Knowing exactly who your ideal candidates are is like striking gold. You’ve got to pinpoint the right fit to align your recruitment process with the specific objectives of your admissions teams. The real puzzle is not just attracting students but keeping them and even increasing their numbers. So, how do we go about finding the perfect candidates? Let’s dive into these questions and uncover the solutions.
Latest trends and strategies in the recruitment process
In recent times, the landscape of recruitment in higher education has undergone significant transformations. Some key trends are reshaping the process:
- Rise in home recruitment: As the global climate changes, there’s a notable rise in home recruitment. One major effect of this shift is a potential decline in the enrollment of international students. Universities anticipating this trend are diverting additional resources toward attracting local candidates.
- Extended admissions: Many institutions are extending their admissions deadlines and adopting rolling admissions policies. This flexibility allows students more time to apply, ensuring a broader pool of potential candidates.
- Flexible application assessment: To enhance student success, universities are offering in-sessional support, ensuring that students receive the necessary guidance to remain on course and mitigate the risk of low retention rates.
- More student incentives: Universities are introducing additional scholarships and other financial incentives to attract top talent and make education more accessible.
- Multi-campus programs: Universities with multiple campuses are facing the challenge of managing different regulations while they operate worldwide. Adapting to these complexities while maintaining quality education is a top priority for these institutions.
How to cope with these challenges? One way for universities is to adjust their strategies to remain competitive and provide valuable opportunities to prospective students. There is another solution: to attract the right students in the recruitment process with lead generation strategies.
Turning prospects into promising opportunities
The recruitment process relies on lead generation. The idea is to attract young people who are searching for information about universities and what courses they can take. Marketing channels such as websites and blogs are the easiest and most popular way to do it.
It is your only task to convince strangers to click on the CTA button once they become visitors. You can capture lead information in exchange for an offer like an e-book, a course, a template, a checklist, etc. on the landing page. That’s it, you have the lead. Congratulations!
Even though it seems easy, the whole process needs to be planned carefully. The candidates for the university have to value the content enough to give up their personal information to get access to it.
“96% of leads are not ready to buy”
Lead generation is a powerful tool, but 96% of leads are not ready to buy. They need time and more touchpoints with the university to make the decision.
It is a task for the recruitment team to prepare a well-designed website page which serves as early contact with the university. It gathers incoming traffic from external sources like search engines, social media, or paid advertising.
How to generate quality leads in the recruitment process?
The landing page is the first step in attracting prospective students. But how to make them find this particular website and not a random blog article? Use the right channels. The candidates get directed to the dedicated landing page with information about admissions and the university offer. It is an effective way to convert visitors into leads. And what are the most impactful channels for universities to use?
Content marketing
Leveraging universities’ websites can effectively attract prospective students by providing them with valuable insights. Through engaging blog posts, students gain a more in-depth understanding of the university’s inner workings, emerging trends in education, campus organization, and more.
Beyond informative blog content, content marketing encompasses an array of lead magnets designed to capture the attention of potential candidates. These lead magnets come in various forms, including e-books, checklists, free courses, templates, and more. The key criterion is that these resources offer substantial value to university candidates, making them willing to share personal data such as email addresses, names, and phone numbers in exchange.
By offering such valuable content, universities draw in potential students, establish a connection and build trust. This trust forms the foundation for ongoing engagement, nurturing leads, and ultimately, successful enrollment.
Social Media
You might be surprised by the number of people who use social media worldwide: 4.48 billion. But this number is expected to increase to 6 billion by 2027. In the context of recruitment, higher education institutes use social media for lead generation. Not only the content but also ads to improve conversion rates.
The younger generation (Generation Z) has specific social media consumption habits which are worth taking into account. They use unique platforms like TikTok, which are not highly popular marketing channels at many universities. But to reach this younger audience, they will have to include them in marketing strategy.
Student testimonials
In the intricate journey of choosing the right university for higher education, candidates embark on a thorough research expedition. As they sift through their options, one crucial element often influences their decisions: social proof. Student testimonials play a pivotal role in helping potential students determine the best fit for their educational aspirations. These testimonials, shared on university websites and across various social media channels, serve as beacons of credibility and authenticity.
The power of social proof in the student recruitment process cannot be overstated. Genuine accounts of students’ experiences and accomplishments provide invaluable insights into what life at a particular university truly entails. Prospective students can relate to these stories, finding resonance with those who have walked the path before them.
These authentic narratives guide students in making informed decisions, ultimately leading to more successful and well-suited enrollments.
Virtual events
The virtual event format opens up exciting possibilities to engage with new audiences, transcending the confines of traditional event destinations.
By precisely identifying and reaching out to the right individuals, these events increase attendee diversity and forge connections with students who might have otherwise remained beyond reach.
Additionally, virtual events offer the opportunity to create multiple touchpoints with prospects throughout the event. Data indicates that a significant 82% of attendees actively engage in post-event evaluation surveys, 55% attend live events, and 73% readily register for webinars upon receiving emails from trusted brands. This engagement strategy enables universities to build deeper connections and increases enrollment numbers.
Paid traffic
A well-executed paid traffic strategy can be a game-changer. It’s about attracting the right kind of visitors to the university’s website, those who are genuinely interested in enrolling in your programs.
To make the most of this strategy, you need a systematic approach. Start by developing a roadmap that outlines your recruitment goals and strategies. Then, allocate your budget wisely, ensuring your resources are directed where they’ll have the most impact. Crafting compelling ad copy is crucial, as it’s often the first interaction prospective students have with your university. Your landing page should not only be visually appealing, but also effective at converting visitors into prospective students.
Expanding your reach by utilizing multiple advertising platforms can diversify your candidate pool. Moreover, integrating PPC automation technology streamlines the recruitment process, making it more efficient and data-driven.
Targeting the right students. The art of attracting students with lead generation
The path to successful lead generation requires having a well-defined framework for attracting the right students. This journey is continuous. Being flexible and constantly striving for improvement are the keys to long-term success.
Never stop testing, always stay flexible, and easily adapt to the changing educational landscape. You can pave the way for a prosperous future by embracing change and continuously iterating your strategies. Furthermore, you establish lasting relationships between prospective students and institutions.
