The Tutor Matrix: For Tutor Communication and Retention
The Tutor Matrix is a tool that you can use to prioritize your communication and tutor retention efforts according to a tutors value to your business. The matrix divides tutors into 4 quadrants based on their engagement with Tutor Doctor and client demand. You can download the Tutor Matrix image at the bottom of this article.
A Priority Tutors:
The tutors in the bottom left quadrant (red) are those tutors who have low engagement and are in high demand. These tutors are core to your business, typically tutoring upper level math and science, test prep in the US, French in Canada, and any other subject you find is in high demand, but hard to recruit tutors for. These group also includes any in demand tutors that are also tutoring independently or for other tutoring companies, as they have alternative tutoring income that they can increase should they chose to leave Tutor Doctor. Think of this group as your A priority tutors. These tutors will have the greatest impact on your business if they choose to leave and will be the hardest to replace. It is very important to maintain and increase their engagement as much as possible and to ensure that they are supported and feel their expectations of working with Tutor Doctor are being met, as this group creates the most significant negative impact for you should they choose to leave.
It is recommended that you check in with this group most often, generally about once a month, to offer support and show your appreciation for their work. However, it is important that tutors in this group not feel micromanaged or smothered, so adjust your approach to the individual needs of these tutors. If you are charging the client more for the services provided by these tutors (such as if you have higher test prep rates or are charging more based on the tutor's qualifications, such as Orton Gillingham Dyslexia Support certification) and have the ability to pay the tutor more and remain at or below 40% tutor cost, you might consider doing so for your A priority group.
B Priority Tutors:
The tutors in the upper left quadrant (yellow) are those tutors who are highly engaged and in high demand. These tutors are core to your business, typically tutoring subjects like English and lower and mid level math. Think of them as your B priority tutors. It is very important to maintain their engagement with Tutor Doctor and retain them, as they are in high demand and will cause significant negative impact for you should they choose to leave. However, they typically have a full or almost full student load and are pretty busy, so it is important that they don't feel micromanaged or smothered by your communication and retention efforts.
The job board is a helpful tool for B priority tutors as it allows them to pick up new students if they have the availability and allows them to see there are new students continuously coming available should they wish to pick up more. It's recommended that you reach out to your B priority tutors every 4-6 weeks to check in and offer support and show your appreciation for their work. It is important to retain these tutors, but they are not as urgent as A priority tutors as they are highly engaged and are easier to replace than A priority tutors.
The job board is a helpful tool for B priority tutors as it allows them to pick up new students if they have the availability and allows them to see there are new students continuously coming available should they wish to pick up more. It's recommended that you reach out to your B priority tutors every 4-6 weeks to check in and offer support and show your appreciation for their work. It is important to retain these tutors, but they are not as urgent as A priority tutors as they are highly engaged and are easier to replace than A priority tutors.
C Priority Tutors:
The tutors in the upper right quadrant (green) are those tutors who are highly engaged, but not in high demand. They are not core to your business and are those that do not fit into the other 3 quadrants. These tutors are typically loyal and very motivated, but there isn't much work for them. Think of them as your C priority tutors. You want to retain them as long as possible, but it will not cause significant difficulty for you if they choose to leave as they are easier to replace than A and B priority tutors.
The job board is very helpful for C priority tutors as it allows them to apply for any student that matches their subject attributes, but also allows them to see and understand why they do not have more students. In this way, the job board serves as both a communication and retention tool. C priority tutors can see students coming onto the job board and being matched and can also see that they do not have the qualifications to work with those student, which can prevent them from feeling under utilized. However, the job board should not replace your communication and retention efforts with these tutors. It is recommended to check in with your C priority tutors every 4-6 weeks when they are actively tutoring to offer support and appreciation. If they are not actively tutoring, it is recommended to check in with these tutors about once a quarter as a way of showing you haven't forgotten about them and that you appreciate their patience with being matched with a new student. You might also considering giving these tutors more opportunities to work with you, such as having them join you at events and engage with potential clients, having them perform some admin work for you, (many franchisees pay tutors minimum wage for their time at events and while performing admin work), or you might consider onboarding them as an educational consultant if you have need and they have the right experience, personality, and expertise.
D Priority Tutors:
The tutors in the bottom right quadrant (blue) are those tutors who are have low engagement and are not in demand. Typically they have been onboarded to work with a specific student for an uncommon subject, such as a low demand language, computer skills, or trade exams. These tutors are not core to your business and they tend to have very few students. Think of this group as your D priority tutors. It is valuable to retain them, as replacing them would be more costly, but it will not cause you any real difficulty if they choose to leave.
The job board is helpful for these tutors as it acts as a communication and retention tool in the same way as it does for your C priority tutors, however, the job board should not replace your communication and retention efforts. It is recommended to check in with your D priority tutors every 4-6 weeks when they are actively tutoring to offer support and appreciation. If they are not actively tutoring, it is recommended to check in with these tutors about once a quarter as a way of showing you haven't forgotten about them and that you appreciate their patience with being matched with a new student. As D priority tutors have low engagement, they are not typically good candidates for additional opportunities to work with you. If a D priority tutor demonstrates an interest in taking on additional opportunities other than tutoring, you might consider moving them to your C priority group.
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