Engaging student employees in recruitment and admissions

One of the keys to successfully recruiting students to an institution is having current students be actively involved in the recruitment process. But providing these students with the proper training and tools to be effective customer service professionals can be challenging. 

In an upcoming session at the 2021 (106th) AACRAO Annual Meeting, Patrick Frazier, Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions Marketing & Recruitment at Western Carolina University, will discuss techniques and methods to enhance the training of student workers within admissions and visitor center offices. The session is one of several that will focus on student success at this year’s meeting.

“The student customer service experience has been a big part of what we do,” said Frazier, who leads the training and support for 125 student employees at his campus. “Student training can really enhance or deter how your message is being shared with prospective applicants.” 

Below are recommendations to best support student employees: 

• Provide comprehensive training that focuses on storytelling activities, best practices in customer service, and responsibilities of specific job areas.

• Enhance leadership opportunities that allow student employees to plan and lead open house events, organize tours, and sit on a peer-selected leadership board.

• Help students prepare for life after college by offering public speaking opportunities and developing their interview and presentation skills. 

The biggest takeaway, Frazier said, is that the student experience goes hand in hand with the guest experience. “The student experience is a story worth telling,” he said. “Being able to voice the experience of a current student is really beneficial to the piece of mind of prospective families--during the pandemic and after. When you are providing that student voice, they are going to listen.” 

To attend this and other sessions, register now for the 2021 (106th) AACRAO Annual Meeting.