Recruitment 101 - General Tips for Finding and Retaining Players

[Rostin]

Ok, I know a lot of this will be common sense, but I thought I would go ahead and share what I have learned about recruiting with everyone. Feel free to add your own tips and tricks, this is for the prospective corp leaders and rookies out there as well as the big dogs.

Recruitment:
1.) Look for activity
As simple as this may sound, it is the absolute easiest way to find new members. Look for ships moving around areas where you typically hang out (anywhere in Sol is a safe bet) and make contact with some of the players you see. Also pay special attention to any independant players that attack your corp assets. That's an easy indicator of activity and it lets you know that they won't shy away from combat in the future. New forum users are also great to begin conversations with (try PMing in the actual game).
Try finding players right out of the gate. We may not have the mentor system yet, but I'm sure someone brand new to the game wouldn't mind having an active friend to show them the ropes.

2.) Check them out
Look up a player in the friends tab before making contact. If you are looking for well established players (as opposed to newbies) this will help you weed them out. Also be aware of players with old registry numbers and low power. They are either inactive or very slow at growth. Either way, that tells you something about them.
Note that while new players may not be very strong and may not be totally dedicated to staying active in the game, early investments in the growth of new players can reward you with loyal friends and fierce followers in the future (as long as you give them a reason to stay).

3.) Make first contact, be professional, friendly, and helpful
Don't just say, "Hey, wanna join a corp?" (although it might work sometimes...) Introduce yourself, let the player know you are in a corp that is recruiting and offer your help with anything they have trouble with.

4.) sell Sell SELL
There is no way to oversell yourself or your corp. Avoid outright bragging, but let them know all of the great things that are included in joining a corp. DON'T BRIBE... If a player needs to be bribed into joining they are not worth the effort.

5.) Stay in Touch
If they turn you down at first don't be afraid to keep in touch and keep trying. Remind them that you want them and they will realize that they want you.

6.) Incentivise Recruitment
Give any corp members who recruit other players a small reward for their dedication to the cause. Trust me, it works...

Retention:

Retaining players, especially new ones, is a bit more tricky... You can't please everyone, and this is the type of game that will just not appeal to some people. Here are some things that might help corps with struggling commitment.

1.) Check-In
Check in with ALL of your players from time to time. Do not micromanage though, just make sure they are enjoying themselves, making progress where it counts, and that there are no glaring issues between members.

2.) War is hell...
But also fun! If a weaker player is being attacked by a much more powerful foe then try to make them see the good side of it. Constant skirmishes keep players on their toes and give them a reason to hit the weights from time to time. Don't knock it till you try it! (But don't let them get decimated...)
Also keep in mind that they should not take any war personally (unless they started it). Save the bitter hatred of other corps for the corp leaders with troubled histories.

3.) Cut the Cord
Meaning the umbilical cord. This relates to the previous tip but deserves it's own number. I have noticed that newer players are very attached to their little mines. Mining is fine depending on who you are and what your ambitions in the game are, but it's not the end of the world if they lose one MK I mining facility. Also convince them to stay out of the home sector. Think of it like boarding school or summer camp, a little time away from home will do a new player worlds of good. It will also make them harder to attack for potential threats.

4.) Invest in your Members
Whether it be a corp ship, nice modules, or a few QPs here and there; unless they REALLY want to build themselves up naturally and on there own, getting them stronger will open more doors for them and show them how much this game really has to offer.

Anyway, that's all I can think of at the moment. I hope you guys read it and please provide some feedback these are only my observations and human behavior is largely unpredictable in an online environment. Share your thoughts!

[sargas]

Ok, I know a lot of this will be common sense, but I thought I would go ahead and share what I have learned about recruiting with everyone. Feel free to add your own tips and tricks, this is for the prospective corp leaders and rookies out there as well as the big dogs.  (OK, give away all the secrets...wink)

Recruitment:
1.) Look for activity (YES)
As simple as this may sound, it is the absolute easiest way to find new members. Look for ships moving around areas where you typically hang out (anywhere in Sol is a safe bet) and make contact with some of the players you see. Also pay special attention to any independant players that attack your corp assets. That's an easy indicator of activity and it lets you know that they won't shy away from combat in the future. New forum users are also great to begin conversations with (try PMing in the actual game).
Try finding players right out of the gate. We may not have the mentor system yet, but I'm sure someone brand new to the game wouldn't mind having an active friend to show them the ropes.

