The Online RIF: The Newest Member of the Recruitment Family!

Get excited, Sisters! We are launching a new online system for completing RIFs, and you are going to love it!

In recent years, Chi Omegas nationwide have requested an online system to help manage and enhance the recruitment recommendation process. The Fraternity listened to these requests, so national volunteers and Executive Headquarters staff members have worked diligently to develop this great resource. 

Following extensive testing with spring-recruiting chapters as well as a successful pilot in June, Chi Omega plans to launch the online RIF after Convention.The online recommendation system provides a recruitment information form (RIF) with the same content as the current paper form, but it contains added technology features to enhance and expedite the process. 

Benefits include:

• increased security;
• a reduction in paper, copying, and mailing costs;
• an increase in the number of RIFs submitted by alumnae; and,
• a decrease in the overall “travel time” for a RIF to go from an alumna, to the ARIC or SRIC for approval, and finally to the collegiate chapter.

The online RIF will be available later this summer!

Using Technology to Manage Recruitment Data

One of the many challenges chapters face during recruitment is managing data throughout the recruitment process, beginning with potential new member (PNM) registration all the way to creating a final bid list. Chi Omega has developed a template package, called Recruitment Manager, to assist chapters in successfully navigating recruitment data.

Recruitment Manager is a series of Microsoft Office-based templates that assist in creating valuable recruitment documents, including:

• Matching cards
• Selection Session booklets
• Selection Session ballots

These templates, which can be found in Chi Omega’s Training and Resource center, use mail merge technology to allow chapter recruitment teams to quickly and easily create all the documents needed for recruitment success.

In addition to creating matching cards and Selection Session documents, Recruitment Manager includes a master data spreadsheet to assist in keeping all PNM information and voting organized. Here, computer chairs, advisors and backroom team members can input PNM data. It can be customized to meet the needs of each chapter and conform to the information provided by each campus’ Panhellenic organization. Recruitment Manager has been developed in conjunction with the new online RIF and allows for maximum compatibility between the two information sources.

During the busy recruitment season, it seems time is always at a shortage. With Recruitment Manager, chapter recruitment teams will be able facilitate PNM and voting data with ease, allowing our recruitment operations to flourish!

After learning more about Recruitment Manager, if you still have questions feel free to contact your regional director!

Your Chi Omega Legacy Questions... Answered!

Piper Taylor (Upsilon/Union U) with her daughter Jen (Zeta Zeta/Samford U)

A Chi Omega legacy is a daughter or a sister of an initiated member in good standing.

However, Chi Omega encourages alumnae to call attention to potential new members (PNMs) who are not legacies but who have other Chi Omega relatives, such as grandmothers, aunts, cousins, etc. 

Legacy Policies

According to Chi Omega’s national rules, a chapter must invite a legacy to at least one formal recruitment event unless there is only one invitational party. Each collegiate chapter must have a legacy policy ensuring that legacies are given the best opportunity either to pledge Chi Omega or, if they are not a match for Chi Omega, to be released in a timely manner so they may be considered by other groups. This policy should be reviewed annually to ensure its ongoing relevance.

Additional Considerations

As the size of our Fraternity continues to increase, it becomes more and more important for alumnae to adopt a “pro-Greek” approach to recruitment. Alumnae should be aware that in some areas more legacies participate in recruitment than the number of women the chapter may pledge (quota). To be eligible for serious consideration, legacies must meet the chapter’s high standards just like any other PNM. In any case, the Governing Council asks that courteous attention and respect is extended to all PNMs with Chi Omega relatives.

Click here to view our Facebook photo album of Chi Omega legacies! 

Are you a Chi Omega legacy? Do you have a Chi Omega legacy? Tell us your legacy story in the comments section, below!

Your Visitors’ Guide to the Chi Omega Roadshow!

Throughout Convention, the Chi Omega Roadshow will be on display. The Roadshow will have multiple booths to showcase resources and new ideas for recruitment. Because the information provided in the Roadshow is for all areas of recruitment, it is important that both collegians and advisors walk through the Roadshow. National Recruitment Team (NRT) members will be staffing the booths, so take some time before you go to think of any specific questions that you would like to ask while you have experts at hand.

Resources will be on display for the following topics:

• Workshop / Workweek
• Mechanics
  
• Recruitment Styles
• Release Figure Methodology
  
• Videos
• Bid Day
• Alumnae Recruitment
• Recruitment Rounds. (Please note that the “Recruitment Rounds” booth will showcase ideas for each round of Recruitment. This booth will change daily, so return to this booth each day.)
  

Look for the following logos at the Roadshow:

This indicates a “no frills” suggestion. 

All ideas at the Roadshow can be altered to fit Panhellenic rules for your chapter but this logo specifically indicates a low budget, no frills idea.

The represents a “tip” or additional information that can be read. 

These “tips” will provide additional ideas or enhancements that fit your recruitment needs.

This is a QR Code. 

All the resources at the Roadshow can be found online. Each Roadshow table will have a unique QR Code. Take a picture of the Code and it will take you directly to the resources online.

The NRT looks forward to seeing you in Phoenix at the Roadshow!

Living "The Symphony" through Recruitment

The Symphony teaches us to be “democratic rather than exclusive” and to place “character before appearances.” We strive to live these words every day, but they ring especially true during the recruitment process. The values and principles taught by our Symphony provide guidance in dealing with the sensitive nature of membership selection.

It is important to remember, through all the organized chaos of recruitment, that a certain level of confidentiality should be maintained both by the Chapter Recruitment Team, as well as all chapter members. This confidentiality permeates all aspects of recruitment, from the details of Chi Omega’s recruitment processes, to specific discussions held during selection sessions at the chapter level. Chapter leaders should set clear expectations for members outlining what needs to remain confidential prior to the beginning of recruitment and should remind members as those confidential portions of the process occur.

Increases in technology create additional hurdles in keeping information confidential. Chapter Recruitment Teams should create a plan for handling specific situations, such as use of cell phones during selection sessions or using Facebook for recruitment announcements. Additionally, chapter members need to be held accountable for any actions violating confidentiality.

Ensuring that confidentiality is maintained is critical to the success of recruitment. Not only is it in accordance with Chi Omega’s policies and procedures, it will also aid in keeping morale high and improving Sisterhood. 

Keeping The Symphony in mind through recruitment will lead to a successful start for the New Members!