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Adult Learners: Researched-based Strategies for Recruitment and Retention

Adult Learners: Researched-based Strategies for Recruitment and Retention. Our mission is to increase the number of people who attend and finish college. More than 350,000 students coached: 10-15% impact on enrollment 15% impact on retention and graduation rates. Secret Shopper Research.

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Adult Learners: Researched-based Strategies for Recruitment and Retention

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  1. Adult Learners: Researched-based Strategies for Recruitment and Retention

  2. Our mission is to increase the number of people who attend and finish college More than 350,000 students coached: 10-15% impact on enrollment 15% impact on retention and graduation rates

  3. Secret Shopper Research

  4. Our inquiry analysis (secret shopper) program assesses the “prospective student” experience Responsiveness Assess inquiries by web, email, and phone based on: • Time to respond • Method of response • Adequacy of response Comprehensiveness Assess whether information was sufficient to: • Evaluate the program • Determine if qualified • Understand application process • Understand personal / financial commitment

  5. Inquiry analysis methodology and scoring standards produce valuable information Methodology • Outreach process: 3 contact attempts at 4-day intervals • Personas: “Typical” adult students • Inter-rater reliability: Benchmarking sessions, reviews of past analyses Our Research Team has conducted 221 Inquiry Analyses Quality Score Benchmarks • Quality measures: adequacy of information and customer service • Low range (1-4): poor quality or unsatisfactory customer service • Mid-range (5-7): problem areas (information, response time, or customer service) • High-range (8-10): typically “above and beyond,” only minor issues (e.g., slow response time)

  6. All sectors struggle to provide adequate information regarding the level of commitment Adequate information on personal / financial commitments Inquiry analysis of 221 private sector and non-profit programs All Private Sector Programs All Non-Profit Private Programs All Non-Profit Public Programs

  7. Online programs rated highest by“prospective students” Comparative ratings of comprehensiveness and responsiveness Inquiry analysis of 221 for-profit and non-profit programs N = 129 N = 92 N = 129 N = 92 N=560 N=790 N=2044 N=480 N=485

  8. Private sector rated highest overall by “prospective students” Overall ratings of comprehensiveness and responsiveness Inquiry analysis of 221 for-profit and non-profit programs N = 53 N = 105 N = 63

  9. Response time by institution type for Secret Shopper Study

  10. Challenges with non-response

  11. Discussion Questions: Reflect on the Prospective Student Experience • How long does it take your institution to respond to prospective students? • What goals do you have in place regarding response time for phone calls, e-mails and replies via web forms? • What do you do to help students understand the personal and financial commitment required when making a decision to go back to school?

  12. Adult Student Research

  13. Our research generates unique insights Their situation Their goals Their obstacles Their needs • Full-time professional seeking promotion • Parent returning to workforce • Adult returning for B.A. after 10 years • Recent college graduate striving for M.A. • Career achievement • Financial security • Better quality of life • Full-time work • Family / parenting obligations • Financial constraints • Clarity on long-term goals • Connection betweengoals and short-term actions • Assistance organizing commitments • Motivation & support • Connection to the university community

  14. About the sample for the Adult Student Research Study • 57K prospective students; 45K enrolled students • Similar to nationaldistributions ingender and ethnicityfor age 25+ • Institutions (or divisions)that focus on adults Comparisons are to 2007-2008 IPEDS data (2008 Spring and Fall Enrollment Components) Data Set

  15. Non-starts committed to their education often choose a competitor • Top reason = a competitor • Below the median • Finances • Delay to subsequentterms Differences between bands are significant at 99% level n=18,088 What drives an inquiry to a competitor over your institution?

  16. Academics is not a leading cause of early exit • The top 2 reasons • Nearly 30%, managing life outside of school • Finances a close second 99% confidence level between bands n=30,413 How do you help students overcome these barriers?

  17. Referrals are the top reason driving inquiries n=12,478 Differences between bands are significant at 99% level The value of referrals Low cost High conversion Realistic expectations How do increase referrals?

  18. Net Promoter® is a way to measure and grow customer loyalty by asking one simple question Net Promoter® rating—how likely are you to recommend to a friend or colleague? Net Promoter® Score *Developed by Fred Reichheld, director emeritus at Bain & Company, and Satmetrix.

  19. Creating an action plan Objective: develop a plan for implementing one actionable insight • Review change planning worksheet • Identify one insight or idea to develop • Break into groups and collaborate to design your change plan • Share plans and anticipated benefits as a group

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