8 More Tips To Motivate Admissions Teams for Enrollment Success

May 31 2018

We published a blog called 3 Ways To Motivate Your Admissions Team For Enrollment Success, and we learned from many of our readers that you appreciated the content—and wanted more tips! So without further delay, here are 8 More Tips To Motivate Admissions Teams for Enrollment Success.

Engage the entire team when creating the recruitment plan. People buy in to what they help create.
Celebrate the small victories along the way. Each small victory adds up to one big win
Communicate what needs to be done, but not how to do it. A good team will grow as they struggle through solutions. People don’t like to be micromanaged, and will ask for help when they need it. Teams become stronger and more successful in the long run if they have to work together to accomplish goals.
Identify and acknowledge specific strengths within individual team members and assign increased responsibilities accordingly. Give people opportunities to shine in their own unique ways. Don’t expect each person to reflect your own style. Allow for individualization and different ways of accomplishing goals.
Jump into the trenches to assist with recruitment duties. When teams see their leaders are willing to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty (so to speak), they will be more willing to work hard themselves, and their spirits and energy will be boosted through the mutual bonds of camaraderie. In short, lead by example and demonstrate servant-leadership.
Limit “busywork” tasks for recruitment staff as much as possible, particularly during high-pressure seasons. Administrative work has to happen, but as much as possible, lean on your office’s admin staff to do the work they signed up for and expect to do, and release your admissions personnel to do admissions work.
Provide the opportunity for team members to connect professionally with other divisions on campus. Whether serving on committees or as liaisons to another department, this provides institutional perspective, builds relationships, and creates a unique and distinctive niche for team members who so often are viewed as a collective group.
When you hear a colleague or someone on the leadership team positively acknowledge the work of your staff, ask others to share their positive feedback directly with your team. It is amazing what a genuine point of praise from someone outside the department can accomplish. Remember to return the favor when your colleague’s team is most in need of it.