2.) Check them out (again, YES)
Look up a player in the friends tab before making contact. If you are looking for well established players (as opposed to newbies) this will help you weed them out. Also be aware of players with old registry numbers and low power. They are either inactive or very slow at growth. Either way, that tells you something about them.
Note that while new players may not be very strong and may not be totally dedicated to staying active in the game, early investments in the growth of new players can reward you with loyal friends and fierce followers in the future (as long as you give them a reason to stay).

3.) Make first contact, be professional, friendly, and helpful
Don't just say, "Hey, wanna join a corp?" (although it might work sometimes...) Introduce yourself, let the player know you are in a corp that is recruiting and offer your help with anything they have trouble with.

4.) sell Sell SELL
There is no way to oversell yourself or your corp. Avoid outright bragging, but let them know all of the great things that are included in joining a corp. DON'T BRIBE... If a player needs to be bribed into joining they are not worth the effort.

5.) Stay in Touch (this can easily be the best strategy regarding those who are not yet ready...for whatever reason...
and don't just say "Keep us in mind", but talk to them frequently and let them know that you are still interested in them...offer them help and/or advice)
If they turn you down at first don't be afraid to keep in touch and keep trying. Remind them that you want them and they will realize that they want you.

6.) Incentivise Recruitment
Give any corp members who recruit other players a small reward for their dedication to the cause. Trust me, it works...

Retention:

Retaining players, especially new ones, is a bit more tricky... You can't please everyone, and this is the type of game that will just not appeal to some people. Here are some things that might help corps with struggling commitment.

1.) Check-In
Check in with ALL of your players from time to time. Do not micromanage though, just make sure they are enjoying themselves, making progress where it counts, and that there are no glaring issues between members.

2.) War is hell...(It's supposed to be, if it was fun we would have no reason to end it)
But also fun! If a weaker player is being attacked by a much more powerful foe then try to make them see the good side of it. Constant skirmishes keep players on their toes and give them a reason to hit the weights from time to time. Don't knock it till you try it! (But don't let them get decimated...)
Also keep in mind that they should not take any war personally (unless they started it). Save the bitter hatred of other corps for the corp leaders with troubled histories.

3.) Cut the Cord
Meaning the umbilical cord. This relates to the previous tip but deserves it's own number. I have noticed that newer players are very attached to their little mines. Mining is fine depending on who you are and what your ambitions in the game are, but it's not the end of the world if they lose one MK I mining facility. Also convince them to stay out of the home sector. Think of it like boarding school or summer camp, a little time away from home will do a new player worlds of good. It will also make them harder to attack for potential threats.(If y'all wanna mine, talk to the other mining corporations, NHC EoS, and IMG.  Any one of us will help)

4.) Invest in your Members
Whether it be a corp ship, nice modules, or a few QPs here and there; unless they REALLY want to build themselves up naturally and on there own, getting them stronger will open more doors for them and show them how much this game really has to offer.

Anyway, that's all I can think of at the moment. I hope you guys read it and please provide some feedback these are only my observations and human behavior is largely unpredictable in an online environment. Share your thoughts!

actually well said, Rostin

[Rostin]

Thank you sir I appreciate your input

[sargas]

I will always (at least from now forward) give positive feedback in the forums.  If I have negative feedback, it will be discussed via PM...

[raphael]

I wanna say one of the most important tip in both Recruiting and Retention: Be one of the strongest and/or the richest. Won't matter if you employ all those tips and you are as weak as a puppy and as poor as a beggar, your corp won't grow (even if it does, it will be a very very slow growth).  

[Rostin]

It really all depends on the caliber of player you are trying to recruit and their character. take me for example, when you got me Raph, I would have gone with anyone who had invited me to an active corp in AG before we got your offer. I didn't know you were recruiting and no other player had even made contact with us. I was pretty excited to get an invite from anyone!

[sargas]

That was my fault...

[raphael]

It really all depends on the caliber of player you are trying to recruit and their character. take me for example, when you got me Raph, I would have gone with anyone who had invited me to an active corp in AG before we got your offer. I didn't know you were recruiting and no other player had even made contact with us. I was pretty excited to get an invite from anyone!

That is true, but you wouldn't be as strong as you are now if it weren't for SSS. 

