Facing Today's Recruitment Challenges: Innovative Ways to Reach Your Adult Learners

Presented by:

Allyson Cates, Director, Graduate Admissions

The Graduate School, Houston Baptist University

Jennie Bailey, Strategic Leader

Adult Learner Recruitment, EAB

About Houston Baptist University

� Christian Liberal Arts College

� 2,500 undergraduate students; 1,009 graduate students

� 25 Graduate Degrees and 15 Certificates

� Three enrollment starts (Spring, Summer, Fall)

� First opened in 1963 to 193 students

� Vision: As envisioned by its founders and constituents, HBU is growing into a national metropolitan university that emphasizes the integration of faith and learning and a strong liberal arts foundation.

219

470

551 572 583 553 597

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

New Graduate Enrollment Entering Classes 2011- 2017

HBU Tripled Enrollment Despite Market Challenges

Three Pivotal Moments

2010-2013

Launch The Graduate School

2013-2016

Establish a Next-Generation

Admissions Process

2016-2018

Expand Program Portfolio to Sustain

Growth

FACING A NEW ERA OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Source: NACUBO Sources; Goldie Blumenstyk, “State Spending on Higher Education Shows 'Sizable' Increase,” The Chronicle of Higher Education, Apr. 13, 2015; EAB Analysis.

Private Institutions Under Growing Pressure to Discount

Average Tuition Discount Rate for First-Time Full-Time Students, Private Not-for-Profit Colleges and Universities

30%

32%

34%

36%

38%

40%

42%

44%

46%

48%

50%

2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016

Projected Regional Growth in High School Graduates 2017-2027

+1.9% -2.7%-3.4%

+4.6%

In Many Regions, Fewer High School Students to Go Around

+2.7 points

2000-2008

+9.2 Points

2008-2016

Undergrad Challenges Put Pressure on Grad to Grow

21%Projected enrollment increase of students aged 25-34, (2016-2022)

36%Projected Master’s enrollment growth, (2016-2022)

6xGreater growth in certificate programs as compared to Master’s

Master’s

Degrees and

Professional

Education

Graduate Programs Relied on to Fuel Higher Education

3%

26%

39%

19% 20%

49%

37%

50%

37%

50%

MBA MPA MPH MSW MSN

Conferrals Online Programs

226%Increased cost-per-click for select graduate programs from 2009-2014

25%Increased cost-per-inquiry for adult learner programs from 2013-2017

Comparison in Growth of Graduate Online Programs vs. Degree Conferrals, 2012-2022

Growth of Graduate Offerings Outpacing Student Demand

Competition Wreaking Havoc on Recruiting Expenses

PIVOTAL MOMENT #1: LAUNCHING HBU GRADUATE SCHOOL

219

470

551 572 583 553 597

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

New Graduate Enrollment Entering Classes 2011 - 2017

Launching HBU Graduate School

Centralizing Functions for The Graduate School

� Disaggregation complicated the entire enrollment process:

� Marketing, recruiting, advising, and admissions criteria all determined and governed by individual colleges

� Too many nuances across schools created confusion among prospective students

� Centralizing into The Graduate School included:

� Hired a recruiter that recruited for every program

� Centralized application and streamlined admissions requirements

� Moved decision making process to admissions office

Establishing the Right Programs

� Programs offered in 2010:

� Master of Business Administration

� Master of Science in Human Resources Management

� Master of International Business

� Master of Education

� Master of Liberal Arts

� Master of Arts in Psychology

� Master of Arts in Christian Counseling

� Master of Arts in Theological Studies

� Master of Arts in Biblical Languages

Recruiting New Graduate Students

� Begin with inviting all known candidates to apply

� Used tried and true undergraduate best practices

� Evolve through testing for an improved recruitment model

� Optimized targeting increased our reach

� Created a student-centric recruitment experience for adult learner

� Identified the right communication timing and channel mix

Setting the Right Targeting Strategy for Adult Students

� Building Names Over Time� Initially searched 15K GRE/GMAT names � Over time, doubled to 30K names and added audiences along the way

� Comprehensive Messaging Over Program-Specific Messaging

80%

20%

Final application aligned with initial interest Final application not aligned with initial interest

1:5students apply for a different program than the one they originally expressed interest

333

8642

327

8035

0

100

200

300

400

Apps Admits Enrolls

Comprehensive Copy Versioned Copy

Comprehensive Copy Outperforms Program-Specific Copy

Prioritizing the Student Experience

Student-Centric Recruitment Scales One-to-One Engagement

“Not ready to apply?”

