The University of Alabama completed its first ever virtual recruitment on Saturday! I was a little skeptical of how well recruitment would work virtually, but truly could not have been more impressed with how smoothly it went. I worked as a Judicial Board, so I was disaffiliated from my sorority and monitored another house to make sure parties started and ended on time, took attendance and adhered to other recruitment guidelines. In doing so, I could see the potential new member perspective of the virtual recruitment and see what was working/not working.
I wanted to share a few tips with you if you are a potential new member going through virtual recruitment at another school. This is all from my personal experience and I certainly recommend listening to what your school’s Panhellenic association suggests because each school can be a little different. I hope this post helps!
Consider how your top/dress will look on Zoom
You’ve likely been planning your outfits all summer, which is one of the most fun parts of recruitment prep! If you still have some decisions to make, consider how the top of your outfit will look on Zoom. Sometimes strapless or low-cut dresses may look much more revealing or risqué on Zoom than they would in person. I recommend putting on each outfit, opening Zoom on your computer and making sure you feel comfortable and confident in your look. You will have so much to think about the mornings of parties, and you wouldn’t want to rethink an outfit minutes before a party just because Zoom makes it look different.
Pay close attention to instructions
As obvious as it may seem, I recommend really paying attention to instructions on how the week will work and don’t be afraid to ask your Rho Chi any questions before or during recruitment. You will want to clearly understand your responsibility in the process. Are you expected to check in prior to a party start time, are you responsible for refreshing your screen between parties, who do you contact if you are having technical difficulties, etc. You will want to keep your Rho Chi’s contact information quickly accessible so you can troubleshoot immediately if there is a problem.
Sit at your desk
The recruitment days are long and trust me when I say the actives in the houses want to lay down just as much as you do! No matter how long the day may feel, I recommend staying out of your bed. It’s so easy to sink into the comfort of your pillows and relax, but this won’t come off well during a recruitment party. To avoid any temptation, try to sit at your desk. Put an extra pillow on your desk chair and get up and stretch between parties. The actives will like that you are being attentive to the party and appear like you want to be there.
Remove distractions
Fun fact: during in-person recruitment, the potential new members do not walk into the party with anything! All bags, phones, note pads, etc. are left outside, and this is strictly enforced. While it may be easy to want to check your phone or quickly respond to a text, I highly recommend putting your phone on Do Not Disturb and across the room. It will make it harder to see the screen light up during a party and less tempting to check who’s texting. While you likely mean no harm, the parties are not very long, and you don’t want to miss any important information or miss out on a conversation that could help in your decision. I also recommend putting your computer on Do Not Disturb if you have that option!
Take notes between parties
On a similar note, hold off on taking notes about the house until after the party ends. You will likely have more than enough time between each party to write down any and all notes. I know it can be easy to take notes during the party, but you want to stay attentive during the party. Don’t forget that actives can’t see what you are doing off camera, and they may assume you’re texting or uninterested. Better safe than sorry! Many details like financial breakdowns are probably on your Panhellenic’s website, so don’t worry about remembering every single detail from a presentation.
Know that it’s weird for everyone
Awkward pauses, accidentally interrupting one another, weird transitions… we all feel it! Zoom is still something that everyone is getting used to, so don’t stress too much about these things. I promise the actives feel it just as much as you do. This goes for technical difficulties too. These are variables that are unpredictable and not anyone’s fault, so don’t feel like it’s your fault if something goes wrong. Alabama’s Panhellenic worked to accommodate potential new members who faced technical difficulties, and it is likely yours will too. To quote HSM, “We’re all in this together!”
My roommates who were recruiting from the house also shared a suggestion with me. They recommend you wear headphones. They all wore headphones in the house, and said it made it 1000 times easier to hear and understand when the potential new member wore headphones too.
Whether you’re doing a hybrid version of recruitment or completely online, I hope these tips help and that recruitment goes well! I’m confident you will do great! 😊
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