Anyone have any ideas for recruiting new CFAVs?
Done the classic email to parents, tried some local businesses and social media, any suggestions?
Active social media is the best way forward. If you have a planned campaign you will start to hit the right algorihtms for the type of people interested in the activities you are doing and your chances of success are a lot higher. Pay a few quid for some extra promotion of the posts as well.
Beyond that having an active presence in the local community can help, can pick up a lot of the retired people who have loads of time to help out by being at the church fetes, community shows etc.
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Is there anywhere you can obtain corporate recruitment materials to hand out to those interested?
Media Hub on Bader SharePoint or ask your Wing Media Officer, as they might have stock.
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Entice some parents to join as civ com…but get them to go through the hoops a CI has to wade through. Then when they are all set up and fully ‘trained’ simply apologise that the civ com positions are all taken and then gently encourage them not to waste all the time they have spent with avip and other training and to become CI’s
Before you know it, you have staff #YoureWelcome
Starting a relationship based on deception is such a great way to start things . . .
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Start as you mean to continue?
Ahh like how i got into Road Marching
The one bit of deception that does work is inviting all the parents to some sort of AGM. Get them into the building, seeing what their kids are up to on parade nights and weekends. Then, as part of that night, give a good CFAV recruitment presentation to get them on board.
It works much better than an email and posters as they come in and see what we do, then give them the speech. They think they’re there to see what their children are doing, but actually they’re there to be recruited them selves 
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Build a strong alumni network via Facebook, LinkedIn whatever. Remind people of the awesomeness they experienced as a cadet and bring them in. Even if it’s just to deliver a parade night session on what they do now (provided it’s of interest to the cadets!), then it’ll help get them through the door.
Alongside this, grow your own cadets into staff - it’s very much the long game; but it’s the most successful one for a sustainable future.
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Talking of alumni networks, has anyone heard anything on the central CFAV alumni network recently?
Nada, which is a shame as it’s something that could be really valuable.
Didn’t realise this was a thing, must have missed that. Where is the information on this?
It was something which I know that HQAC were working on 3 or 4 years ago…
Recruting volunteers is hard.
For a Sqn of 40 cadets in reasonable “condition”, the aim should be to have min 5 parading staff every night with some in reserve too.
This requires in my experience a strong commitment to recruit 2 new CFAV per year. With an expectaion of keeping 1 after 18 months.
This level of recruitment will keep your staffing levels as they are with no growth.
This takes account of loss of exisiting staff due all the reasons. Loss of recruit staff due all the reasons.
Its back of packet maths but after my long time, this maths stacks up.
If you want to expand staff numbers, you would have to aim for 3 or more cfav recruits per year. That would ADD 1 new to the total per year.
Remember its a LONG game and not to get disheartened.
Also. You need to factor in the time and resource to train these new staff. Accepting that they will essentially be ‘useless’ until they have 12 to 18 month’s experience. Simply due to the time it takes to get quals, understand and upskill in rafac world.
To help.
Try local press.
Facebook paid adds do work.
Hold a well prepared parents evening.
Dont recruit for a CI… recruit for specific roles e.g. storeman, dofe officer, sim instructor etc etc. Then expand roles once they in and keen.
Get 1000 high quality leaflets made and printed.
Put through letter boxes.
Do all the above and you will suceed.
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Once you have the staff keeping them engaged is critical too. As @Paracetamol indicates, just by having 2x new “recruits” walk through the door doesn’t mean in 12 months time you have 2x new staff.
While it is easy to throw them the whole box of opportunities the organisation has to offer, find out what they are happy to consider assisting (or even leading) with and steer them down that road. if they can see the light at the end of the tunnel this will help.
I have seen staff arrive, get through the recruitment process and then leave as they cannot find “their place” in the unit.
this is perhaps not surprising, while we all have have Staff “vacancies” that need filling, the taskings are always picked up by someone, and not always easily, or readily handled over to a “fresh out of the box” CFAV seen to be too new/inexperienced.
it doesn’t have to be much, and as straight forward as issuing stores, but it if gives someone a reason to attend, a feeling of “making a difference” it will help, else they’ll see the Squadron can operate without them and they’ll lose interest not seeing the value they provide.
(sorry this is more about retention than recruitment)
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Both sides of the same coin.
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If you can get to PTA meetings at local schools and through your councillors within the community for localised advertising. Be prepared with promotional materials. RAFA meetings (not the social club drinking ones) but ones where they meet the retired folk such as the RAFA’s “brew for the few” campaign although these are usually during the week, you might not get a full time volunteer but you might end up with guest speakers and areas of interest presentations for your sqn awards nights. Often these are teamed up with local RAF Squadrons which could get you some SI’s
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Have you tried putting a role profile out on local volunteer bureaus?
I think this is all very accurate.
I’d add that once you get beyond a certain threshold of active staff (8-10) you need to add one more staff to manage them