“Let us know when!”

1. Pre-populated custom application

2. Deferral inquiry cultivation

3. Key content pushes

Qualify Applicants Intentions

Provide Convenient Access

Make the Invitation Personal

50%Prospects that click on “apply” submit an application

75%Higher application rates from deferral inquiries

Hallmarks of a Best in Class Application Experience

Friction-Free Experience

No password protection and easy navigation remove common application completion barriers

Clear Path to Completion

Straightforward instructions and navigation guide application starters through to completed applications

Multiplatform Accessibility

Mobile-first design supports completion across mobile, tablet, and desktop environments

prospects that click on apply button submitapplication

50%

Converting Interest to Application Starts Requires a Streamlined Welcome Page-to-Application Experience

Design an Application with The Student First In Mind

Timing Email Campaigns to be Most Effective

Achieve Conversion Success Year-Round Campaign Launches SE

P

OC

T

NO

V

DEC

JAN

FEB

MA

R

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AU

G

Launch 1

Launch 2

Launch 3

26%of all responses occur after four months of persistent marketing

40%of applications are submitted in response to a deadline communication

219

415 459

55

92

2011 2012 2013

New Graduate Enrollment By Marketed SourceEntering Classes 2011 - 2013

Other Sources Marketed

17% of Enrollments

13% of Enrollments

1st Year of EAB Partnership

Strategic Marketing Drove Increased Enrollment

PIVOTAL MOMENT #2: ESTABLISHING A NEXT-GENERATION

ADMISSIONS PROCESS

219

470

551 572 583 553 597

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

New Graduate Enrollment Entering Classes 2011 - 2017

Establishing a Next-Generation Admissions Process

Application Growth Prompted New Admissions Process

1645

2543 2511 2554 2559 2614

592768 752 797

964868

470 548 572 583451

597

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Applicants Admissions Enrollments Linear (Applicants) Linear (Admissions)

Consistent Growth in Applications, Admissions, and Enrollments

More Applicants Revealed Structural Challenges

2013: Began Incremental Changes that Revealed Suboptimal Structure

One coordinator managed admits whose last names

began with A-M.

A-M

One coordinator managed admits whose last names

began with N-Z.

N-Z

Business

Education

Behavioral Sciences

Nursing

Christian Thought

Liberal Arts

Fine Arts

By 2014:

� Added first online program

By 2015:

� Added 2 more coordinators & more programs!

� Increased complexity ten-fold

Redesigning Territories, Processes, and Requirements

2016: Enter in the New Dean of Graduate School

Coordinator 1Business

Education

Behavioral Sciences

Nursing

Christian Thought

Liberal Arts

Fine Arts

Coordinator 2

Coordinator 3

Coordinator 4

� Aligned coordinators with individual programs

� Empowered coordinators to become subject-matter experts in the programs they represent

� Added program information to coordinators’ contact information on website

� Resulted in streamlined communication with program directors and students

Addressing Bottlenecks to Reach Our Goals

� Removing Letters of Recommendation

� Hired new Dean of the Graduate School

� Graduate Admissions Review Board

� Swapped LOR for Essay

� Many programs require 2 Letters of Recommendation

� Not used often in admission process

� Rely on 3rd party to submit them

� Mostly there as an indicator of rigor

Our New Approach Validated by Strong Results

55%59%

63%

53%

Fall 2014 Fall 2015 Fall 2016 Fall 2017

New Graduate Enrollment Fall 2014 – Fall 2017 Entering Classes

Completion Rates

53% 52%60% 62%

Fall 2014 Fall 2015 Fall 2016 Fall 2017

Admit Rates

Identify Admits’ Enrollment Intentions to Triage and Target Follow-Up Outreach

Solicited Admits’ Feedback1

HBU’s Survey Campaign

70%average response rate

EAB uses a proprietary approach to survey

admits on their enrollment intentions (and

factors influencing why)

Predicted Who Will Enroll

Done

100%

Yes

54%

Probably

34%

Maybe

8%

No Response

19%

No

0.4%

Likelihood to Enroll by Response to the Question:

“Do You Intend to Deposit?”

