Recruiting truck drivers is a challenging feat. A successful strategy requires patience, honesty, and true relationship-building.
Drivers need to feel respected and valued. They also want to feel like they are part of something that matters. When a recruiting agency is honest with drivers from the start, the result is a mutually beneficial relationship.
They Know the Industry
In the world of truck driver recruiting, efficiency is everything. Recruiters have limited time and resources, so they must quickly find the most qualified candidates. To do so, they must know which metrics are important to track and how to evaluate their effectiveness.
One important metric to track is “time to hire.” This is the time it takes from when a candidate applies for a job until they accept their offer. This metric can measure the effectiveness of your sourcing channels and help you decide where to invest your recruitment budget.
Another metric to consider is employee retention. Retaining drivers can be challenging, but it is essential for companies that want to maintain stability in their freight operations. A truck driver recruiting agency can help companies reduce turnover by matching candidates with positions that match their skills, interests, and career goals. By doing so, they can improve the overall quality of their workforce and reduce expenses associated with training and hiring new employees.
They Know the Drivers
Truck drivers are a fleet’s most valuable commodity. Without them, shipments are delayed, and companies are forced to pay a premium for trucks. But with the national truck driver shortage in full effect, attracting and retaining quality drivers can be difficult.
Effective recruitment strategies require a deep understanding of the industry, insights into human psychology, and a keen knowledge of employment laws and regulations. That’s where truck driver recruiting agencies come in. They are the unseen puppeteers orchestrating a ballet of logistics and human resources, finding talent and filling vacancies with the right people.
Recruiting agencies help ensure that new hires are happy and successful. This is done by fostering a culture of respect and appreciation, encouraging feedback, and building trust with employees. These tactics are vital to any company but especially crucial in the transportation industry. After all, a disgruntled driver can take their frustration out on everyone else—including your customers. A company that can create a positive work environment will more likely retain its drivers, saving on hiring and training costs.
They Know Your Needs
There’s a lot that goes into hiring the right people. Aside from finding and screening applicants, truck driver recruiters help drivers get oriented at their new company. It is important to get the details about things like their new rig, perks, and benefits so drivers know what to expect in their new job.
Professional recruitment agencies are staffed with experts in the trucking industry and know how to identify and select candidates that align with your business needs. They can also speed up the hiring process and reduce turnover by matching candidates with positions that suit their skills, preferences, and career goals.
Aside from sourcing talent, truck driver recruiting agencies can also provide you with data about the quality of your new hires and their first-year performance. This information can give you insight into your hiring practices and help you make better decisions in the future. Keeping in touch with drivers over time is an effective way to build rapport and demonstrate that you care about the well-being of your employees. This will also keep candidates happy and engaged in their jobs, which can reduce employee turnover.
They Know Your Budget
When hiring new truck drivers, fleet owners have a finite budget to spend and must make each dollar count. Effectively allocating that budget requires a clear understanding of recruiting costs and metrics like cost per hire (CPH).
CPH is calculated by adding all the costs associated with finding and interviewing driver candidates and then dividing by the number of drivers hired due to those efforts. By tracking CPH over time, you can identify which tactics are working and where the most money is being spent.
The best way to save on recruiting costs is by leveraging existing talent pools such as driver referrals and driving resume databases. Truck driver recruitment agencies have the resources, connections, and systems to locate talent pools and filter candidates to find those with the right skill sets promptly, saving you money on advertising costs. Additionally, mobile recruiting apps simplify the application process and allow applicants to track their status in real time, reducing indirect costs associated with job openings left unfilled.
They Know the Right People
The most successful truck driver recruiting agencies know how to find the right people promptly. They also know how to use the most effective interview techniques to quickly and effectively identify candidates that fit your company’s specific needs.
They are like the unseen puppeteers orchestrating a complex ballet of logistics and human resources. They are tasked with identifying candidates, engaging them, navigating the complexities of hiring regulations, and securing their placement within your company.
Truck drivers want to work for companies with a culture that fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion. This is why promoting your company culture and highlighting your values in any marketing materials you create for truck driver recruitment is important.
One great way to do this is by using your current drivers as faces of your recruitment efforts. For instance, you can share a “day in the life” series of your drivers highlighting the perks of working for your company (like seeing new places or having friendly interactions at truck stops). This will help prospects relate and be more likely to decide on the spot.