[Rostin]

Correct and I appreciate the work you've put into me

[JamJulLison]

And those guidelines are typically what I follow anyways.  I am looking for good quality members. Not routine crappy players who likely will end up quitting sooner or later and not ones who are just in it for free stuff.  All the top corps had moments where they got a rush of players like you are.  NHC had it first. That is what mostly made up NHC. It is one of the reasons they went into a slump.  I am glad to see they are slowly recovering from it.  When PMI was formed, we got a rush of members as well.  Not all stuck around. Some were actually booted or left because of inactivity, wanting us just for free stuff, didn't want to do work for themselves and some were such horrible players that they couldn't be kept around.  I try to give everyone a chance who wants in.  I do have some interview questions I ask, but that is just so i can find out more about them first. There was one guy who it was hard to even make sense of his messages back to me. It was like he wasn't hardly reading my messages to him at all.  I thought it might be a language barrier at first. But after a while I began to doubt even that.  He never even really made any effort to socialize with the rest of the corp.  Even my more solitary members at least post something every now and then or reply to my messages.  Not this guy.  So I had to give him the boot.  He is currently in ITO and to be honest I am surprised he hasn't gotten booted from them yet.   Now IMG was the next corp to really get a big surge in members.  I am sure they faced many of the same issues with new members.  Eventually mostly only the good ones stuck around the game and in the corp.  ITO was the next to get a wave of members.  Then EoS.  It wasn't until the fall of the GC that SSS finally began to experience the same thing.    Like with the rest of us, in time that will slow down too.   Part of the main problem though is that there isn't really any good ways to let the corps know about us. We have to look for them in the game which isn't always easy.  Then add in the fact there are so many inactives, the majority of the player base is inactives, it makes life difficult for us. Those who are actively seeking, tend to look at the top rankings which unfortunately isn't always a good indication to how good a corp or a player might be.  Raph you are really lucky you have Rostin here.  He is a great asset to you and your corp.  Freeze is another great asset to your corp.  Good players like them are hard to come by.  I am glad I do have some good members in my corp now.  My number 2 sauron  in particular has been really helpful in helping me keep the corp science ships updated and helped put in a lot into the corp mothership which is getting close to being done.  The thing is though asides from him, none of the others really want to take a leadership type role. Which is ok with me.  Though it does mean I have less people out there trying to help recruit and stuff.  Once apon a time I also had the same loyalty from Sargas and Mata that those 2 have shown you. Especially when it comes to Rostin.  He's to you a lot like Sargas was to me.  Though Sargas has always been a bit more outspoken. lol.   There could come a day though when either one of them may decide to try their hand at running a corp.  Some of your people may even go with one of them.  Your corp could end up becoming like mine is now.  It is still a good corp.  We do well and have good people.  But it isn't the same as it once was.  What helped to really save my corp from falling into decay though was the change of direction we took.  We began to focus more on COMs and having stronger ships rather then doing mining. We even changed our name.  Even though we have changed, I still allow my people to have an open voice and despite my "title"  we still make major corp decisions together.  I do miss the old glory days. But things are still all good and I have no complaints. Enjoy your days of glory and savor them. It never last forever.

[sargas]

