Recently, the MBA program I went through was looking for feedback on how they could create more value in their programming. I suggested employer advisory boards.
I've seen them work well in community colleges—instructors and professors meet quarterly with business owners and community leaders to discuss trends in their industries based on the graduates they're hiring and what they feel the program needs to keep doing, stop doing, or do more of.
We see this in other parts of a company's business. For example, a customer advisory board (CAB) or council is a group of existing customers that are brought together to offer advice to a company on their experiences, priorities, and goals. The purpose of a CAB is so an organization can get regular feedback from the target market they serve, and make adjustments to current products or potentially roll out new products or services based on needs.
I love the research that happens in four-year universities. This is leveraging that research in another way—by harnessing the power of a group of well-known employers, discussing what they want to see more of in terms of new graduate hires or experienced professionals.
It's a good reminder that it's important to check in with your customer base—whether that be a for-profit, non-profit, or even higher education.
If anyone in my network has thoughts on this, I'd love to hear them.
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