The Revolving Door

Ask any raiding guild, and the recruitment officer will tell you – it's a job that is never done. It may wane, and the need may not be so urgent, but a guild is a living breathing organism. In saying that, people come and people go. Real life happens – schedule changes, significant other aggro, performance issues, computer problems are among the many culprits, not to mention, just plain burn out.

Recruitment isn't a fun task to undertake. Not only is it hard, but at this point in the game, there are lulls. Every major guild that raids is recruiting. Summer is right around the corner (and more people will step away or take vacations). This is where keeping a small bench allows the raid to continue on. Finding the people to fill your raid slots and positions isn't always easy. If you recruit, in today's World of Warcraft player base, you have to be aggressive. This means not just replying (and please read the person's post) but also following up with in game contact. You can either try to catch the person in game, or leave the person an in game mail with a way of contacting you.

Personal touches matter – and keeping in mind that these are people who are looking to "hire" for your team, so you need to make sure you're clear on your expectations, what you are offering, and you cover the potential applicant's questions as well. These steps can help minimize the revolving door effect, but it is the nature of the game. There are several sites that you can post on, and other steps you can take to maximize your success ratio. We conduct vent interviews- and I literally have a check list to go down on topics that should be covered. (Yes, Soth will roll his eyes when I ask about the Authenticator) The reason I have this list is to make sure I cover and standardize the process. It also makes sure that other officers can conduct the interview, and while we may not have the same style, we do cover the same material. We offer the chance to sit in on a raid, to make sure the person understands the type of atmosphere and expectations.

When you recruit a new guild member, it's a vested interest on both parts. We take steps to try and ensure that it is a solid fit. It doesn't always work but most of our turnover has more to do with real life than people just not being a good fit. Occasionally you get the person that is looking for the bigger better deal- but for the most part, these type of people show themselves rather quickly. Our initiate phase is designed to maximize exposure to the raid core, both progression and farm content. This way we can determine how you handle wiping, if you can follow instructions, and if the raid conduct is on par with the expectation. We don't recruit people to fail, but we do recruit to fill a specific role. We understand not everyone may be happy here, but with that, this is a guild - not a jail. Happy raiding!