MARCH 28, 2019 – Rumors of a driver shortage. High turnover rates.
While there is some debate over the cause, one thing is for sure: trucking companies are having an increasingly difficult time finding and hiring drivers. This has put many carriers in a constant hiring cycle to keep their cabs full – a process that can be both time consuming and expensive.
Many companies have tried raising their pay and offering sign-on bonuses, which while attractive to drivers, isn’t always enough to get high-quality drivers on board for the long haul. After all, if everyone is offering these perks as part of the recruiting process, it’s no longer an exclusive offer – rather, it becomes an expected part of the onboarding package.
Instead, recruiting and retention experts have suggested something they feel is much more important when it comes to hiring and keeping drivers: the ability to empathize with their needs as a driver. By taking the time to truly understand their concerns – and create recruiting campaigns that speak directly to them – you’ll be better able to attract the interests of drivers who are looking for a long-term career opportunity with a company that values them as both employees and people.
Positioning Yourself as a People-Centric Company
Browse a few of the popular online job boards, and you’ll notice that most ads talk specifically about the company and their needs – instead of the needs of their prospective employees. And while this is important information to include, it can be conveyed more effectively by flipping the language so that it resonates more deeply with prospects.
Before you start writing, here are a few things to consider:
- What are the core issues your drivers care about? Typically, it’s things like compensation, home time, operations and training that pop to the top of the list. If you don’t know for sure, then ask for feedback from your current employees. Exit interview data and online reviews on Glassdoor and TruckersReport.com(for example), can also be very insightful in learning what drivers like about your company – and what they don’t.
- Is the language in your ads reflecting those issues? Sell drivers on your company by writing job ads that reflect the things they care about – particularly in terms of their home time and quality of life.
Lastly, it’s one thing to position yourself as a people-centric company, and quite another to embody those values. If you want to recruit and retain the best talent, you need to make sure your ads don’t just sound good, but that they’re an accurate reflection of your company culture. By being fully transparent throughout the hiring and onboarding process, you’ll set honest expectations for drivers about what it’s like to drive for your company – which will go a long way towards keeping them with you for many miles down the road. For additional information on driver recruiting, check out our article on the 3 Ways to Improve Your Driver Recruiting Experience
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