EFFECTIVE RECRUITING AND PLACING METHODS OF CAMPUS COMPACT AMERICORPS*VISTAS

Jonathan Romm, NC Campus Compact VISTA DirectorMarch 16th, 2010

Relevant Statistical Overview of NC Campus Compact’s AmeriCorps*VISTA Program

30 VISTAs at 29 different Institutions ~95% Retention Rate/Completion

Rate 100% of COSers employed or in

graduate school within 6 months Over 70% of current VISTAs

attended a member institution 2009 Recruitment: 175+ applicants,

100 phone interviews, $650+ in phone bills.

2010 Recruitment (to date): 110 applicants, 40 interviews, $17 in phone bills

VISTA Recruitment

Current VISTAs are the best marketing tool. They are the ones on the ground

with the experience to share with potential candidates

Good stewardship of current VISTAs and project sites with orientations, trainings, and ending with a banquet – give them a good experience and they will stay or be your best recruiter for the position

Recruit quality, current students - they know them better than you (?), staff (?), and faculty (?)

Know what it takes to “Get It Done.”

VISTA Recruitment

AmeriCorps Website (interviewees, 96% stated so)

Idealist (weak, less than 2% last year) National Campus Compact (no stats to

reflect effectiveness) Your website – KEY – Thank you Mrs. Leslie

Garvin You want technologically savvy volunteers,

market to them – put information online. Place the VAD for each site on their website Current VISTA contact information –

delegate Hyperlinks to the Campus Google map of locations – let the geography

lend a hand in the marketing. Executive director, Dr. Lisa Keyne, is

always looking to increase member benefits – VISTA is a wonderful benefit!

Pros and Cons of Recruitment to Date

Filled all CNCS slots Quality candidates –

majority of campuses are pursuing reenrollment

Having incentives – assistance with room and board is huge

~10% of VISTAs are males

~15% are minorities National

recruitment, but majority from member campuses

Heavily reliant on AmeriCorps.gov

Pros Cons

Questions?

VISTA Application Process – don’t let it keep you up at night!!!

AmeriCorps Website – ask for CV/résumé to be sent to you

Review of applications submitted online In general, immediate rejection of 40%

Initial phone/Skype interview with NC Campus Compact

Second phone interview with project sites

Project site contact references Offer “balance game”

Application Timeline: (Note, the majority of members are brought on during the July PSO) January 15th - Open AmeriCorps website February 2nd - First round of phone interviews with

NC Campus Compact February 19th – Signed MOA from project sites March 1st – Project sites receive first packet of

candidates March – May 15th – NC Campus Compact and

project sites are conducting phone interviews and placing VISTAs

May 15th - VISTA enrollment documentation is being sent to State Office

July 15th (ish) PSO in Atlanta, GA Following Thursday VISTA & Supervisor Orientation

at NC Campus Compact

eGrants

Order of Events1. Educational Requirement – Attained Bachelor’s Degree2. Motivational Statement Keys –

a. Interested in serving on a college campusb. Show higher level of service (watch for key words:

engagement, reflection, direct/indirect service, etc.)c. Passion of Service

3. Community Servicea. Track record – watch for attention spanb. Variety of service or deepening of one themec. Indirect service a plus (they will be going from “client” to

“provider”)4. Previous Experience

a. Student Leadership/Resident Assistantb. Service Track record – watch for attention spanc. Higher level of service involvement

5. Reference – can make or break an applicant

NC Campus Compact Interview

Live by Microsoft Outlook for interviews

Print & review résumé & application and staple interview questions (forthcoming)

30 minute interview with 15 minute review

Skype has the potential to save us $500 this year

Campus Interviews

Application Packets – Résumé, AmeriCorps application and other

It’s like the NBA draft: teams (campuses) are looking for the best players (applicants) so the best ones* can go quick – relay this to campuses with the caveat that we are still accepting applications

Sample questions to campuses to assist them

Send out clusters of applicants to campuses

The Balancing Act

Live by the spreadsheet. I track: # of applicants/campus, # of

campus/applicants Status of each applicant at campus –

interviewed, declined interview, offer, offer accepted, etc.

Status - Applicants who remove themselves from the pool

You are the communication conduit between project sites and applicants

Offers – two days to accept early on, 24 hours later in the game

Questions

I think I’d rather recruit

VISTAs…