Who answers the phone when someone contacts an educational institution’s admissions office to learn more about their courses? The admissions counsellor. Admission counsellors are the most influential persons in the admission process because they can make or break an admission.

Hiring for this position is sometimes more complicated than it used to be. After all, it is a candidate’s market. According to a Harvard Business Review report, today’s job market is becoming increasingly candidate-driven. Hiring new employees is a huge undertaking. During the interviewing and hiring process, it is common to realise that the candidates are underqualified.

So, what are the things to consider when organisations have to recruit an admission counsellor?

Your hiring decision can be a wise investment or a costly mistake. According to SHRM, organisations spend about 42 days and $4,129 per hire to fill a position. How can you improve the ability to hire quality staff who will get you admissions and represent the educational institute’s brand? To qualify someone as an admissions counsellor, you will need to look at some new-age competencies.

Here are the 5 tips to consider when it comes to hiring the best admissions counsellor

Do they have prior admissions experience?

Both an experienced candidate and a newcomer have distinct advantages. Hiring experienced employees ensures that you are not starting from scratch. An experienced counsellor can start with no training. An inexperienced candidate will be open to learning new processes. Furthermore, because they are unfamiliar with the industry, an inexperienced candidate brings new ways of working.

Can they handle it?

Many people find the admissions process to be extremely confusing. Admission counsellors have to deal with a barrage of queries, changes in plans, last-minute deviations, and indecisions from both students and their parents. Dealing with families and prospective students necessitates a strong mind. The admission counsellor should be someone who can remain calm amid a storm and devise unique admission strategies.

What are their numbers?

Regardless of how good a candidate appears on paper, it all comes down to numbers. How many students did they eventually enrol in their previous institution? Admission counsellors must be good salespeople to be successful. But how can you tell if they know how to promote the program’s benefits intelligently? Using their numbers! If they don’t have prior experience in admissions, see if they have a background in sales.

Can they cope with change?

The world is changing. Everyone is being taken by technology. The definition of a workplace is changing. A new wave of tech-savvy, social media-obsessed students applies to your educational institution. The real question is whether your admissions officers will be able to handle these new challenges.

Will they be able to compete with technology?

There are new emerging industry trends and technological advancements. The educational system is undergoing significant change. Many institutions are looking for software to help them improve their admissions processes and keep up with this demand. You must ask yourself if the new hire can learn these new technologies.

Conclusion

When you need to make your hiring count, you must go beyond hiring someone with basic skills and hire someone who can make a difference. You must have the right people working for you as admission counsellors. Because hiring is an expensive process, you must make an informed decision.