Recruiting

[footballrun21]

My squadron is very small.  We've been trying to get new cadets, but our recruiting strategy doesn't seem to be working.

Does anyone have any tips or good strategies and locations for recruiting people??

[arajca]

Define "successful".

[Pylon]

My squadron is very small.  We've been trying to get new cadets, but our recruiting strategy doesn't seem to be working.

Does anyone have any tips or good strategies and locations for recruiting people??

(I only want to hear from people that are successfull in recruiting)

First off, it's very narrowminded and a bit rude to say you only want to hear from people "that are successful."  Learning from mistakes is a very good teaching method, and you can learn from others' mistakes just as much as you can learn from others' successes.   If a bunch of units has found that technique "X" doesn't work well because of "Y", and they share that info with you, it helps you out.  You then know that technique "X" may not be the best idea.

As far as recruiting goes, there are a lot of strategies out there, a lot of varied success stories, and a lot of things to consider.

Be sure, first of all, that your unit is doing worthwhile activities and programming and is meeting the wants and needs of its members first.  There is no sense in recruiting people that will quit the program in several short months.  Retention is just as big of a piece of the "increased membership" goal, if not bigger, than recruiting.

Read.  Check out the CAPP (Civil Air Patrol Pamphlets) for the Recruting & Retention Officer specialty track, as well as the Public Relations Officer Specialty Track, and the CAP Public Relations Handbook.  There are good ideas in there.  You can find these publications on the Civil Air Patrol website at level2.cap.gov in the Membership Services section. 

Good luck and let us know what you try and how it works out.

[Westernslope]

I know of a squadron that recruited more than 30 people in one month by taking a local newscaster and camera crew up in a CAP plane.  After the flight, the newscaster interviewed cadet and senior members.  Immediately after the broadcast, the phone started ringing.

Permission from National HQ was required but this was a couple of years ago so procedures may have changed.   

Use of Color Guards and DDR presentations at schools have also been successful. You can get into most any school to do a DDR program - bring cadets.  I am aware of another squadron that did a presentation on flag protocol that resulted in a number of new members.

As Pylon stated, make sure you do not oversell your unit. 

[footballrun21]

we've been going to schools and setting up little booths like the army might have for recruiting.  a couple people always seem intrested, but none really join.  plus, the only people we can really get to join are the younger kids(12-13 yrs. old) with some older one occasionally.

another problem we have is cadets join for about a year but end up leaving after that.  we dont know why, they seemed to be intrested.

post more though

[SarDragon]

Recruiting and Retention. One should never be considered without the other. CAP typically loses over 50% of its newly recruited cadet members after just one year. It's great to recruit, but there needs to be more than the promise of something kool to keep them around for the second and subsequent years. Recruit less; retain more. The numbers will take care of themselves, and overall member quality will be higher.

Do some reality checks during the recruiting process. Provide a challenge as a part of the pitch. Get the parents involved early. Many kids leave because the parents have gotten an unrealistic idea about the program, and don't support them. Require attendance at a minimum of three meetings before handing them a membership application.

[footballrun21]

we try to retain them, and they seem to be intrested and come to all the meetings and stuff like that, but then they just dont show up anymore.  like a couple cadets show up to meetings, but never want to go to activities.  how are we supposed to keep them intrested if they dont go to activities we planned for them?

[JaL5597]

we try to retain them, and they seem to be intrested and come to all the meetings and stuff like that, but then they just dont show up anymore.  like a couple cadets show up to meetings, but never want to go to activities.  how are we supposed to keep them intrested if they dont go to activities we planned for them?

Are you planning activites with the imput of the cadets?

Its like you can plan all you want, but if its activites that your cadets just don't care about then your going to lose them.

[arajca]

As many of you may know, I am working to establish a unit in my area.

At the various information meetings I have held, when asked what kind of activities and functions the unit will do, I tell them that will be up to the unit. I give some examples of activities other units have done (including my current unit), but I make it clear that the members will determine what activities are held. Another benefit to saying this up front is that it helps to reinforce the idea of inclusion and making the program work for the members.

If you have members not renewing, find out why. Visit them or call them in person. Start as soon as their expiration date has passed. It may be as simple as "I forgot". At least annually, find out what the cadets (and seniors) want to do.

[footballrun21]

we have takin their opinion and suggestion, but those activities dont become a reality.  part of this is a lack of time that the senior members in my squadron have.  they all work and have social lives(because only 3 seniors in the squadron are over 25).  our commander is actually only 23.  2nd Lt. is the highest rank with the chaplain (who occasionally shows up) as a major.  our old squadron commander moved up to some job at wing, and is currently in holland for his job.  so as u can see, my squadron could use a lot more man power (or women).

