Halda's SHIFTS Framework

SHIFTS is a recruiting framework built on Halda’s philosophy after years of experience working with over 500 universities and departments across our entire team. 

This article walks you through the SHIFTS framework piece by piece, with questions to ask yourself as you build student-facing assets.

Survey: Start by Listening

1. Does the asset ask questions in a way that shows genuine interest, or does it just seem like it’s gathering data from the student?

2. Can the asset actually “listen” to or gather the student’s responses?

Help: Deliver Real Value

1. Does it actually give value to the prospect, like a tool, checklist, guide, or useful insight?

2. Would it still be helpful even if the student decides not to apply to the university?

3. How much effort does the student need to put in to access it? (The less effort, the better!)

4. Is there support available if the student has questions or runs into issues?

Individualize: Break the Template

1. Is the asset just a generic template, or does it feel truly personalized based on the prospect’s location, interests, programs, preferences, needs, or motivations?
2. Does it speak to the prospect by name?

Face: Make It Human

1. Is the communication coming from one real person, a department, or the whole brand? (The smaller the group, the better!)

2. Does it feel like a personal message from one human to another, or does it sound more like a broadcast?

3. Is there a real person behind the brand—a counselor, president, ambassador, alumni, or peer community? Are they featured with a photo, name, voice, quote, or story? (The more visual, the better!)

Trigger: Match the Moment

1. Does the message respond to what the student is doing or where they are in their journey (not just the institutional calendar)?

2. Does it make sense for this specific moment in the student’s experience?

Speed: Meet Students' Expectations, Instantly

1. Does it clearly show how long it’ll take to deliver the promised value? (The faster, the better!)

2. How quickly can someone get help or answers to their questions? (Speed matters here too!)