Strengthening student recruitment success through a recruiter behavior training program: working on informativeness and affective delivery

The results of a recruiter behavior training program (RBTP) were reported to enhance informativeness and affective delivery in student recruitment, based on the elaboration likelihood model and instructional theory. Two longitudinal field experiments examined how the RBTP affected recruiters involved in student recruitment for a higher education institution (HEI). The pilot study included 86 recruiters who participated in a 1-h lecture. Recruiters who were trained through the RBTP engaged in more informative and affective recruitment interactions. The intervention study refined and expanded the RBTP to a total of 8 h and examined the effects of this on 100 recruiters. The findings showed that trainees continued to provide more informative and affective delivery for three months and that their enhanced recruitment behavior attracted more student applicants and promoted their pursuit intentions. These findings validate the recruitment-oriented RBTP as a feasible way of training recruiters to attract more applicants during student recruitment.