And those guidelines are typically what I follow anyways.  I am looking for good quality members. Not routine crappy players who likely will end up quitting sooner or later and not ones who are just in it for free stuff.  All the top corps had moments where they got a rush of players like you are.  NHC had it first. That is what mostly made up NHC. It is one of the reasons they went into a slump.  I am glad to see they are slowly recovering from it.  When PMI was formed, we got a rush of members as well.  Not all stuck around. Some were actually booted or left because of inactivity, wanting us just for free stuff, didn't want to do work for themselves and some were such horrible players that they couldn't be kept around.  I try to give everyone a chance who wants in.  I do have some interview questions I ask, but that is just so i can find out more about them first. There was one guy who it was hard to even make sense of his messages back to me. It was like he wasn't hardly reading my messages to him at all.  I thought it might be a language barrier at first. But after a while I began to doubt even that.  He never even really made any effort to socialize with the rest of the corp.  Even my more solitary members at least post something every now and then or reply to my messages.  Not this guy.  So I had to give him the boot.  He is currently in ITO and to be honest I am surprised he hasn't gotten booted from them yet.   Now IMG was the next corp to really get a big surge in members.  I am sure they faced many of the same issues with new members.  Eventually mostly only the good ones stuck around the game and in the corp.  ITO was the next to get a wave of members.  Then EoS.  It wasn't until the fall of the GC that SSS finally began to experience the same thing.    Like with the rest of us, in time that will slow down too.   Part of the main problem though is that there isn't really any good ways to let the corps know about us. We have to look for them in the game which isn't always easy.  Then add in the fact there are so many inactives, the majority of the player base is inactives, it makes life difficult for us. Those who are actively seeking, tend to look at the top rankings which unfortunately isn't always a good indication to how good a corp or a player might be.  Raph you are really lucky you have Rostin here.  He is a great asset to you and your corp.  Freeze is another great asset to your corp.  Good players like them are hard to come by.  I am glad I do have some good members in my corp now.  My number 2 sauron  in particular has been really helpful in helping me keep the corp science ships updated and helped put in a lot into the corp mothership which is getting close to being done.  The thing is though asides from him, none of the others really want to take a leadership type role. Which is ok with me.  Though it does mean I have less people out there trying to help recruit and stuff.  Once apon a time I also had the same loyalty from Sargas and Mata that those 2 have shown you. Especially when it comes to Rostin.  He's to you a lot like Sargas was to me.thank you  Though Sargas has always been a bit more outspoken. lolgiggle.   There could come a day though when either one of them may decide to try their hand at running a corp.  Some of your people may even go with one of them.  Your corp could end up becoming like mine is now.  It is still a good corp.  We do well and have good people.  But it isn't the same as it once was.  What helped to really save my corp from falling into decay though was the change of direction we took.  We began to focus more on COMs and having stronger ships rather then doing mining. We even changed our name.  Even though we have changed, I still allow my people to have an open voice and despite my "title"  we still make major corp decisions together.  I do miss the old glory days. But things are still all good and I have no complaints. Enjoy your days of glory and savor them. It never last forever.

[Rostin]

I appreciate the kind words
We have had several new recruits go inactive. It happens, but that's why I focus on quantity for recruitment. It's hard to tell who will stick when players are so new, but I like to give everyone a chance to enjoy the game to the fullest, by being in a strong corp.

[JoolzVern]

About all I can add is that here at ITO I try to foster a spirit of teamwork and I think that's something that is a must to have good retention not just for a corp but for the game entirely. It almost goes without saying, but it's easy to forget the importance of that or neglect it in practice.

"Rallying the troops" together as a team is something that is much easier said than done but always worth it. I think getting people to work together and get behind goals we set as a team motivates people to keep playing the game and hitting those goals, learning from losses, and celebrating victories. So I'd say 'team spirit' is perhaps the best tip I could give in this area.

As for that former member of TGE(formerlyPMI) he's finally hit 2mil ship power lol. He's slower to make progress but still active and as long as he's enjoying it and making some progress and not causing trouble he's welcome to stay on the team and benefit from the regular com ship rotation as long as he does combat missions with them.

With our SOS ships he would do them but the bottom line is others were more productive than he is with SOS missions so they get the SOS ships. The idea here is that the better 'growth curve' of the corp from this policy will help that much more more with our COM ship upgrades and by extension, him and the rest of us active players.

That's one of those things where as leader I can come off as a dictator or mean etc. but the truth is it's all about making sure that we all do well individually as well as a team. It's a prime example of where it's hard, but important to get everyone onboard and working together. This also is a good example of how I try to get everyone to combine our strengths to overcome our weaknesses as individual players, again building a sense of teamwork.

[Rostin]

I also want to add that 500 is the magical power level that indicates an inactive newbie

[Dadds]

I wanna say one of the most important tip in both Recruiting and Retention: Be one of the strongest and/or the richest. Won't matter if you employ all those tips and you are as weak as a puppy and as poor as a beggar, your corp won't grow (even if it does, it will be a very very slow growth). 

Incorrect Raphael.
 Being richest will attract only the greedy
Being the strongest will attract the weakest hoping for some sort of protection.
Since you dont or cant provide that protection then your conclusions are wrong.
IMG when it first formed was much poorer than a beggar. It was formed from like-minded people who wanted a particular style of gaming. That elevated us to top 5 very quickly without even trying. The trick is to have a few or several people who follow a banner, and it will grow quickly, if you believe in it.
The way NOT to grow, is to isolate yourself too early from the mother corp [SOL] without having any other contacts because the game is not great with keeping in touch with others after you leave a corp like [SOL]