Griffith University Streamlines Student Recruitment

Improving Engagement Experiences

Chief digital officer Sandie Matthews emphasized the importance of consistent engagement experiences for students, which includes being known, responded to, and having an easy way to engage. Director of CRM and experience Christopher Dell noted that the university’s previous approach to engaging with prospective students was ‘fractured’ due to disconnected systems.

However, with the integration of Salesforce, the university can now connect its martech stack, providing a clear line of sight across the prospect pipeline. Meanwhile, the director of marketing technology Leanne Towerzey highlighted the importance of an integrated martech stack in bringing the journey of students through their time with Griffith University.

Aligning Platforms for a Holistic Experience

Towerzey emphasized that a student’s journey isn’t linear and may involve multiple touchpoints, such as the website, contact centre, and events. Therefore, it’s crucial to align all platforms to give a holistic experience to the student. Additionally, the integration of platforms doesn’t create value; instead, it’s the alignment of the platforms that does, with the student’s intent in mind.

Contact Centre Insourcing

Until April last year, Griffith University used an outsourced student recruitment model and contact centre, which it has since insourced. This decision was driven by the need to own the experience end-to-end and improve pipeline visibility. Insourcing the contact centre has allowed the university to capture all interactions with prospective students, which is essential for growing revenue.

Enhancing Student Recruitment with Data

With the changes made so far, Griffith University can now see the whole pipeline around student recruitment, not just isolated moments. The Salesforce platform provides a ‘minimum viable product’ with ‘bare bones’ functionality, but it’s already being used to drive improvements in student recruitment processes.

For example, data in Salesforce is being used to identify areas for improvement and optimize the recruitment process. Furthermore, the university can now respond quickly to prospective students, which can make a significant difference in their decision to apply or walk away.

In conclusion, Griffith University’s decision to deploy Salesforce’s Agentforce Education cloud has streamlined its student recruitment process, providing a more holistic experience for students and prospects. By aligning its platforms and using data to drive improvements, the university is well on its way to enhancing its student recruitment process.