Focus Resources Here

2

Improved Admissions Impact

Online portal tracks deposit progress by the minute

• Track key performance indicators

• Discover student intentions

• Triage student follow-up

3 Boosted Competitive Intelligence

Learning from non-yielding

students

• Identify key competitors

• Identify admits’ decision drivers

• Reveal insights for more effective messaging

60% HBU response rate among non-enrolling admits

4

Knowing Where to Focus Resources and Effort

219

415 459

422 401

55

92 150 182

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

New Graduate Enrollment By Marketed SourceEntering Classes 2011 - 2015

Other Sources Marketed

31% of Enrollments

13% of Enrollments

1st Year of EAB Partnership

Strategic Marketing Drove Increased Enrollment

PIVOTAL MOMENT #3: REACHING NEW AUDIENCES

TO SUSTAIN GROWTH

219

470

551 572 583 553 597

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

New Graduate Enrollment Entering Classes 2011 - 2017

Reaching New Audiences to Sustain Growth

HBU’s Expectations

� Houston Baptist approached the COE Forum for help planning a multi-discipline expansion in online offerings, asking the Forum:

� What online programs would best attract students?

� Which student populations should we target for these new programs?

� What does our regional competition look like?

Source: EAB interviews and analysis.

Profitable for COE

• National reach

• Minimal competition

• Low-cost marketing

Lasting Impact on the Workforce

• Emerging skills and industries

• Reimbursed by employers

Appealing to Students

• Accelerated formats

• Quick ROI

• Clear career outcomes

Industry Futures Series

In the Wake of Health Care Reform

In the Era of Big Data

Second Bachelor’s Degrees for Career Starters

Design Thinking Business Programs

Multi-Track Cybersecurity Pathways

Second Careers in Aging Services

Designing Programs for the Millennial Workforce

Capitalizing on Creative Disruption: Data Analytics & Health Professions

Programs at the Intersection of Profit, Mission, and Employability

How We Select Priority Fields

Reviewing your portfolio against labor market data…

Priorities for Redesign

• Local job postings

• Local employment data

Sources Analyzed:

• Competitor program profiles

•Degree completions data

• Labor projections

• Industry standards

Academic Portfolio

…presented as 3 to 5 focus areas for program development research.

…to identify new opportunities related to greatest employer demands and emerging needs…

COE’s Market Research Methodology

A Peak Behind the Curtain

EAB Analyzes Institutional and Consumer Data to Identify High-Affinity Prospects

Augment Student Profiles

Gain a deeper understanding of likely consumers by appending historical student data with known consumer variables

Develop Affinity Models

Isolate consumer variables that best characterize high-affinity prospects

• 1000+ model permutations

• 50+ prioritized variables

Generate Prospect List

Identify specific high-affinity prospects, with associated contact information and consumer variables, for campaign outreach

Narrow Marketing Focus

Identify highest ROI opportunities to concentrate spend

Reveal Hidden Populations

Uncover untapped demand within existing market

Identify Expansion Opportunities

Surface outlying markets with greatest concentration of high-affinity consumers

EAB Data ScienceHigher education analytic experts with best-in-class

resources and targeting intel

University Data EAB Data

Student Source Data

National Consumer Database

• Historical student and applicant records

• Collected from SIS and CRM data sources

• FERPA compliant storage, use, and exchange

>200 million U.S. consumers, up to 115 variables per consumer

• Demographic

• Psychographic

• Lifestyle

• Marketing Channel Use

Building A New Audience

Traditionally unknown characteristics become known, but little insight into where they are in the decision process

High Affinity

Audience Selected by Model

Where they live and what they

look like

If they like music, sports, or

reading

How they make decisions

How they perceive their

surroundings

If they own a truck or

a boat

We KnowDemographic and psychographic characteristics

If they’ve thought about

a graduate degree

or certificate

If they even know a degree or

certificate is available in a field

of their interest

If they have a timeline in mind

about when they might pursue a

degree

If they have no interest in

a degree

We Don’t Know Where they are in the decision making progress

New Audience Presents New Marketing Opportunity

Encourage Research and Inquiry

Build Rapport and Consideration Convert Inquiry to Enrollment

Enter Decision Process

InquireApply Enroll

CASE STUDY: Funnel Velocity Varies

Continue to provide inquiry and apply options for prospects further down the funnel.

