Draft Choices

Josh Football02Volunteer fire departments, whether they realize it or not, compete for recruits. Sometimes with other volunteer fire departments but most often with a busy home life, other community organizations, volunteering opportunities and a wide array of social activities.

What if our recruits, like in college recruiting, were in competition with other recruits wanting to be selected by our fire departments? Would we see more or less candidates? More or less qualified? Or are they already in competition with each other?
UB Football01More importantly, what can we learn from college athletic recruiters like the NCSA who set up this registry for potential recruits? Do you use language like: “SEIZE the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – and change your life” to describe the benefits of joining your volunteer fire department?
How does your volunteer fire department create an atmosphere of competition that motivates your candidates to be “on top of their game” when they apply and come to the interview? Or are you simply taking every warm body that comes through the door?

Nothing breeds success like success itself. Build off of the small wins and use your team to build a bigger, better team. Follow the example of volunteer fire departments like Eggertsville Hose Co. in Amherst NY who have taken in 18 new members in the past 15 months and have 8 more on the docket. They routinely publicly recognize their newest recruits and use them to motivate others to join their ranks.
How is your volunteer fire department breeding success in your recruitment process? Let FireRECRUITER.com help.