With the semester in full swing and midterms results starting to roll in, demand for quality tutors is no doubt on the rise. But as the workload increases, it may feel like a tall order to recruit enough tutors.
Last week we had five tips to recruit tutors for your program, and this week we have five more so you can fully staff your tutoring program and go back to focusing on what matters.
Tip #1 - Reach out to past tutors
The first step is to go through last year’s roster of tutors and reach out to anyone who hasn’t re-signed on to tutor this year. By sending them a personal email, it’s a great opportunity to let these tutors know how much you appreciated their services last year and open the door to any feedback or questions they may have.
Also consider extending the opportunity to past tutors who recently graduated. They will still know the material quite well and may be receptive to picking up a side hustle as they navigate the next stage in their career.
Tip #2 - Reach out to professors for recommendations
In the academic world, there are few things as flattering as a recommendation from a professor. If you notice you have an influx of tutor requests for a specific course or subject, reach out to the professors in that department to see if they can recommend any past students who did well in the course.
Next, when you reach out to the students the professors recommended, make sure you let them know their professors spoke highly of them! It’s always nice to hear a compliment, and helps the students recognize that they have skills they can offer.
Tip #3 - Invest in advertising
Not everyone reads their emails — and sometimes they may even go to the dreaded junk folder – so it’s important to increase the variety of ways you get the message out.
Social media adverts are a relatively cost-effective way to advertise your opportunity. You can make them as targeted or as general as you want, and connect with students in a more fun, informal way. If you have the time, try getting creative! Have past tutors post short videos of why they like working with your team or make some cool graphics advertising the top perks of being a tutor.
Is the budget too tight this year for paid adverts? Try having professors (or tutors) announce the opportunity at the start of target classes, and reach out to students you interact with to see if they may know anyone who’s interested.
Tip #4 - Reach out to past tutees
Want to know who makes the most empathetic tutors? Students who have been there and who know what it’s like to find a course challenging.
Read through your roster of students who have previously used a tutor, and connect with them to see if they’d be interested in tutoring a class. It could be a great, full-circle opportunity for these students to offer help to the next gen of students who are exactly where they were a year or so ago.
Make sure to let potential tutees know about all the support you offer — from training, to the awesome Nimbus resource folders — for even more of a confidence boost.
Tip #5 - Connect with Nimbus
Did you know that at Nimbus we also hire our own tutors to help bridge the gap? If you’re looking for more tutors, connect with your Partnership Success Associate to see how we can connect you.
At Nimbus, we’re not just rooting for you – we’re actively working to help your program succeed and boost your student retention. If you have any questions or are looking for support while recruiting more tutors (help drafting email campaigns, marketing materials, et cetera) we want to help! Connect with us today to get started.
