Your Pledge Program Might Be Killing Recruitment

by Josh Orendi

pledgingYour 40 and 50-something alumni might recall a fraternity environment where 10-14 week pledge programs were the norm.  It wasn’t unheard of to initiate fall recruits in late spring.  Times sure have changed! 

Today, there are at least 3 national organizations that have literally abolished “pledging” and “pledge periods” all together (SigEp, ZBT, AGR).  Many have moved to standardized programs of 3-6 weeks.  I’m not aware of any national programs that are more than 8 weeks long.  The NIC Standards — agreements by nearly every men’s fraternity in the country — state that new member periods may never extend beyond 12 weeks.  The National Panhellenic Conference policy is even more defined.

Though shortened pledge periods are clearly an effort to control risky behavior (read: alcohol, hazing, general stupidity).  There is a very positive side benefit that not enough people are talking about.  It is no longer uncommon for chapters to take more than one or two pledge classes per year.  In fact, the Phired Up staff is regularly meeting chapters that take 3, 4, 5, and even 6+ new member groups in an academic year!!

Moving to a shortened and flexible pledge program allows a group to fit in multiple classes per semester/quarter.  Or, to overlap classes.  Or, to include recruitment education as part of the new member period and mentor the first class to recruit and pledge the second class of the semester.  Or, to offer rolling admission (similar to the model of many universities).  Or, again, to eliminate pledging all together in favor of a full brotherhood development program. 

Times sure have changed.  In several cases, chapters are telling us that they’re abandoning the goal of “pledge class unity” in favor of focusing on a full brotherhood/sisterhood experience that focuses on bonding the entire membership and teaching lifelong commitment.  One guy actually told me, “We used to focus so much on pledge class unity … when all that really meant is that we were teaching the youngest members to hate our seniors.  Instead of a cohesive chapter, we were more like factions of friends living in the same house.” 

Speaking personally to the work that Phired Up does with many chapters and campus communities, I’m continually frustrated by the number of organizations that boast “year-round, 365 recruitment” then put a pledge program in place that forces prospects to sit on the sidelines for 3-12 months until “we take the next pledge class.”  How many potential new members are we losing?!?!  The extensive pledging model is literally blocking new members from joining.  More so, we are encouraging our members to take long breaks from recruiting which creates a binge and purge recruitment culture contributing to the “recruitment roller coaster” that we see in chapter membership numbers. 

I don’t think pledging is bad or wrong.  I can’t tell you how long your organization’s orientation period should last.  I can, however, tell you that chapters taking one or two pledge classes per year with long pledge periods are highly unlikely to implement a year-round recruitment model (especially if they lean on a structured formal recruitment). 

Let’s just call it like it is.