One of the hardest things you may encounter as a team captain is to recruit employees. If your company or organization is such that you are spread out all over town, you have an even more difficult job. You will want to try to recruit participants from every area or department, from the highest paid jobs to the lowest, from management to labor. This may not be an easy task. Here are some general ideas that have worked in the past:

1. Choose a few people from the main departments to help you  recruit.

2. Meet on a regular basis with these individuals to plan and implement your strategies.

3. Get the word out! Communication is the key! Bulletin boards and information given out with paychecks is a good way to get the message out, but don’t rely on these alone. One-on-one communication is the best way to reach everyone.

4. Use an In-House Registration Form to find out in what events the employees want to participate. You can also get t-shirt sizes and other pertinent information from this form.

5. Make numerous copies of the Corporate Challenge Entry Release Form and give to each department. Some companies have made different waivers for each event and then have individuals sign them.

6. Take advantage of e-mail and the YMCA website. All event updates and event descriptions will be on our website.

7. Weekly employee meetings are a good way to present the program. It is a chance to tell people what the Corporate Challenge is all about and answer any questions.

Fill Out Forms

1. Fill out the Official Entry Registration Form with number of participants in each event, total number participating, and your company division.

2. Get every participant to sign Entry Release Form and return to YMCA.

3. Fill out Special Event Participation Forms with names and ages.

4. Attend Captain’s meeting.

5. Be the liaison between your employees and the YMCA.