15%

Marketing to Prospects Before They Enter the Decision Process

• Leverage model insights to connect with your prospects by appealing to their interests, personality.

• Build interest in your programs by showcasing outcomes and addressing prospect concerns.

• Provide links to allow prospects to research, but retarget to keep your brand top of mind.

Of total landing page clicks was to “Apply Now” call to action for affinity audience across 4 month period.

Longer Enrollment Funnels Requires Different Strategy

360 Degree View Of Your Students

48.5

72.0

81.9

Married

Children

Homeowner

Prevalence

Demographics Top Interests

Interest Prevalence

1. Consumer Electronics 76.6

2. Avid Readers 76.4

3. Travel 75.0

4. Voter Indicator 73.7

5. Travel Vacation 55.5

6. Gardening 53.9

7. Contributors 53.0

8. Arts & Crafts 50.5

Myers-Briggs Profile

(% of Students Associated with Each Characteristic)

32%

36%

46%

22%

32%

37%

39%

29%

Introvert

Extrovert

Sensing

Intuiting

Thinking

Feeling

Judging

Perceiving

Leveraging Insights in Marketing Strategy

38

2

3

Student Profile and Consumer Data

Insights Inform Campaign Strategy

1. Using text like “online programs designed

to fit your busy schedule” appeals to the sense of people being able to go back to school on their time.

2. Using text like “be a part of thriving,

learning community” will appeal to the ESFJ personality type that likes to work with others who share similar motivations.

3. Using the learnings from year 1, imagery of

the professional and independent woman on her mobile device resonates well with this audience.

1

©2017 EAB • All Rights Reserved • eab.com

Core Elements of Recruitment Outreach Continuously Optimized

Total Contacted Responders

50,634 299

41,206 242

Driving Increased Conversion: A Case in Point

Houston Baptist University

Incorporate fishing and boating imagery into ads

72% of high-affinity prospects own boats

3xincrease in click-through rate

Continue to Evolve and Adapt Creative

Drive Prospects to Multipurpose Landing Page

Incorporate high-affinity insights into your landing page imagery and copy

� Majority female audience, professional, being strong and dependable, and nodding to the idea of education on the go (reflecting online options).

� Use of words "nurture" and "grow" hone in on this audience's interest in gardening and healthy living.

A CASE IN POINT

Direct Mail Pays Off: HBU added a paper component to take advantage of a multi-channel approach and boost Affinity Marketing outcomes

169% increase

Inquiry Form Submission Matched Applicants Matched Enrollment

4.6x increase

2.7xincrease

64

109

Email andDisplay Only

Paper Added

8

37

Email andDisplay Only

Paper Added

4

11

Email andDisplay Only

Paper Added

Enrollment Results

First Year Affinity Marketing Campaign

Test New Marketing Approaches and Channels

219

415 459

422 401 400 370

55

92 150 182 153 227

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

New Graduate Enrollment By Marketed SourceEntering Classes 2011 - 2017

Other Sources Marketed

38% of Enrollments

13% of Enrollments

1st Year of EAB Partnership

Strategic Marketing Drove Increased Enrollment

THE GRADUATE SCHOOL: TODAY AND TOMORROW

Summary

� Think strategically about the types of programs that will cater to the job demand in your area

� Develop a student-centric model for graduate student recruitment

� Design for the candidate first; operations second

� Multichannel recruitment is imperative

� Adults need reminders too

� Test new strategies to evolve and adapt your approach

Contact Us For A Copy Or To Learn More

Allyson Cates, Director, Graduate Admissions

The Graduate School, Houston Baptist University

acates@hbu.edu

Jennie Bailey, Strategic Leader

Adult Learner Recruitment, EABjbailey@eab.com