Technology has created a paradigm shift in the way the world operates, and colleges and institutions of higher learning are of no exception. People are now exposed to technology 24/7. Today’s students are exposed to about 30,000 hours of digital information by the time they reach their 20s. It’s no wonder universities now use technology to help recruit students. Here are some examples of how they are doing it:
Transparency
The Internet has made the world more transparent than ever before. With colleges starting websites and uploading all relevant information to those sites, students have access to information at their fingertips and can make more informed decisions. The younger generation has integrated social media and other Internet channels as a part of their lifestyle and they research extensively on these channels before making a decision. And colleges are catching on by leveraging technology to market themselves better. Content is pushed through various Internet channels, such as the website, YouTube, social media pages, and elsewhere, allowing the university to present itself to a much wider, global audience.
Speed of recruitment
College recruitment used to be a time consuming task, with the staff having to sift through paper applications, collate scores and traits, and identify the perfect fit or student to make the cut. Technology has automated the process, and it is now possible to process an applicant in real-time or near real time. It has also become easy to communicate with candidates through email, tweets, Facebook posts, or other social channels. The spread of broadband and rich media makes it possible to conduct interviews through videoconferencing. All these reduce the “lead-time” considerably.
Accuracy and Objectivity
Technology makes it possible to improve the accuracy and objectivity of the recruitment process. With manual entry, the chance of errors was more likely. Checking past experiences and claims had its limitations. Technology has automated the process, to the extent that it’s possible to reuse the data entered once, repeatedly. Social media and big data analytics make it possible to collect comprehensive information on applicants, to the extent that the college has a comprehensive profile of the candidate, even without the candidate disclosing any information. Technology infused analytics and transparency help add greater objectivity to the process as well.
A great tool for universities to invest in is marketing automation, which combines technology and big data analytics. Want to keep track of your current students and attract new ones? Check out how ROI can help you do so.
