In a post-pandemic world, student expectations for the higher education experience have evolved. Institutions now recognise that student recruitment strategies require fine-tuning and realignment to stay relevant and effective, particularly as their provisions have also transformed.
In this two-part blog series, we look at what it takes to attract university students to your institution. Here, we explore five ways in which to optimise your student recruitment to attract domestic students. If you want to explore five ways to attract international students, check out our next blog here.
When in a higher education setting, institutions face unique challenges that require equally unique strategies and solutions. Likewise, student recruitment strategies must consider global trends and changing landscapes. In this blog, Tribal explores specific recruitment strategies for universities and international student recruitment.
Domestic student recruitment strategies
The university student experience has been heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic with an increase in remote learning and a drop in campus-based experiences. Isolation and mental health have been major issues due to lockdowns and quarantines over the last few years. Amid these factors, as well as growing concerns around university fees amid the cost-of-living crisis, prospective students are forced to consider the return on investment in their education more than ever.
University student recruitment strategies need to refocus and realign with changing student priorities. Student values have evolved and shifted, and so too should recruitment strategies. This means a strong focus on safeguarding mental health, campus support, and employability after the degree is completed. A post-pandemic world also presents the opportunity to champion the revival and renewal of the student experience after so much change.
Five elements to include in your institution's student recruitment strategies:
- Championing the university brand
- Focusing on employability and the value of the degree
- Utilising alumni case studies and student ambassadors
- Providing student mental health support
- Establishing clear and compliant communication
1. Championing the university brand
University student recruitment is an incredibly competitive area, so your institution must have a clear brand and presence. Analyse enrolment statistics and student experience surveys to understand the type of student that is attracted to your organisation and what they value. Use this information to refresh and inform your core values and brand messages to reinforce the kind of experience offered by the university. After all, the reasons provided by existing students will offer a valuable insight into why new students might make their choice.
2. Focusing on employability and the value of the degree
University students are increasingly scrutinising the outcomes of their time on their course, and prospective students are more aware than ever of fees. University student recruitment strategies should illustrate the added value of their education journey and the student experience provided. This should include employability, real-world skills, and peer-to-peer and external connections.
Online delivery causing concern.
3. Utilising alumni case studies and student ambassadors
Maintaining a network of alumni ensures a valuable source of materials and resources for recruitment campaigns. Prospective students can be shown real-world examples and case studies of the value of their qualifications. For this reason, inviting alumni ambassadors to speak at events and school visits are good methods for engaging prospective students.
Creating current student ambassadors is equally important for any university student recruitment strategy. Prospective students can access peer-to-peer information and guidance directly from these ambassadors, gaining an understanding of the reality of the student experience first-hand.
4. Providing student mental health support
Universities are increasingly focused on improving support and services to safeguard student mental health. In a recent survey published via FE Week, over 80% of university leaders stated that mental health and wellbeing were an essential strategic focus for 2022.
With Tribal’s International Student Barometer finding that student happiness has dropped since 2018, UCAS estimates that over 70,000 students may enter Higher Education every year with a mental health condition. As such, research indicates that one in five students research support that is specifically tailored to an existing mental health condition before they apply for a university placement, and more than one in four look at the general mental health and wellbeing provision before making their final decision. Rosie Tressler, CEO of Student Minds advises that “asking for help with your mental health needs to feel as simple as saying you’re trying to find the right book in the library.” Therefore, access to support and services should be a key part of any university student recruitment strategy or campaign if they wish to attract and retain future talent.
5. Establishing clear and compliant communication
Communication is key throughout the university student recruitment process, as slow responses can hamper prospective student interest. In many cases the processes behind recruitment and enrolment are unsystematic, making it difficult to provide clear messaging along the entire student recruitment process.
A student recruitment CRM is a clever tool to streamline and safeguard communications throughout the recruitment journey. It’s also a valuable way of tracking University student recruitment performance. Durham University transformed its student recruitment strategy by utilising Tribal’s student CRM platform, automating and streamlining many elements of its communication and enrolment processes.
Once enrolled and during the recruitment process, a tool like Tribal Engage provides a platform for secure cross-campus communication, enabling collaboration and communication between the entire campus ecosystem, engaging students, staff, departments and businesses.
How Tribal can help with your student recruitment?
From initial engagement to recruitment, Tribal’s Student Marketing and Recruitment solution revolutionises the student recruitment process. You can relax knowing that this solution will support your student marketing and recruitment campaigns at every step of the way. It allows you to easily monitor and measure return on investment, plan, and deliver campaigns, and gain in-depth insights across every platform.
Tribal Student Marketing & Recruitment solution delivers detailed audience segmentation and seamless automation to ensure your efforts are a success.
