ValueBased Blog

In the beginning of my 30+ years serving Higher Ed Enrollment, I quickly determined that attracting and retaining effective enrollment teams is much like the old “Chicken and the Egg” debate: Which comes first? Should we attract and hire the ideal person already in possession of the necessary character and work ethic? Or should we value, fashion, and invest in the current employees to create an effective team that others would want to be a part of? I believe it is both, which makes crafting an enduring, effective enrollment team a cyclical endeavor. In no particular order (WINK), let us begin with your current team…

Purpose: Used as a noun, it’s the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists. As a verb, it means to have as one’s intention or objective.  Either way, I am a firm believer that if anything we seek to achieve in enrollment is to be done effectively, it must be believed in…and must be led and imparted from the perspective of purpose.

A strong enrollment team is supportive of one another and believes in the institution’s mission and vision. They do not settle for a mediocre message and they have an “extra mile” work ethic. They exist in a culture where “failure” is not feared, rather, it is used as a tool to redirect efforts and resources. Sound like your team? If not, it can be. Based on our experience working with successful enrollment teams across the country, here’s what we see working over and over again.