Rethinking Agent Roles in Education

This episode delves into the transformation of agent partnerships in recruitment and admissions, emphasizing the need for institutions to view agents as collaborators rather than mere vendors. Cleopatra shares insights from her experience, offering strategies to foster effective partnerships that drive mutual growth and success.

• The importance of adapting roles in recruitment 
• Shifts in agent partnerships over time 
• The drawbacks of transactional mindsets 
• Strategies for building genuine collaboration 
• Recognizing diverse strengths of agents 
• Emphasizing open communication for success 
• The value of mutual respect in partnerships

East Coast Admissions
The #1 College Admissions Counseling Service for the East Coast

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:48

Welcome back to the future of recruitment and admissions by East Coast Admissions. I'm Cleopatra and in this episode we are diving into an essential topic for institutions and admissions teams agent partnerships and admissions teams Agent partnerships. As many of you know, recruitment agents play an essential and critical role in helping institutions reach students across the globe. However, over time, the traditional ways of working with agents have become outdated, leaving institutions frustrated and unsure about how to make these partnerships effective. Through my years of working with institutions and recruitment agents, I've witnessed first hand how many institutions are stuck in a cycle of outdated approaches.

Speaker 1: 1:29

When early days of agent partnerships In the past, institutions were attending events like ISEF and similar organizations, these events were great opportunities for institutions to meet agents and learn more about each other, and even sign agreements on the sport. At the beginning it was quite exciting, I must say. Everything felt new and promising. But as time went on, things started to change. The number of agents grew and many of them signed with 1,500 or even 200 institutions. With this growth came a major shift in how schools were working with agents. The initial enthusiasm gave way to a wait-and-see approach. Schools would sign agreements, provide marketing materials and wait to see what the agents can do. In the meantime, agents were often overwhelmed by the sheer number of institutions they were representing, and schools felt frustrated that their efforts were not paying off. Fast forward to today, and that same model isn't cutting it, but schools are stuck in a loop of requiring agents to submit references, sign agreements and then simply wait for results.

Speaker 1: 2:56

But this approach isn't fostering growth, productive partnerships. In fact, many schools have become disillusioned with agent partnerships, believing that they can't make a meaningful impact unless the agent brings a high volume of students right away. The problem with this mindset is that it's too transactional. It's based on a show me the results first mentality, rather than building a relationship that fosters mutual growth and trust. This approach assumes that the agent is just a means to one end, not a partner that can bring value over time. So what's the solution? It's simple Schools need to start thinking of agents as true partners, not just salespeople. This requires a shift in perspective and a change in how schools engage with agents. Instead of treating them like vendors, institutions should view them as collaborators who bring local expertise, cultural understanding and a network of potential students.

Speaker 1: 3:55

A more successful approach involves engaging agents early on, understanding their needs and providing them with the tools and support they need to effectively represent your institution. The conversation should not just be about commission rates or marketing materials, but it should be about how the partnership can work together to achieve common goals. I want to share a personal experience to illustrate this point. I work with a school based in California that had a very different approach to Asian partnership. Initially, everything was going well. Agreements were signed, we discussed the future and were both excited about the partnership. Instead of continuing the dialogue in a collaborative way, they became dismissive, as if saying unless you give us something, there's nothing more we can do. That experience really made me question why institutions even bother working with agents if they are not willing to invest in their relationship.

Speaker 1: 4:48

A partnership requires mutual respect, open communication and a willingness to work together towards shared goals. If one party is just waiting for the other to deliver, that's not a partnership. It's a transactional relationship and that's unlikely to succeed. In today's world, agents are not just a one-size-fits-all solution. Some agents are powerhouse players with established networks and years of experience, while others may be new but eager to build their portfolios. The key is to understand the value each agent brings and recognize that not all partnerships will look the same.

Speaker 1: 5:25

Schools should be asking themselves how can I support my agents?

Speaker 1: 5:29

How can we build a mutually beneficial relationship? What can we do to help them succeed so they, in turn, can help us attract the best students? In closing, it's time to rethink how schools approach agent partnerships. Moving away from the outdated transactional model and focusing on building true collaborative partnerships will lead to better outcomes for both schools and agents. By investing in these relationships and working together as partners, schools can drive enrollment, build stronger global connections and, ultimately, create a more sustainable recruitment process. I'd love to hear from you, whether you're an admissions rep, a recruitment agent or anyone working in this space what challenges have you faced when working with agent partners? How have you navigated these relationships? Share your thoughts and experiences and let's continue this conversation together. We all have valuable insights to share and through this podcast, we can learn from each other. If you love today's podcast, please don't forget to subscribe and leave a review. Thank you so much for listening and I can't wait to dive deeper into these topics with you in future episodes. Stay tuned for more.