Your 6-Step Guide To Handling Clearing Confidently

Clearing is one of the most intense, high-pressure periods in the higher education calendar. In a matter of days—and often hours—universities must manage a surge of enquiries, reassure prospective students, fill courses efficiently, and deliver a seamless experience under immense time pressure.

For IT teams, student engagement offices, and those directly involved in Clearing, the challenge is not simply answering more calls. It’s about ensuring communications can scale quickly, adapt in real time, and deliver confidence at every interaction. This is where a proven communications partner makes a measurable difference.

Step 1: Meet students where they are.link to this section

Clearing has traditionally been defined by overwhelming call volumes and busy signals, at exactly the moment prospective students need the most reassurance. But expectations have changed.

Students now expect more than just a phone number. They look for quick answers, alternative digital options, and a consistent experience whether they’re calling, chatting online, or looking for information themselves. A Clearing strategy built around voice alone risks creating friction at precisely the wrong time.

By bringing voice, digital channels, and online self-service together on a single cloud platform, 8x8 helps universities move beyond reactive call handling to a joined-up engagement approach that meets students where they are.

Step 2: Prepare for Clearing – before the calls begin.link to this section

The most successful Clearing days are planned weeks or even months in advance.

In the pre-Clearing phase, IT and student engagement teams need certainty that systems will support demand, additional users can be added quickly, and call routing reflects the best way for enquiries to be resolved. With 8x8, universities can set up call queues by faculty or enquiry type, onboard temporary Clearing staff, and test their approach well before peak demand arrives.

Because the platform is cloud-based, this preparation happens without infrastructure changes or complex configuration, allowing teams to focus on readiness rather than risk.

Step 3: Scale at speed to never miss a call.link to this section

When Clearing opens, demand escalates fast. Call volumes surge, priorities shift, and every missed interaction represents a missed opportunity to secure a place.

8x8 enables universities to scale confidently in real time, with built-in resilience and visibility across all communication channels. Teams gain immediate insight into queue performance, wait times, and agent availability, allowing adjustments to be made as demand fluctuates throughout the day.

This ensures teams stay responsive under pressure and maintain a high-quality experience when it matters most.

Step 4: Don’t go it alone during Clearing.link to this section

Clearing is not the moment to rely on best-effort support or reactive troubleshooting.

With 8x8, universities are supported by dedicated, UK-based ITIL-trained project teams who actively monitor performance during Clearing. Regular updates and proactive guidance ensure teams can adapt quickly and scale effectively as demand evolves.

This partnership approach gives IT and Clearing teams peace of mind, knowing expert support is always available during one of the most critical periods of the year.

Step 5: Empower students through self-service.link to this section

Not every Clearing enquiry needs a live conversation, and forcing students to wait for one can create unnecessary pressure on phone lines.

8x8 enables universities to offer online self-service options alongside live engagement, allowing prospective students to access information quickly while preserving agent capacity for more complex or high-value conversations. This blended approach improves efficiency without compromising the student experience, even during peak demand.

The result is faster answers, reduced congestion, and a more balanced Clearing operation.

Step 6: After Clearing – Turn insight into improvement.link to this section

Once Clearing draws to a close, the focus shifts from scale to insight.

With 8x8, universities can quickly close down licences no longer required, ensuring costs are tightly controlled while retaining detailed performance analytics. These insights reveal how enquiries flowed, where demand peaked, and how resources were used, creating a clear foundation for continuous improvement.

This data-driven approach ensures each Clearing cycle strengthens the next, rather than starting again from scratch.

Clearing, Confidently Connectedlink to this section

Clearing is one of the most demanding moments in the academic year, but it doesn’t need to be the most stressful.

By choosing 8x8 as a trusted communications partner, universities gain the confidence that comes from being prepared before demand surges, supported when it peaks, and informed long after it subsides. When every call counts and every conversation matters, the right communications strategy makes all the difference.

Ready to prepare for Clearing with confidence?link to this section

Clearing is too important to leave to chance. Whether you’re reviewing your current communications approach or planning ahead for the next Clearing cycle, 8x8 works with universities to design, deliver, and support communications strategies that perform under pressure.