Stefan 
International student recruitment challenges can make it difficult for you as an education agent, to find students. Learning about challenges in international student recruitment and different ways to mitigate them can ultimately help you attract more international students and increase your commission.
International student recruitment challenges
Working as an education agent is an exciting career. In fact, once you get in the industry, you are likely to stick to it for years to come. Most education agents I know have been in the industry for at least 10 years. But exciting careers come with challenges of their own. Most of these challenges can be addressed by implementing a policy to use software for educational consultants to process applications throughout your education agency offices.
Have a look at the following international student recruitment challenges and possible ways to solve them.
1. Competition
You might find the right student and match him with the right course, but chances are you are not the first. There are a lot of education agents out there, and many are reaching out to the same international students as you. You might find it difficult to cut through the noise and catch the attention of genuine international students. Especially in geographical areas such as the Subcontinent, Asia, or South America, there are hundreds, if not thousands of education agencies competing for international students.
According to the Australian Government – Department of Education and Training, based on Agents or Agencies who have created CoEs between 04 April 2012 and 12 September 2018, there are 10,626 Agencies and 26,565 Agents in the world.
Solution: Take advantage of international students’ referrals. Nothing catches the attention of an international student like a friend advising them to contact you. When you successfully place international students, ask them to refer you. People often listen to those they know. Your software for educational consultants would have a reporting feature that would give you an insight into the percentage of international students recruited through referrals. Aim to increase that.
2. International students receiving several Offer Letters
Because the demand for genuine international students is high, many students can afford to be selective. They often have multiple offers to choose from and are likely to accept the most competitive option. You might put a lot of time into moving an application through the recruiting pipeline, only to find they’ve accepted an offer letter elsewhere. When students receive several offers at once, it can be easy to lose them to another education agency.
If your student chooses another offer, you might need to go back to previously declined applications. Those students have likely moved onto other opportunities as well, so you might need to start the process over.
Solution: To stand out from the competition, create a great student onboarding experience. Start with building an effective onboarding experience in your software for educational consultants. Be sure to note the benefits, outcome, and study experience your education institution offers. Be clear about the necessary academic and English entry requirements. Listen to your students throughout the enrolment process. If the education institution extends an offer to your student, be enthusiastic about it and explain the next steps.
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3. College / university partner moving slowly
The longer it takes to get a letter of offer, the more strain it puts on your education agency and your students. Education institutions want you to source quality, genuine students and your student wants their applications to be moved through the application process quickly. Accomplishing both tasks simultaneously can be one of the biggest challenges in the international education agency business.
Sometimes, a student might not understand the application process, or they might get sidetracked during the enrolment process. This can slow an education institution extending an offer, causing you to lose the student through these cracks.
Solution: Use a student application management system or a software for educational consultants to streamline your process. You can enter and organize student data at every stage of the recruiting pipeline. You spend less time searching for information and more time talking with your student. And, the software helps you follow the application’s journey, so the process can move forward faster.
4. College / university offer is poor
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to recruit genuine students. International students are a huge factor in driving the success of an education institution businesses. But if your education institution partner wants to recruit the best, most genuine students, they need to be willing to up their offering.
Scholarships, perks and innovative approaches to programs delivered are all huge details in an international student’s decision. If your education institution partner doesn’t have a competitive offer, it will be hard to source top genuine applicants.
Solution: Talk to your education institution partners about the importance of having an attractive offering. Show them examples in the industry. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Your college / university partner might need to get creative when it comes to international student perks. For example, they could offer flex timetable, scholarships, or discounts at various partner businesses.
5. Low international student retention
It’s more common than ever for international students to jump courses. When this happens, your college / university partner might question whether you’re able to find the right students for their programs.
International student retention issues can hurt your education agency reputation. You find an international student and your education institution partner onboards the student. After a few months, the new student finds a course that is cheaper elsewhere. You have to start the application process all over. Or worse, the student doesn’t even choose your education agency for their application to the new program. This can quickly become one of your biggest international student recruitment challenges.
Solution: Start by sourcing international students with a high potential to complete the course. Ask behavioral questions during interviews to screen for loyalty. Also, make sure your college / university has a strong culture and onboarding program. And, check in with your student once they begin their studies. Find out if they have any concerns, and resolve issues early on.
In summary, detecting these risks early in your education agency life can make all the difference between success and failure. Consider them early in your education agency’s journey and mitigate the risk.
