HI EXECS 🫶 IT’S RECRUITMENT SEASON RAHHH!!! 

Have you been actively seeking and pursuing new first years… (AYO side eye)… to be potential candidates for committee? Have your subcommittee recruitment Facebook event pages up and running? Have those applications been flooding out? If your head is shaking in disagreement to any of these questions, HELPPP DO YOUR JOB no but seriously I got you. Fear not, I've got the inside scoop from none other than Jolene Leong, the powerhouse President of PsychSoc who has shared some fun & fresh PsychSoc secrets & advice with a side of yappa yappa for y’all to dive into!

Unveiling the Secrets of PsychSoc

1. What's PsychSoc’s committee selection criteria, aside from vibes?

   PsychSoc prides itself on having a tight-knit internal culture. This is through regular meetings and bondings to ensure members feel comfortable around each other. Through this, PsychSoc committee members feel comfortable and safe, allowing them to produce their best work to give back to the society. When selecting committee members, we value a genuine interest in engaging with our society and its tight-knit culture, a passion for the portfolio they apply for, and an interest in learning and self-development. We hold the belief that society interviews aren’t a big formal thing, so we’d prefer if applicants let loose and let their true personality shine, than worry about saying the right things.

   • Managing conflicts of interest?

   To avoid bias during our selection process, we ensure that our rostering does not include any conflicts of interests between applicants and interviewers. We also encourage directors to have a marking scheme to ensure they are marking applicants fairly across the board, and two minute takers are present in each interview to ensure we have a balanced perspective for those who were not in the interview. Our directors are briefed very strictly on how to behave during interviews, and to be aware of their own biases.

2. What are PsychSoc’s strategies in sustaining successful recruitment numbers?

Our marketing strategy involved UNSW Discussion Group posts, Moodle posts, CP changes and event shares from our internal members and lots of word of mouth sharing. Particularly for T1 recruitment where we target first years, we have O-Week promotion and our ‘First Years Meet n’ Greet the Directors’ event where we share details of our recruitment and what each portfolio does. Overall, PsychSoc has always maintained and advertised a tight-knit and welcoming internal culture, which is what attracts applicants to us.

1. Are there stories of any unconventional or humourous recruitment experiences (without exposing confidentiality)?

   Here's a peek into some memorable interview moments:

   • We were kicked out of the Mathews Building halfway through interviews because of a fire alarm
   • Some of our favourite applicants (who ended up getting in) were ones that bullied us during the interview (or showed us pictures of the bread they baked that day)’
   • Some of our directors write their minutes in a fanfic style (e.g. applicant looks to the corner of the room applicants takes a sip of their water****)
   • Idk we’re not funny

My Thoughts on Recruitment

When I first dove into committee applications, I was geared up with my resume and STAR responses, but PsychSoc transformed the recruitment journey into a relaxed and authentic experience. Here are my insights on the recruitment process.

For applications, keep 'em fresh! Update questions every recruitment period to align with your society’s evolving goals whilst crafting questions that allows the applicants’ personality to shine through to prevent bot responses and copy pasted answers to foster authenticity.

In the realm of interviews, leveraging optimal FREE applications like Tribespot or Calendly is a game-changer. Specifically Tribespot, a creation by UNSW alumni, stands out with its prowess in marking applications, scheduling interviews based on set availabilities, and simplifying mass emails. On the other hand, Calendly is a platform that efficiently schedules interviews accommodating both the interviewee and interviewer preferences.

Events like Meet n’ Greets are the lifeblood of societies, offering newcomers a direct line to internal leaders. Nevertheless, there’s a sentiment shared by some students (and I agree) that these events can feel a tad intimidating. At the end of the day beyond titles and hierarchy, we're merely students bonding over shared interests. Whilst it is crucial to maintain a robust structure, it is mainly about the vibes you exude that ultimately forms the culture of the society so finding the balance between the two should be a top priority!

Lastly, the mantra is promo, promo, promo! Hype up recruitment as fervently as Sydney promotes Taylor’s concert in Central Grand Concourse.

Anyways, let the recruitment battle commence! 😈😈