As an alumnae of Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority, I enjoy supporting the local Chapter at the University of Texas. Alumnae get involved in fall rush (now called recruitment) by attending rush parties in a supporting role.

The other day I attended open house, the first day of rush. My job, and that of other alumnae in attendance, was simply to hand out glasses of ice water to the potential new members (also called rushees) when they entered the house for a meet and greet with the active members of the sorority. When the rushees left the house, the alumnae were responsible for taking their empty glasses back as they exited through the main hallway. From that vantage point I was able to watch both potential new members and actives as they entered and left the house.

Sorority rush at big schools is an interesting process and as I was watching the proceedings it occurred to me that interviewees and interviewers in corporate America could learn a lot from sorority rush.

First a little background on how rush works:

At the University of Texas, 800 young women are going through the recruitment process this year. There are 13 sororities at UT and each one will take 52 or fewer new members this year. The first day of rush is called "Open House" during which all 800 rushees are divided into alphabetical groups. Each group visits all 13 sororities which gives the rushees a chance to see the different houses and meet all the active sorority members. It also gives the sororities a chance to meet every single girl who goes through rush. It is an all day affair conducted in the hot August sun which ensures that by the end of the day, rushees and active sorority members alike are exhausted.

In an effort to ensure some sort of equality, the collegiate Greek governing body, the Panhellenic Association, dictates that rushees wear matching t-shirts and shorts for Open House. Sororities aren't allowed to woo rushees with gifts or even food. On the first day of rush each sorority is only allowed to offer ice water as a refreshment. Each progressive day of rush is governed by different panhellenic rules about food, beverages, and dress code as both rushees and sororities gradually whittle down their lists. Each day of rush, the potential new members make a list of the sororities that they are most interested in joining. As the process progresses, girls visit fewer sororities based on their preferences and the invitations they receive. Rush culminates in "pref night," the final night of rush, when sororities make offers to the girls they hope will join their ranks.

Rush is a stressful process for potential new members and for active members. Similarly, the hiring process can be very stressful for companies that are competing for top talent. It goes without saying that interviewing for a job is nearly always stressful for interviewees. So, what can sorority rush teach both companies and interviewers? Here are my observations:

Companies, Interviewers and Hiring Managers Can Learn:

Never leave a candidate alone and when you are with him/her, act like you are interested in what the candidate has to say.
When potential new sorority members enter the house, they are each paired with an active sorority member who never leaves her side while she is in the house. Sometimes the active members hand off potential new members to one another so that more actives can meet the rushees. But at no time is any potential new member left alone.

Why?
Candidates or rushees left alone can feel abandoned or not welcomed. Sorority members go out of their way to make every potential new member feels wanted, welcome, and like she is the most interesting woman in the world. Interviewers at companies should try to do the same. If you are interviewing a candidate who isn't going to get hired today you should still treat them as though they are talented, smart, and interesting. Attentiveness to candidates makes you and the company look good. Who knows, the candidate may be just the person you need in a year. Don't burn bridges. Make candidates feel like a million bucks so you can build relationships even if they don't come to work for the company today.

Job Candidates/Interviewees Can Learn:

Do your homework before interviewing and behave enthusiastically about jobs for which you are interviewing.
Potential new sorority members who enter the house smiling, happy, and poised have a better chance of impressing actives than those who look scared, unhappy, or unsure of themselves. It seemed pretty obvious from my vantage point which of the rushees would have a good shot at being invited back for a second party. I could be wrong about some of the girls of course...some of the girls who were quiet or less enthusiastic may have gotten a call back. However, generally speaking, no one likes to be around a sourpuss or someone who doesn't seem confident.

I was a hiring manager for many years and I can say with certainty that candidates who are friendly, polite, and confident have a better chance of getting a job than those who aren't. When interviewing for anything put your insecurities (we all have them!) aside and put forth as confident and happy a persona as you can. It will work wonders.

A Lesson for Both Interviewees and Interviewers:

Maintain your energy level. By the end of the day I am sure that both sorority members and rushees were hot, tired, and sick of meeting new people. I certainly would be. But none of them seemed to show it. Amazing. Can you imagine interviewing 800 people in a day? I was just handing out water and I was tired.

But if the active sorority members were tired, none of them seemed to show it. The very last rushee through the front doors that day was treated to the same level of interest and enthusiasm as the first girl through the doors. It's a good thing too. The sorority has no way of knowing if girl number 800 for the day will be their most desired candidate or not. So they have to maintain enthusiasm and energy all day long to ensure that their sorority is desirable to ALL rushees.

I was the Director of Recruiting for a Big 4 professional services firm at one point in my career. On-campus interviews for our 50 summer internship positions was very similar to the rush process. By the time you interview a few hundred students over a 2 day period of time you are exhausted. But we were careful to drink a lot of caffeine so that each student got the red carpet treatment. We were competing with all other professional services firms, so we had to put on a good show for every student. I have found that not all companies approach interviews in the same way and sometimes their hiring suffers. It's worth it to maintain your energy level so every candidate feels great about the process.