International student recruitment partnerships operate principally on a currency of trust. Students trust us to provide unbiased, friendly and quality advice, while partner institutions trust us to support their enrollment diversification goals. When entering new or unfamiliar recruitment markets, institutions need trusted partners more than ever.
We believe in the power of a few simple mechanisms that can help build bonds and garner confidence, and align with that essential combination of ‘trust, but verify’.
1. Data
It's the educators’ turn to do the homework.
Good data - whether public or proprietary - should be the first port of call for institutions and recruitment partners when entering or growing into new student markets.
Whether it's American universities wanting to break into the promising Nigerian market, or Filipino students wanting to pursue nursing degrees in the UK, a data-driven understanding of real world demands and constraints is not just a nice-to-have for recruitment partners. It's a non-negotiable.
Using the latter example, the high interest in nursing careers originating in the Philippines is an exciting opportunity for students and recruiters alike. But the chances of successful student enrolment are less than a non-experienced recruiter might realise. There are many factors like capacity constraints, entrance exams, and financing problems at play. A failure to understand these critical points can lead to poor student experiences and enrolment outcomes for education institutions.
The top-level search activity you might see in a big data set is interesting and of some use, but it doesn’t give the full story. It must be balanced out with local insight from people in the know and on the ground.
2. People
This on-the-ground insight (or “small” data) is cultivated through conversation.
Every student comes armed with preconceived notions: about courses, institutions, student culture, or the region they are considering studies.
Recruitment partners on the ground who understand the landscape of your institution are well positioned to guide students with confidence and authority. They can correct falsehoods, elevate positive stories and enhance students’ understanding of their options.
They also balance out big data sets with personal insight for partner institutions.. What do real students coming through the door have to say for themselves in terms of academic interest, capacity to pay, reaction to your brand, and so on? Trusted partners can, and should, tell you.
3. Events
The best marketing is always experiential.
A student's decision to study abroad takes into account so much more than the courses you offer. They want to witness and engage holistically with the opportunities ahead of them before they commit to the move.
This is why it’s essential to work with a recruiter capable of organising attractive, centralised events where students can find the information they need while meeting faculty members and other fellow students face to face.
Look for a partner who will put together a fair, open day, or at least a quorum of universities that represents your state or country. This way, you’re marketing yourself as a destination as well as an individual institution.
4. Quality assurance
As with all academic application processes, especially those involving the crossing of borders, there’s a lot of form filling and document collection required.
Falsifying of legal documents isn’t an everyday occurrence, but even rare instances of fraud are a risk to be mitigated thoughtfully and proactively.
The new, AI-based document verification technology ‘QikVerify’ we’ve adopted at AECC identifies pixel manipulation and any tampering with metadata in the document verification process. The process is long enough without all the delays and ultimate disappointments forgery causes. It’s amazing how a tech-driven approach can all but eradicate these issues, expedite the process, and avoid a whole lot of wasted time and resources for universities without trying to “innovate away” the human touch for students.
5. A student success story
Never underestimate the power of positive student voices.
However sophisticated marketing methods have become, there will never be a more effective and trust-building strategy than word-of-mouth testimony from those sharing real experiences.
What we do is so much more than getting eyeballs on prospectuses or bums on lecture hall seats.
It's about answering and catering to the “background” work: harvesting and analysing data, making real connections, leveraging technology to enhance our services, and combining all of it to help institutions engage successfully in promising and emerging markets.
An ideal recruitment partner will run all of this in the background, serving as a force multiplier of the institutions’ own talent and efforts while underpinning market entry success with integrity, expertise and trust.
Author: AECC