Drivers have always been in high demand, but in the pandemic era, demand has increased exponentially. Now as the demand for freight continues to rise, and fleets begin to buy more rigs the competition for quality drivers will continue to ramp up. That means that fleets and their recruiting partners are going to need a solid strategy to successfully fill their trucks and win out over their competitors. But in an ever-changing industry driven by advancing technology, planning out a successful truck driver recruiting strategy can be a difficult hurdle to overcome. However, with the right framework in place, it doesn’t have to be. Below, we’re going to outline the characteristics of a successful recruiting strategy to fill those trucks and keep the freight moving.
A Successful Driver Recruiting Strategy Starts With Data
Particularly when recruiting in a candidate-driven market, every successful recruiting strategy will need to start with data. The first data you’re going to need will be some basic hiring metrics to see if there are bottlenecks or breakdowns in your existing recruiting process. Key data points to look at include:
- Cost-per-hire
- Time-to-hire
- Source of hire
- Candidate experience scores (e.g. application conversion rates, candidate feedback)
- Job offer acceptance rates
Many of the top ATSes can compile this information for you.
Next, you’ll need a thorough competitor analysis. In particular, you’ll want to find out what your competitor’s compensation and benefits packages are, as well as any bonuses and perks they may be offering. This will help to make sure that you are staying competitive with your offerings. Lastly, you’ll want to know where your ideal candidate market spends its time. In a recent study conducted by our team, we found that 71% of drivers used online job boards, and 47% used social media as their primary job source. When further polled, we discovered that of the drivers who used social media, 75% of them preferred Facebook, 54% preferred YouTube, and only 15% used LinkedIn.
Moving forward with that data and employing some or all of the techniques listed below can help to ensure your next driver recruiting campaign is a successful one.
Multiple Points of Contact
Maintaining a high engagement level with prospective drivers is crucial and requires multiple contact touchpoints. Making initial contact promptly after the lead is gained is also extremely important. In today’s driver market, recruiters can’t afford to drag their feet or sit on leads for too long. According to some of our top-rated partners, the best practice is to follow up with candidates in 8 minutes or less. However, your strategy shouldn’t end after initial contact is made.
Recruiters must make contact at regular intervals throughout every step of the hiring journey to make sure all questions or concerns have been answered or addressed. Good drivers are in high demand, and low engagement or long periods between contact can ultimately cost you a driver. While the first point of contact is often the most crucial to your success, a great strategy should use different mediums to keep in contact with a driver candidate. After initial contact and interest are established, use a mix of media such as texts, emails, social media, and phone or other lead nurturing tools like the ones offered by Work4. Multiple points of contact can go a long way in keeping top candidates engaged and enthused in working for your fleet.
In our recent driver study, we found that 38% of our driver respondents say that they hear from recruiters daily. If your recruiter team isn’t reaching out to candidates, your competition surely is. Keep recruiting contact on a consistent schedule to ensure that your fleet is staying top of mind for top driver candidates.
A Strong and Unique Employer Value Proposition
Presenting a strong employer value proposition is a great way to improve your driver recruitment strategy. Over the years fleets have experimented with various ways to attract and keep drivers on the road, from sign-on bonuses to rider policies there are a lot of perks drivers are looking for. Our research showed that top job satisfaction factors for drivers include benefits and bonuses.
Remember that at this point, generally speaking, most drivers are constantly on the lookout for a better or more attractive offer from other fleets. Our findings show that while 72% of our respondents selected “employed” at the time of our survey, 52% stated that they were actively seeking new employment while 30% said they would be open to a new job if the right opportunity presented itself.
This means that even after you have secured a new driver, you will still need to actively work to keep them. The key here is for your fleet to be different. That doesn’t mean you have to offer huge sign-on bonuses or above-average pay. You just have to know what key features make your fleet different or special and actively promote them. If you blend in with every other fleet there’s no real incentive to join or stay with you.
Well-Written Job Descriptions
A sometimes overlooked piece of the truck driver recruiting puzzle is the job description itself.
Your job description often generates a prospective driver’s first impression of your fleet. Among the drivers we polled, drivers we polled said that they were 36% more likely to select a job title that listed the annual salary vs one that had a signing bonus or CPM listed.
Within your job description, instead of stating the hiring requirements or benefits in paragraphs, list them with bullet points whenever possible to make them stand out. Keep your listing short and simple with a focus on those features and benefits that make your company unique. But, don’t forget to add in any specific requirements or endorsements.
Accurate Tracking
Tracking leads by source and or channel helps not only to eliminate waste of time and budget but keeps you informed of what’s working and what isn’t. Being able to see where your leads are coming from and which lead sources have the highest conversion rate can help recruiters prioritize prospects. This will allow your recruiting team to focus on prospects with a higher chance of converting and to avoid wasting valuable time and effort on a low percentage prospect. In today’s driver market, recruiters can’t afford to waste time on candidates who aren’t a good fit for the fleet. Maintaining accurate tracking will allow recruiters to track trends and provide a guide for your recruiting efforts moving forward.
On the Road to Better Hires
Fleets can’t afford to let their rigs sit idle. If you are ready to create a strong, successful truck driver recruiting strategy, Work4 is here to help. We are the leader in driver recruitment marketing. Try out all of the features of our custom ads campaigns for 5 weeks and see the difference in your recruiting stats.
