The Army Gets It. Do You?
Earlier tonight, I had the good fortune of attending the semi-final games for the Minnesota State High School League 2006 Boys' Hockey Tournament. For those who have never lived in Minnesota, think Texas high school football on skates.
One of the major sponsors was the U.S. Army. They had recruitment banners on the boards and a recruiting booth in the concourse. At that booth, you could enter your name into a drawing for an iPod. The Army is primarily interested in recruiting 17 to 24 year old males. And what speaks to that generation better than an iPod? Nothing. So they're being smart. Very smart. With almost 19,000 fans in attendance, including many teenagers and parents, the Army picked a wonderful venue at which to recruit and they picked a wonderful incentive to generate foot traffic to their booth.
How many other organizations were there recruiting? One. DeVry University. Again, excellent choice of venue for a post-secondary school. But where were all of the other organizations? Is there some rule against recruiting at non-recruiting events? Are employers and schools only allowed to recruit during the workday? Kudos to the Army and DeVry. For every other employer and school which is trying to recruit more Gen Y candidates, learn the lesson. If you're struggling to recruit enough top candidates using the same tools you've been using for years, then perhaps it is time to start using different tools.
Sounds like someone from the Army's PR department is a creative thinker. And unlike the traditional military mind, is one who will depart from tradition in order to come up with fresh ideas.
Recruiting at a game is definitely going to get you more audience. And because the ones for whom you're cheering are in uniform, following orders, playing aggressively, and looking toward leadership for various aspects of winning, the atmosphere simply oozes transference from one mode to the other.
As for DeVry, that's just plain ole creative thinking. Who would consider trying to recruiting college students at a high school game? It would seem the last thing on people's minds on that sort of night would be, "Where should I go to college?" That speaks volumes about what the school represents and the opportunities for which it will prepare you.