Recruitment is more than outfits and social media
Representation of sorority recruitment as superficial on TikTok and in the media is a skewed narrative. Often, people only consider the outfits that women wear during recruitment or the stereotypes that come along with being in a sorority. However, I think recruitment can be a great learning opportunity for both recruiters and those interested in joining a sorority. More specifically, I think sorority recruitment is an opportunity to improve networking and interview skills.
During sorority recruitment, the main goal is to get to know the person you’re talking to and to determine if the chapter would be a good fit. This situation is very similar to a job interview or a networking function, just with lower stakes and easier conversation. When going into a job interview, you’re questioned by the company to see if you would be a good fit for the position, and you’re doing the exact same thing back. You’re considering if you like the position, the company, the values of the organization, and the people you meet within the company. This is the exact same for sorority recruitment.
Going into sorority recruitment as a potential new member, the process has been designed for you to meet as many women as possible within each chapter, much like how jobs introduce you to a few members of the team before giving you an offer. You get to learn about the values, philanthropy, and sisterhood of each chapter by meeting different women and hearing about their experiences. In return, each of these women asks you questions about your own values and experiences to determine if you would be a good fit for the chapter. This clear parallel between sorority recruitment and job interviews makes sorority recruitment a great practice environment.
Sorority recruitment has lower stakes than actual job interviews, as it’s an environment in which you’re surrounded by your peers. You share an age demographic and interest in sorority life with those you’re talking to, making it easier to build connections and easing the flow of conversation. These conversations allow you to learn about each chapter and see which sorority aligns with your values. This decision is especially important when transitioning into the job market. During interviews, people often forget that the interview is double-sided; it’s not just the recruiter asking the questions and making the decisions. It’s crucial that candidates are also looking out for their own interests. This is exemplified within sorority recruitment, which gives women the opportunity to practice analyzing their thoughts about an organization.
Sorority recruitment is a great environment for growing networking skills, especially on the recruiter side. As a recruiter, it’s your responsibility to have lots of questions in your back pocket to keep the conversation flowing and to learn about the person you’re talking to. This is an opportunity to push yourself out of your comfort zone and initiate conversations. Shared interests and similarities, such as being in college or a sorority, help ease the flow of conversation and make you more comfortable creating new relationships. This is exactly how networking works. The idea of sparking up conversations with strangers can be nerve-wracking, but sorority recruitment helps women practice networking, showing that doing so in a corporate setting isn’t as challenging as it seems.
Overall, sorority recruitment is a great experience for personal and professional development. Chapters are designed to help women in college create connections with each other, and these opportunities aren’t superficial. Recruitment is a great opportunity to practice interviewing and networking, and I think these situations can help women feel more prepared and comfortable in their transition to professional life.