[Flash] Unlock Lessons from Sorority Pledging to Strengthen New Hire Experiences

All new pledges in the sorority chapter received a “big sister.” I remember when my big sister chose me, I felt like I belonged! Lisa became my confidante and champion as I transitioned from pledge to sorority sister that first year.

Likewise, every junior in the chapter was expected to serve as a big sister. Why? Because the sustainability of the chapter relied on new pledges becoming sorority sisters and paying monthly dues.

The big sister/big brother model is an evidence-based strategy to improve onboarding and retention.

For the past decade, a research organization, Phired Up, collected and analyzed data to determine why members leave fraternal organizations.

They identified 3 main reasons:

(1) Misaligned Expectations.
People quit because of unclear or false expectations about membership.

(2) Lack of Connection.
People quit if they don’t have a friend group.

(3) Discord.
People quit over miscommunications and drama.

In their report, Phired Up recommends sororities and fraternities take the following actions to create engagement:

• Semesterly Engagement Assessments
• Retention Committee
• Big Brothers & Big Sisters

In summary, to retain chapter members, deploy “Bigs” to mentor, engage, and help new pledges find success as college students.

Why should we care about this report on sororities and fraternities?

Onboarding new members to a team or new nurses to a hospital is no different.

Simply put:

• People crave connection, acceptance, and belonging. 
• They will leave if they don’t feel it.
• It costs money and disruption when they go. 

Here’s where it gets nuanced. Most organizations already have some sort of onboarding initiative or residency program. So, where do many go wrong?

They either lack mentoring or…

1. make it optional
2. put the onus on the new hire

As a sorority pledge, I would not have created a relationship with a big sister (a mentor) if someone had told me that it was optional or my job to establish.

Why?

I felt intimidated, insecure, and isolated as a newbie. Asking an established chapter member to mentor me would have felt overwhelming and vulnerable.

New hires often feel the same way.

So what to do?

• Make mentorship uncomplicated, unavoidable, and rewarding. 
• Expect all employees to mentor new hires.
• Put mentors in charge. (Alternative titles: champion, buddy, advocate, ally, supporter, navigator, or “Big.”) 

If everyone in your organization takes someone under their wing, your organization’s culture will inevitably shift.

Retention doesn’t happen – it’s engineered through engagement. And mentorship is the spark.

© 2023. Ann Tardy and MentorLead. www.mentorlead.com. All Rights Reserved.