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Precision recruiting: Combining perpetuation and school programs

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jeremiah D. Smith
  • 361st Recruiting Squadron
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Washington --  In recruiting, we quickly learn the value of perpetuation. Without fail, applicants trust testimony from a friend over the word of a recruiter.

I'm still in my first year of recruiting, but I've already noticed that the strongest perpetuators are those Delayed Entry Program members who are still in high school. Their peer group is still very large and most of them are still trying to decide what to do with their future. Their influence over one another is incredible.

Not only are high school seniors excellent perpetuators to their peers, but they can also spread the word to the influencers in their school - their teachers and counselors. This is why I believe that having high school seniors in your DEP is an effective way to meet the intent the command's No. 1 goal: Precision Recruiting.

An example of this can be illustrated by a recent experience at one of my P3 high schools. This school had been a challenge since I began recruiting last August.

The school's policy is to put visiting recruiters near the lunchroom and limit them to a small table set up. Other than a generic morning announcement, no promotion is done to let the students know that a recruiter would be there to talk about their opportunities after graduation. The recruiters from the other branches often complained about their own difficulties with the school and stated that they had all but "written it off" because of its tendency to shy away from anything that appeared to promote military service.

Things started to change in January when I added a senior from that school to my DEP. She's an energetic and enthusiastic future Airman who is eager to share what she has learned about the Air Force with her teachers and peers. With her help, I was able to coordinate with the counselors and set up a lunch-time presentation in the library. The counselors even promoted the presentation in school announcements and encouraged student sign-ups.

On the day of the presentation, I was excited about the rare opportunity and wanted to maximize it. I used out-of-pocket funds to purchase several $5 pizzas, and together with a RAP member and my flight chief, we headed to the school to deliver an "Air Force Careers & Benefits" presentation.

As we started setting up, it became clear that in spite of an impressive sign-up list, the actual turnout was shaping up to be less than stellar. My DEP member also noticed this and quickly ran to the front office to make a last-second announcement over the school intercom. Within a minute, nearly a dozen additional students showed up and suddenly we had an audience!

The presentation turned out to be a great success and it never would've happened without the help of my DEP member. In fact, she went on to help secure two more presentations - this time in the classroom - something that seemed impossible before.

We have an excellent "product" to share and when we have the opportunity to present it, the audience is generally very excited to hear more. The challenge that most of us face is getting passed the gatekeepers and earning their trust so we can be afforded the chance to deliver that compelling presentation. An energetic DEP member in their school helps facilitate the relationship with our influencers and helps promote the Air Force benefits to the students in a way that can be described as "precision."

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