through our doors is happy and has a good experience, even if in the end, they don’t join our chapter. We also want to make sure that we are approachable,
For many active members, the idea of speaking with dozens of women over a few days can be anxiety-inducing. Perhaps knowing that we are also nervous, yet excited to meet you, can help a PNM feel more confident.
Active Members want to see that you are a dynamic person.
Active members tend to look for people who have real personalities, who have interests and hobbies. Although having extra-curricular activities may not always be a recruitment requirement, being able to speak about yours in-depth, is really a great skill to have. Be prepared to answer questions about why you love a certain activity, what drew you to it, and how long you have been doing it. If you don’t have these kinds of activities, brainstorm a list of things that you might be interested in trying, and why.
Active members want to see you as the wonderful person you are.
Keep your options open.
Many PNMs do not keep their options open and end up dropping out of recruitment when they are not offered an invitation back to their dream chapter. Of course, it’s disappointing, but remaining in the process and keeping your options open is the best way to make it more likely that you will end up in a chapter with the right fit. Perhaps you may find that where you end up was a better fit than where you thought you wanted to be. Keep your options open, and you may be surprised! Remember, active members are trying to find you a good fit.
I hope these little insights have shed some light on general thought processes during recruitment. Overall, remember that recruitment is supposed to be a positive experience. If for some reason it is not, reach out to recruitment mentors and have a discussion. It is natural to experience anxiety and stress, but remember that we experience it too. Have a happy recruitment!