From Recruitment to Retention: The Benefits of Liaison’s CRM Software for Higher Education

Managing admissions and fostering meaningful student engagement are two of the most critical responsibilities for higher education institutions. However, traditional methods often involve fragmented processes and missed opportunities to connect with prospective and current students effectively. Liaison’s TargetX and Outcomes CRM solutions revolutionize these efforts by providing higher education administrators with tools to simplify admissions workflows and create seamless, personalized engagement.

With either of these platforms, institutions can build stronger relationships with students, streamline operations, and support success at every stage of the student journey.

Admissions departments frequently face overwhelming workloads, from processing applications to coordinating outreach efforts. Outcomes CRM tackles these challenges by offering user-friendly tools that streamline operations and allow teams to focus on strategic priorities.

With Outcomes, admissions teams can:

• Centralize application management | Reduce administrative complexity by organizing all application data in one intuitive platform.
• Prioritize best-fit candidates | Use data-driven insights to identify applicants who align with institutional goals, such as academic excellence or diversity.
• Make timely, informed decisions | Real-time analytics help admissions officers refine recruitment strategies and adjust to evolving needs.
• Strengthen marketing and communications | Streamline personalized outreach, track engagement, and optimize messaging to attract and convert prospective students effectively.

For instance, a university experiencing a surge in applications for its nursing program could use Outcomes CRM to coordinate a high-volume review process involving admissions officers, faculty members, and program directors. The platform would streamline reviewer assignments, centralize evaluation materials, and ensure timely feedback, allowing the admissions team to efficiently manage input from multiple stakeholders. This structured approach would help the university maintain a thorough and holistic review process while allowing staff to focus on building connections with high-potential students.

Retention isn’t just about keeping students enrolled; it’s about ensuring they thrive. TargetX helps institutions identify at-risk students early and deliver personalized interventions that improve outcomes. Key features of TargetX include:

• Tailored communication campaigns | Personalized messaging makes students feel supported, whether they need academic advising, financial aid guidance, or social engagement opportunities. With TargetX’s generative AI-powered Communication Planner, institutions can streamline email development, ensuring timely and effective outreach to students.
• Real-time engagement tracking | Administrators can monitor how students interact with campus resources, enabling proactive responses to potential challenges.
• Automated early alerts | Faculty and staff can proactively identify and support at-risk students. By setting institution-specific criteria, TargetX generates real-time alerts based on student behaviors, such as requesting transcripts, allowing for timely interventions and personalized support to keep students on track.

Consider an institution that notices a decline in engagement among first-year students living off-campus. Using TargetX, staff could launch a campaign inviting these students to participate in on-campus events and connect with peer mentors, improving their sense of belonging and overall retention rates.

Efficiency and scalability | Automating repetitive tasks allows staff to focus on relationship-building and strategic planning, even during peak application periods.

Personalized engagement | CRMs make it easier to segment audiences and tailor outreach so that every student interaction feels meaningful.

Enhanced collaboration | By centralizing data and communication tools, CRMs encourage collaboration between departments, thereby improving overall student outcomes.

The challenges facing higher education today demand integrated solutions that address both recruitment and retention. CRM platforms like TargetX and Outcomes empower institutions to meet these challenges head-on.

A unified approach to admissions and retention creates a virtuous cycle: efficient recruitment processes lead to better-fit students, who, in turn, are more likely to succeed and persist. By leveraging these platforms, colleges and universities can streamline operations, enhance engagement, and ultimately achieve greater success across the student lifecycle.

Interested in learning more about how Liaison’s CRM solutions can work for your institution? Contact us today and see how our tools can help you create meaningful connections and achieve your enrollment goals.