Have you ever heard ” It’s really hard to get into our clan” or maybe “We only have one slot left and you are one of 8 possible new recruits”? It is called Limited Access Recruiting, and it means that a clan may be looking for a new member or two but they are extremely selective about who those new members will be.

At first glance it may seem like this kind of recruiting is silly, won’t work, or that the clan is seriously underestimating the need for new recruits. None of this is true, in fact you could expect to see this clan has excellent growth and retention of older members. Why? Why would not letting many people in actually IMPROVE recruiting? It isn’t for everyone, but let me show you how it works…

Is it Right for you?

This kind of recruiting is not effective in new unknown clans, it doesn’t work well for teams trying to become large, multi-gaming, multi-platform clans either. If you want to grow and are young then you should not recruit like this.

Limited Access Recruiting is best for Professional competition teams, small teams that wish to keep a certain number of members, or teams that have enough recruiting savvy to do it right( also has as many members as they need ). This may be a method of reassurance after a dramatic episode within the clan as well.

* I should point out that this is not the same thing as having new members pass a “try-out” or getting to know a gamer before recruiting him/her. This is a specific recruiting standard designed to bring out a certain kind of recruit or create excitement about your already established clan. It is a method for super-screening possible new members and creating a sense of awe and superiority.

How to do it:

The concept is basic reverse psychology, or to say that people will want to join if you tell them cannot. Now obviously, you must be a clan people want to join to begin with; so some success as a clan is needed for this to work. Nuts & Bolts here; you want to change your recruiting advertising to read something like this:

“Limited Slots Available! “or “Only 3 more days of open recruiting left this year!”, how about “ONE more Recruit needed, serious applicants ONLY!”

Next to hold your word, and focus in real close on your prospects, you have to make them believe (and all who may be watching or listening) that it is not an easy thing to accomplish and real devotion and strengths are needed to be let in. Then you close the doors and “temporarily reject” new applicants.

Hold on to all the info you gather from “rejected” recruits,and at your leisure send them notices that they are being reconsidered for open slots. Perhaps being considered for new squads or divisions and so on. You should nail every worthy recruit that passes your way.

The Small Team:

Limited recruiting is not a new concept to purposely small teams, and if your clan wants to stay at say 50 members and no more then you already know how this works. The hardest thing to do is turn away a promising recruit because you have already meet your member threshold. Perhaps it is time for a new squad?

- Hedge

© 2009 tribehaven