[arajca]

Are telling the SM's "We want this activity, when is it going to happen?" or "We want this activity, here is a plan, can you help make this work?"

If the former, don't expect much.

If the latter, be flexible and ready to work on it.

[footballrun21]

thanks, that might help

[JaL5597]

You did say your doing activites.  If its not the activites the cadets would like to see, then what are you guys doing?

[BillB]

So you don't retain cadets.  Why? Have you thought about doing "exit interviews" to find out why cadets do not renew or just drop out? You need to, while at the same time you need to pick up the cadets CAP issued uniform. The uniform is not their property, it's CAP's. And almost every unit in CAP needs a supply of uniforms for cadets that damage theirs. Most Commanders just write off the cadet and don't get the uniform back or attempt to find out why the cadet drops out/non-renews. Exit Interviews can find problems in your program that you didn't know existed. These can include a personal conflict with the C/CC to lost interest in the program to outside activities take up my time. Ask:
What activities would you liked to have had?
What was the main reason you quit CAP?
What would you like to do in CAP that you felt you couldn't?
What didn't you like about CAP?
Each unit can fashion the exit interview to meet the units circumstances. But the information provided by exit interviews is invaluable. Exit Interviews should be conducted by the Senior Recruiting officer, or a cadet not in the command line.

[footballrun21]

i think that the new cadets that leave get bored of the meetings.  even if they like the activities, they might only be ABLE to go to th meetings due to outside activities. plus i know a couple cadets had joined because thy heard from somewhere that all we do is fly.  they didnt know about the military part of CAP.  my squadron doesnt have any pilots anymore, so we havent done O-flights in a while, glider or powered.  we are in northern new jersey and the moved the place where we did gliders to south jersey.  that lost those cadets.

its not like they announce that they quit either.  they just stop showing up, dont call anyone, and we lose rack of them.

they also might leave, however, because they dont like the military or dont want to be in the military so when they see that most everyone else does, they feel CAP isnt for them. like i said in an earlier post, we get mostly younger cadets, so they might not like the disiplin and routine so they quit.  if i joined at 12 years old not knowing wat i wanted to do with my life, i might have quit too.

[arajca]

its not like they announce that they quit either.  they just stop showing up, dont call anyone, and we lose rack of them.

Is anyone tracking who is absent? That is something that is important to retention. If you notice a cadet who hasn't been to the last three or four meetings, does anyone contact them? It is amazing how it important it can make folks feel if someone calls to make sure everything is alright and notices their absence. It does help with retention.

If nothing else, you can find out why they stopped coming and get their uniforms back. After all, the FCU is property of the AF/CAP, not of the cadet.

[Major_Chuck]

A number of years ago when I commanded a Composite Squadron we targeted the younger aged prospective cadet for recruitment.

We worked with the schools and went in at the begining of the school year and then at the end of the school year. 

Older prospective cadets may be torn between sports, clubs, and other school programs that they are already involved in or interested in.  By aiming for the younger aged student we offered CAP as another option.

We presented CAP to about 300 students and picked up close to 20 cadets from this recruiting drive.  We targeted four schools with this drive.

[footballrun21]

Everyone in my squadron are busy almost constantly.  Between kids in marching band, school, sports and the older cadets having jobs, we don't have much time to do activities.  Last night for example, I brought up the topic of us needing to do more activities.  So the Senior Members said they already have one.  They announced if anyone was intrested in an ROA course.  Most everyone was intrested, but working out the day for it was a nightmare.  Almost everyday people were busy and we can't do it during the week due to school starting.  This is what has always plagued our squadron.

[ladyreferee]

If nothing else, you can find out why they stopped coming and get their uniforms back. After all, the FCU is property of the AF/CAP, not of the cadet.

If you read the free uniform voucher that the new cadet gets, it says on it that it isn't a requirement to be returned to the squadron if the cadet was a member for more than a year.  Is this something you have them sign as a requirement for your squadron?

[Pylon]

If nothing else, you can find out why they stopped coming and get their uniforms back. After all, the FCU is property of the AF/CAP, not of the cadet.

If you read the free uniform voucher that the new cadet gets, it says on it that it isn't a requirement to be returned to the squadron if the cadet was a member for more than a year.  Is this something you have them sign as a requirement for your squadron?

Nope -- it's National's policy.  See this Knowledgebase answer on returning FCU issued items.  They specifically state that after one year of membership, they no longer are required to return the items.