Recruiting Compliance Headaches: Solved Through New Technology?
by Carrie Bigbie, Selling for Coaches
The number one headache for most college coaches these days? Keeping good compliance records for all of their recruiting contacts.
In response, recruiting technology leader Front Rush have launched a new release that contains improvements in its functionality, and have added some amazing new features (even for the headache of keeping all of your compliance records straight!). How did all this come about? By getting insight from coaches actually using the product.
“The end users (coaches) are getting more technological and are reaching out beyond the scope of the original design of Front Rush,” says Sean Devlin, V.P of Product Development for Front Rush. “They are calling and letting us know what they are needing the product to do for them to make it more efficient.”
One of the main features of the new release is to help college coaches with reporting for compliance. Some of the added features are:
• Outgoing Call - Coaches can add start and end time, total time, phone number called, phone number called from. Once its in the system, it can be accessed from anywhere a coach has an Internet connection.
• Official and Unofficial On-campus visits – Coaches can add the start and end date, start and end time, how long the visit lasted.
• Off Campus Contact - Recruiters can add start and end time of any off campus contacts with prospects.
• Reporting – Produce a full report on each of the items above for their college's athletic department.
According to Devlin, the coaches were getting asked by the compliance officers to be more clear on reporting their recruiting activities on and off campus. Using this feedback, Front Rush began making improvements on the functionality their product but also made it more user-friendly as well.
“When Front Rush was developed, we wanted the product to be cost-effective so coaches from Division I, II or III could have access to the same technology,” says Devlin. “As we continue to improve our product, we will keep a running dialogue with coaches from all divisions to keep enhancing it to meet their needs – big or small.”
And, the best is yet to come when it comes to recruiting technology tools. Front Rush is in the process of coming out with a major release in the near future with the focus being on increased speed and usability for coaches using the system.
Want a free demo of Front Rush from the comfort of your college office? For that, or to get other questions answered, contact Sean Devlin personally at sdevlin@frontrush.com or call 866.634.1186 x105.
frequently,” says Smith. “Front Rush gives them a way to manage that process and track their messages and replies.” And, of course, there is no limit to the number of e-mails that a coach can send a prospect, or that a prospect can send a coach.
know that Google actually has a lot of great, free tools that you can use to make you a better recruiter? Even when you are in your car? It's true. I know, because I use a lot of those same tools to serve all of you on a daily basis (and to save myself from missing flights thanks to unexpected road closures).
With Front Rush, all teams receive a custom
technology that is available to almost every coach at every level in every sport. Recruiting technology leader
Brad Downs, now Director of Sales for the company, brought in Sean Devlin who was helping developing technology for Monster.com to help start the endevour. Front Rush started developing their web-based technology in December 2005, got their first client last October, and now boasts more than 200 clients.
course…everyone else’s): They are hard to navigate, not that graphically appealing, and make potential recruits hunt for a way to get in touch with your program. One college website I visited recently made me click 13 times through different pages and links before I found an area where a potential recruit could fill out a recruiting form. Not good, coach.
Asked for his opinion about the boards, Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer wasn't as tolerant: "You really want me to say? I don't know if I can say all that and print it."
everyone else’s): They are hard to navigate, not that graphically appealing, and make potential recruits hunt for a way to get in touch with your program. One college website I visited recently made me click 13 times through different pages and links before I found an area where a potential recruit could fill out a recruiting form. Not good, coach.
Am I being a little too harsh? Maybe. But the coaches that I talk to and train seem to be concerned about every single competitive edge that they can get - whether its big or small - when it comes to recruiting. I just think it's a shame when those intense efforts get thwarted by someone asleep at the wheel when it comes to the little things.
E-mail communication between college coaches and the athletes they recruit is growing steadily, and is quickly becoming the preferred method of communication (in addition to instant messaging and text messaging).
They're called Athletishare, and they are trying to make an impact in the recruiting world by letting high school athletes upload highlight video and game tapes to their website at no charge. They're hoping the absense of fees encourages prep athletes to share give college coaches a look at their talent that might otherwise get overlooked. Here's an