Why build an intentional recruitment plan?
The more applicants your program can recruit, the more selective you can be when choosing tutors. If your program cannot recruit enough qualified tutors, it must either serve fewer students or provide each student with less support. Poor recruitment can make it harder for your program to serve its mission, starting a downward spiral of lower impact, less funding, and fewer high-quality tutors. A strong, intentional recruitment strategy can attract qualified, diverse applicants for the tutor role, giving you the freedom to be more selective, expand your pool of tutors, and serve more students.
Building a Recruitment Strategy
WHOM are you trying to recruit?
- You need at least 4x more applicants than tutors: From most pools of applicants, less than 50% will likely meet your goals and, thus, deserve offers. Less than 50% of those likely will accept your offer.
- Set explicit goals for the number of applicants from minority backgrounds to help develop a diverse, qualified cohort.
WHEN should the recruitment timeline start and end?
- Fundamentals first. When are you going to start training tutors? How many tutors are you going to need?
- Work backwards. Set multiple application deadlines and benchmarks for applications received by each deadline.
- Not all deadlines have to be public-facing. Your public application deadline might be the last of many internal deadlines, each with its own benchmark you aim to hit by that date.
- Start early. Start earlier than you think you need to. The earlier you start, the more selective you can afford to be.
WHERE will you recruit applicants?
To find a diverse applicant pool, diversify your methods of recruitment. Recruit first from the communities you serve. Do not rely purely on this tool: Get input from your stakeholders!
This will vary greatly based on your program’s Tutor Type. Consider these questions to help build your recruitment plan:
- Where can you recruit within your students’ own communities?
- How can you leverage your current employees’ professional networks?
- What organizations similar to your own could you partner with?
- What colleges and universities could you cultivate relationships with?
- What career fairs could you present at? Who should present?
- How will you advertise and recruit on social media platforms?
- What online job boards will you post your tutor Job Description on?
- Where will you distribute your marketing materials, like flyers and brochures?
Tailor your language to your audience in your recruitment materials. Choose presenters strategically based on context.
HOW will you recruit applicants?
Congratulations, you’ve found a pool of potential applicants! Now, what are you going to say? How are you going to pitch your program to them? All marketing materials, presentations, and conversations should answer the following questions:
- What is your program’s Value Proposition? What is its mission and vision?
- Ask questions to find commonalities with the person you’re talking to.
- What is the level of commitment involved as a tutor with the program?
- Have the Job Description ready and available to share easily.
- How can I apply today? What does the process entail?
- Outline the application process and rationale for each step.
- Where can I find more information? Where can I sign up for updates?
- Provide links to your website and additional program information as well as contact information for the staff member in charge of recruiting.
WHY should someone apply to tutor with you?
Connect prospective applicants with your most persuasive messenger for them. Leverage multiple methods of follow-up.
Follow up individually to convince initial recruitment contacts, prioritizing particularly promising prospective applicants.
- Collect and manage all contact information from prospective applicants.
- Share updates and reminders about upcoming (or extended) deadlines.
- Create opportunities for conversations with current and former tutors.
- Offer to meet one-on-one with prospective applicants.