How to recruit and retain great host families Doug Ronson ESQ Educational Services CAPS-I presentation May 2015
Why are good hosts – and good homestay coordinators – important? • Housing is one of the three pillars of student satisfaction, along with academics and social • Good hosts will ensure that your students are happy • Capable hosts will be able to resolve minor issues without involving the homestay coordinator • Homestay coordinators are essential to the success of your program!
Host family recruitment • Successful recruitment is an ongoing process • Need to budget time for recruitment – it’s easy to get caught up in the latest student emergency • Leverage student interests to recruit potential hosts: soccer, music, theatre. • Contact local organizations • Ask existing hosts to recommend a friend/relative • Religious leaders may know potential families
Host family recruitment At your tables: What recruiting tools have you found to be most effective (such as ads, flyers, radio)? Please be specific. Rank the tools: 1. Most effective …. 7. Least effective (You have 10 minutes. Please appoint one person to present your rankings.)
Host family recruitment • Word of mouth • Ask existing hosts, staff to refer families • Radio ads • Mailouts by postal codes in key neighbourhoods • Facebook ads sorted by postal code • Door hangers in targeted locations • Kijiji ads (only about a 30 percent acceptance rate due to families seeking only a tenant).
Host family selection Conduct an initial screening by phone to eliminate potential hosts who are unsuitable: • Determine motivation for hosting • Assess English skills (no heavy accents if non-native speakers) • Make sure they will be home for students in evening (no shift workers)
Host family selection • Explain application process and expectations in detail. This ensures that families are serious about hosting • Have family complete an application • Conduct home visit and meeting • References and police checks
Host family selection What are the top 5 characteristics that you look for in a great host family? (You don’t need to rank them this time) How do you measure these? (You have 10 minutes. Please appoint a different person to present your ideas.)
Host family selection • Friendly and welcoming hosts • Interested in spending time with the student and helping them improve English • Understanding/acceptance of different cultures • Resilient and patient • Bedroom must meet minimum standards (window, bed, desk, light). • Quality of home (furnishings, cleanliness, updated bathrooms and kitchens)
Host family selection • Food: Must be willing to cook evening meal. Microwaved instant meals are not acceptable. • The house should not be under renovation. If a family is planning renovations, they should wait until completion before hosting. • Must be available during the entire homestay period (not going on vacation).
Host family selection • Make expectations clear in writing from the start. This will help potential hosts to determine if hosting is suitable for them. • Explain that homes and hosts will be evaluated. There usually are some recommendations for improvement. • Host need to be patient with students and accept feedback. (“The land of the hurt.”)
Host family retention It’s far easier to retain a host family than recruit a new one. What do you do to support and retain good hosts? (You have 5 minutes. Please select a different person to report your findings.)
Host family retention • A robust orientation program ensures that hosts are well- prepared to host a student • Check in frequently to support hosts • Conduct exit survey/interview with hosts after student leaves • “Thank you” notes make people feel appreciated • Watch for signs of burnout. Offer support or give hosts a break for a month or two
Host family orientation resources The Essential Guide for Host Families can be a valuable resource for hosts: • Rights and responsibilities • Communication • Household appliances • Telephone and internet • Boyfriends/girlfriends …. And more
Student orientation resources The Essential Guide for Homestay Students: • North American customs • Coping with culture shock • Food …. And more • Available in 8 versions: Arabic, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, English Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish • In printed and e-book formats
Attend Monday’s session Best practices in host family orientation and training Monday at 9:45 am Grand Ballroom C
Thank you! To subscribe to the newsletter for homestay coordinators: homestayguide@hotmail.com Doug Ronson 613-888-9560 www.homestayguide.com
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