How are your squadrons doing it?
In an earlier day, I'd go recruit at, say the VFD or rescue squad. They are hurting for numbers too.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/firehouses-raise-alarm-over-lack-of-young-recruits-1487932206 (https://www.wsj.com/articles/firehouses-raise-alarm-over-lack-of-young-recruits-1487932206)
So how are you finding seniors?
I know recruiters have an incredible trove of info they will share, but then who has time to cold call 2500 former officers within 25 miles.
Thoughts?
What is working for you in 2017?
Engagement. Cast your net widely and smartly. Consider things that will have a second or third-order effect on senior recruiting.
Example: Host one of the advanced ICS trainings (I don't remember which one, ICS 500?) on a weekend. Don't just invite CAP, but invite anybody from any emergency services organization that would need it. Sometimes the advanced ICS training in your state might be held during the week and guys in volunteer departments can't get the time off work during the week to go, so if you help everybody out by hosting this training on the weekend, then you expose CAP to people who you want to engage with. This can help you with ES when the deputy chief of a FD or some town's new EM director who needed ICS now have a face on CAP and can say "Hey, yeah, can we call you guys?"
This may not pay dividends immediately, but it can have a second order effect on recruiting.
Also, look at how you can be smart with technology and marketing to reach out to people. Download the FAA pilot database, mine out all the pilots in your state or area with advanced ratings (and likely hours), and then send them what looks like a "personalized" letter inviting them to your unit (or units). Target by zip code, say, within 30 miles of where you base airplanes. Do it 4-6 weeks in advance of a unit's recruiting night. Then, BE READY TO DO SOMETHING WITH THEM WHEN THEY ARRIVE.
these are just a couple ideas...
BTW, experiment. Try things. Do something small (at the unit) and see if you can scale it (at the group/wing).
I've had people tell me "this is stupid, why are we even doing this." and then it works.
If it sounds stupid, but it works, it ain't stupid.
great example: try using a cohort model with seniors so that you can train them all at the same time. Better to recruit and train 5 seniors at once rather than 5 seniors one at a time.
Sell. Sell. Sell....
By "sell" I do not mean the way a used car is sold, but I do mean sell the organization.
We've had luck with parents to some degree, but we've also had luck in other ways. Our squadron meets at a local airport. We are active in the airport events and frequently provide security or patrols while they are hosting something. During those events we are highly visible. If adults come to talk - and there are always a few - this is a great opportunity to talk about what we do. Heck, you never know who you will reach! I recently recruited a CFII because he happened to hear me discuss flying opportunities with a possible cadet!
Other community events should not be ignored either. Any time you are in uniform, is a great opportunity to discuss (i.e. sell) what CAP is and what it does!
My favorite story happened at another squadron - one of the cadets there has a part time job cleaning and refueling the airplanes that the local flight school maintains. She greeted a plane that just came in and started talking with the student pilot. Turns out he had just retired from the Air Force as a Colonel; spent 30 years flying B-52s; Moved to that area and was looking for some things to do to fill up his time. Bingo! New CAP recruit!!
BTW - the reason this distinguished pilot was a "STUDENT" pilot is because he did not have a single engine certification... ???
Figure out what you need and target that. If you need a chaplain, target recruit them. If you need a finance/safety/ES/AE, whatever, target recruit. Waiting for a qualified specialist to wander in is fishing.
I agree to some extent, Chaplain being probably the best-case, but the above pre-supposes
that people want to do their day jobs for free in the evening and on weekends.
Some do, many don't, or want their primary role to be "other" but don't mind balancing the checkbook, too.
It's important to set expectations properly and get a feel during those pre-membership meetings as well as
the final "welcome aboard" that you see what people want to do, vs. reality.
Quote from: Eclipse on March 07, 2017, 08:14:37 PM
I agree to some extent, Chaplain being probably the best-case, but the above pre-supposes
that people want to do their day jobs for free in the evening and on weekends.
Some do, many don't, or want their primary role to be "other" but don't mind balancing the checkbook, too.
It's important to set expectations properly and get a feel during those pre-membership meetings as well as
the final "welcome aboard" that you see what people want to do, vs. reality.
Very true. Especially the latter part of the post. Be realistic about what is expected, needed and what the volunteer wants to volunteer for.
Quote from: NIN on March 04, 2017, 01:26:00 PM
Also, look at how you can be smart with technology and marketing to reach out to people. Download the FAA pilot database, mine out all the pilots in your state or area with advanced ratings (and likely hours), and then send them what looks like a "personalized" letter inviting them to your unit (or units). Target by zip code, say, within 30 miles of where you base airplanes. Do it 4-6 weeks in advance of a unit's recruiting night. Then, BE READY TO DO SOMETHING WITH THEM WHEN THEY ARRIVE.
We did that once with modest results....but I thought they took all the address info out of the public database a while back...
Quote from: RiverAux on March 07, 2017, 10:12:56 PM
..but I thought they took all the address info out of the public database a while back...
Nope. Still there:
https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/releasable_airmen_download/ (https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/releasable_airmen_download/)