Education technology for recruitment has advanced in leaps and bounds. With the COVID-19 pandemic moving almost everything online, there is hardly any choice but to innovate and automate, especially in the field of international student recruitment.
Without the ability to physically recruit students by visiting their home countries or holding edufairs and events, online recruitment platforms have emerged as the next big thing. However, many recruitment agencies, agents, and institutions also probably wonder: How do these platforms actually help? Are they helpful and effective enough to last even after the pandemic has subsided?
Below are the pros and cons of using education technology to recruit international students during and after a pandemic.
Pros:
It saves time
Student recruitment platforms help agents streamline or automate application processes. Agents can save more time because several steps such as encoding data and submitting applications can be completed by the platform. Several platforms can also match students to certain programs or universities based on their inputted data, saving agents from manually sifting through all the possibilities. Having a reliable and effective platform is a great upgrade for any agent or institution because it makes it easier and more enticing for students to pursue studies abroad.
It reaches a wider audience – the whole world
The world is at your fingertips with an online student recruitment platform. Agents and institutions could gain access to students from all over the world, thus widening their reach and diversifying their campuses even better. Agents can recruit virtually any student with internet access and speed up their applications so they can get closer to their dream schools. Institutions can also target new markets such as potential students outside of high schools and professionals who want to change careers.
It’s easy to use, get the word out, and gather information
Education technology for online recruitment makes processes easier. Agents can easily learn how to use certain platforms to encode data and submit applications. It’s also much more efficient to get the word out to students because you can lead them to a single website. There’s no need for repetitive back-and-forth communication with poor conversion rates. Using an online recruitment platform can also give agents access to demographic analytics and behavior assessment, so they can improve their targeting and marketing game plan.
It’s cost-effective
Building or using an online recruitment platform saves a lot of money in the long run. Institution staff won’t have to be physically sent out to various cities or countries, saving money in travel and accommodation costs (as well as overall carbon footprint). There is also no need to mail out documents as everything can be sent online. A more streamlined application process saves time for agents, resulting in higher productivity.
Cons:
It’s difficult to measure effectiveness if you don’t use the tools enough
You do have more access to data and analytics, but it’s only when you use this access religiously and not as disparate systems (along with manual paperwork, etc.) that you can get astounding results.
It’s a must to maintain human touchpoints
While you can measure how your recruitment agents work, it’s not the cure-all for increasing and diversifying student enrollment. The magic is in continuing to manage and upskill them, making sure they are aligned with your marketing strategy. Combine smart tools with high-quality student counseling and services to get more recruits.
System/connectivity issues
While technology is advancing exponentially every second, there’s no denying that problems and issues still arise. A major disadvantage to using online recruitment platforms is that so much relies on the system and servers running smoothly. Connectivity issues can also pose great threats to data being lost. Online platforms also need to be highly secure, so all involved student data remains safe and used only for recruitment purposes.
Another Day in Student Recruitment?
Online recruitment platforms are one of the most innovative tools in education technology. While they are doing a lot of good for institutions, agents, and students alike, it’s always important to recognize crucial areas of improvement. Complementing these platforms with other recruitment tools and strategies is key for sustainability and longevity.
MSM Unify connects higher education institutions with highly qualified agents and their students from all over the world. With the help of MSM Unify, HEIs can promote to a wide range of students on a single platform without much cost, speed up and pre-screen applications, and even match students to the right programs.
Agents also get the support they need to find the best possible matches for their students with tools and capabilities to help out at any step of the process.
Find out more about how MSM Unify is the right portal for all your recruitment needs.
