Integrating AI Into Higher Ed Recruitment

graphic of human hand and robot hand touching microchip with index fingers

Artificial intelligence (AI) is taking the world by storm everywhere you look – even among higher education admissions, marketing, and recruitment teams.

Today, higher ed institutions can train AI to use algorithms that predict which students are most likely to enroll, take over administrative duties, and tailor the experience to each user.

(AI, dear reader, may also be used to create witty keyword-backed edtech Blog headlines – like ‘Integrating AI Into Higher Ed Recruitment.’)

But here’s the thing: You can’t rely only on AI recruiting. Instead, AI recruiting software has to act as a complement to what you’re already doing.

AI can’t provide the human touch Gen Z wants

Consider chatbots, for example.

They’re great – at first. With a chatbot readily available, prospective students no longer have to sift through lengthy FAQs or wait for a response to their query.

But in a time when the enrollment cliff is a real threat to institutions nationwide, and student confidence is at an all-time low, that shine dulls quickly. You can’t afford to trust a machine to check all the boxes or provide the “good vibes” that 72% of Gen Z students look for on your website.

Instead, students need the kind of authenticity that comes with the kind of human touch which only student ambassadors provide. In fact, 92% of prospective students say that talking to a student ambassador is enough to help them decide where to study. Moreover, students who aren’t confident in their academic abilities say that a conversation with a current student could alleviate those fears.

Why? Because Gen Z students want to hear from their peers. They’re the only ones who have been where prospective students are and can provide honest advice without agenda. Not even the most intelligent algorithm could replicate that.

That’s not to say there’s no place in your funnel for AI.

How AI can complement your recruitment efforts

So how can AI help recruiting?

By streamlining your personalized processes, from SEO to audience segmentation.

(Again, dear reader, might we mention our Blog title – ‘Integrating AI Into Higher Ed Recruitment.’ Thank you AI!)

They make it safer for prospective students

AI makes it possible to enhance your existing safety measures across the recruitment experience.

At Unibuddy, connecting students safely online is one of our biggest drivers. We’ve tapped into the power of AI to safeguard our students and their confidentiality with content filtering tools that flag any abuse or suspicious content.

It can help you get the attention of LLMs

Search engines have started to rely on large language models (LLMs) to improve their search results. Whereas search engines used to rely heavily on keywords, LLMs use things like natural language and context to elevate search results.

It doesn’t make much difference to the students searching for your institution. But it makes a world of difference to your recruitment team, who will have to take a new approach to their SEO efforts.

Gone are the days of keyword stuffing – now, LLMs are more interested in context and meaning than keywords. Instead, you’ll need to focus on generating quality content that is relevant, flexible, and human enough to get the attention of an LLM.

That means understanding the entire subject instead of just one element and incorporating related terms and synonyms when appropriate.

What could help you come up with those terms, categorize them, and create more all-encompassing content? AI.

For instance, when we asked ChatGPT to “come up with some keywords for the term ‘AI in higher ed recruitment’ that would get the attention of an LLM,” it offered:

Enhancing Student Recruitment with AI
Innovations in Higher Ed Admissions
Data-Driven Enrollment Decisions
AI-Enabled Student Onboarding
Revolutionizing Higher Ed Recruitment

(And, dear reader,…drumroll…’Integrating AI Into Higher Ed Recruitment’)

It provides better data and a higher ROI

When you combine platforms like Unibuddy with AI, the entire game changes. Suddenly, you can get better data faster and personalize your outreach efforts even more effectively.

For example, while Unibuddy Chat isn’t an AI recruiting software, it does have an AI integration that helps you learn exactly who your students are and what matters to them. You can even segment it by location, interests, and areas of study.

But instead of having to spend hours sifting through that information, LLMs provide short summaries of what matters to each student and sample questions of what prospects are asking.

It all comes together in your dashboard with a funnel snapshot feature, which you can use to see where a prospective student is in the recruitment process in real time. When used with AI, you can use the drill-down options to access data points and make instant decisions regarding the next step.

The kind of data you glean from an AI recruiting tool allows you to create an even more authentic, personalized experience – which is what really matters to Gen Z.

AI’s potential is unmatched when it comes to strengthening your recruitment efforts. But remember, AI in recruiting can’t and won’t replace the human element. Instead, it has to work with it.

(Did we answer your questions, dear reader, about ‘Integrating AI Into Higher Ed Recruitment?)

If you want to learn more about how to use AI in recruitment and how we’re integrating AI into our platforms, check out Bold Unibuddy Updates Make Less Work for Better ROI.