by Martin Eliasson
2007-09-04 18:27:50
public

Scout recruitment: use the web

For our recruitment day each year, we give potential new scouts the opportunity to apply for the recruitment evening using a variety of means: phone, e-mail, tree-mail, WAP, SMS and the web.

Guess the preferred channel.

It's the web.

With almost three months to the recruitment evening, we already have three applications through the web, and they keep coming in.

Our total goal is forty (which anyway is more than we have leaders for right now, but that's a nice problem to solve).

static/tracks/6/scoutanmalan-l.jpg

Here is our recruitment site

Update:

In the end, the statistics are:
  • internet - phone call ratio: 55 / 45
  • about 18 out of 24 did somehow apply beforehand (75%)

About the System

The system has been designed to be extremely easy and familiar to use. No logins or anything, just a simple form to fill in and post and that's it.

The only really useful output of the system is a comma separated list of information the prospects have entered through the form. The comma separated list is imported to your favourite spreadsheet program for later processing.

Features

Although very basic in design, I've added some convenience functionality, and a few more things are planned, notably a forum.

Todays features for managers of the system

  • Multiple scout groups, so the system can be shared among several scout groups.
  • Straight forward listing, editing and deleting of applicants.
  • Simplistic GUI with text-and-image buttons everywhere making it easier for people with reading problems like dyslexia.
  • Newsletter support allowing the manager to send a simple email entered in a form to all selected applicants.
  • GUI for applicants simple enough to work quite well in my Sony-Ericsson k610i phones built-in browser.
  • REST API for remote adding of prospects making it possible to use the system as a back-end from other sites.

Next years features (I hope)

  • Forum support so applicants and interested people can ask questions to the managers directly and ahead of the meeting.

How to obtain the software

Ask me. I just don't feel right now for putting a beta release in public (even if it seems to work). But if you need it you can have a copy. You need a plattform running TurboGears and a few additional add-ons for TurboGears.

Comments