SEPTEMBER 27, 2018 – Where are all the drivers?
If you’re responsible for recruiting and hiring drivers for your business, you may be asking yourself this question a lot lately. And while there are rumors of a driver shortage, there is also plenty of data to suggest that the talent is out there. There is, however, more competition for their attention.
This means that if you want to create a pipeline of interested (and talented) drivers, you’ll need to rethink your recruitment strategy.
How Drivers Find Work
Once upon a time, drivers looking for work would scour the help wanted ads or truck stop bulletin board for new opportunities. But that has changed. As technology becomes a bigger and bigger part of our lives, drivers are taking their job hunt online. Here are the best places to get their attention:
#1 Social Media
Did you know that 75 percent of truck drivers check Facebook daily? Combine this with the fact that over half of millennials rely on social media as part of their job search, and it should be pretty clear: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter should be an important part of your recruiting strategy. In addition to posting opportunities on your business page, you can advertise your open positions across each platform – using geographical and demographic targeting to better reach the individuals you’re looking for. By targeting Facebook users who list “truck driving” as their profession, for example, or who have exhibited an interest in trucking topics, you’ll ensure that the people who see your ads are in the industry and will have an interest in what you’re posting.
#2: Job Boards
When you think of online job boards, the ones that come to mind are probably giants like Indeed, ZipRecruiter and CareerBuilder. But, there are also trucking-specific job boards that drivers are using more frequently to find work. For best results, post your ad on both the general and trucking-specific boards to get the greatest visibility. You may want to try paying for a few ads to get your job posting bumped up in the search results. This will ensure it’s seen by as many people as possible.
#3: Forums
Although forums aren’t as popular as they once were, there are still a few very active trucking forums that drivers use to stay connected and ask questions. The most popular of which, Truckers Report, has over 200,000 members and 6 million messages. Employers can post their jobs on the forum for free and answer questions as they arise. This can be an easy way to get a broader reach online – without spending any additional dollars.
Don’t Just Post the Position – Market it
It takes a lot of work to write a job ad and distribute it online via multiple channels – you want to make sure you get it right. Unless you have a great deal of marketing experience, your best bet is to work with an outside agency who can both enhance the visibility of your ads and ensure you’re targeting the right prospects. As recruitment marketers, they’re experts in some of the targeting strategies we discussed above – and they’ll know exactly how to reach your intended audience so you get the best results from each campaign.
Getting Drivers to Apply
Over 85 percent of millennials own smartphones and the vast majority of them are using it as their primary web browser. That means they’re finding your jobs on their phones or tablet – shouldn’t they be able to apply there, too?
Prospective drivers will be more apt to apply if you make it easy for them. The simpler the process, the more success you’ll have.
At Foley, our recruiting and compliance portal provides a robust applicant tracking system (ATS) that allows you to create a mobile-friendly job application that can be included in all of your online ads. Once an application is submitted, the information will be automatically organized in your portal account so that you can review candidates and communicate with them soon after their applications are received.
Ready for more information? Give us a call at (860) 815-3974 for more information about the Foley Portal, and how it not only streamlines recruiting, but your background screening and ongoing compliance needs, as well.
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