It’s that time of year again when many trucking companies will start to re-evaluate their driver recruitment process. According to a recent survey we conducted, nearly 70% of recruiters plan to increase their use of technology heading into 2022. As a driver recruiter, a great way to update and improve your recruiting and hiring technology is with a new Applicant Tracking System (ATS). There are hundreds of ATSes out there to choose from, but only a few are specifically designed for transportation. Today we’re going to review for you, the top 4 ATSes for driver recruiting. After all, addressing the specific requirements of the Department of Transportation (DOT) while managing the unique needs of drivers requires a company that specializes in transportation.
What is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is a type of software that organizes, standardizes, streamlines, and reports on a company’s entire hiring process. An ATS can not only handle but fully automate many of the hiring process steps that have traditionally been done manually. Currently, more than 90% of Fortune 500 companies utilize this technology. The features of each ATS are designed to improve the hiring process for not only recruiters but candidates as well.
What are the Major Features of an ATS?
Your ATS is essentially your company’s digital hiring hub since it can be used to centralize your recruitment database by housing all candidate information, job openings, and placements. Applicant tracking system features will vary depending on what provider you use however here are some of the most common components that a modern applicant tracking system will offer:
Career Site
Some ATSes will let you host your careers site within your own website, while others will require that it be hosted on their own platform. Either way, you will have a brandable portal where employees can view job postings, apply, or refer outside candidates.
Job Posting
An ATS will allow you to easily automate and post open jobs on both your own career site as well as across top job boards.
Advanced Search
Most ATSes come with powerful search and sorting features to allow driver recruiters to quickly filter candidate listings, resumes, skills, and experience levels.
Email Marketing
Nearly all applicant tracking systems offer the ability to automate personalized bulk batch emails. This tool can be sued to inform candidates of new or current job openings, provide an attached job description and encourage them to apply.
Candidate Profiles
The candidate profile feature includes the ability to upload files and additional information to a candidate’s resume as well as assessment tools and reference checking.
Summary Importing and Parsing
Most applicant tracking systems have resume importing and parsing features that can standardize resumes by extracting key information and reformating them to a universal layout.
Interview Tools
Major ATS vendors provide features like automatic interview scheduling allowing candidates to self-select an interview time that works best for hiring managers and themselves. Many of them also offer video interviewing or integrations to facilitate digital interviews.
Analytics and Reporting
A digital, recruiting process allows you to track sourcing efforts, career site engagement, and advertising campaigns as well as generate reports to help you pinpoint bottlenecks in your hiring process. In addition to these common features, additional functionality may include website integrations, candidate tracking, document collaboration, event management, and integrated marketing automation tools. Workflow customizations will vary from system to system. Some vendors will include the listed features as standard, while others may offer them as add-ons.
What are the Top ATSes for Driver Recruiting?
DriverReach
DriverReach helps you tackle the driver shortage head-on with an industry-leading, mobile-friendly DOT application, plus email, text, and CRM functionality.
They also offer applicant management, VOE management, reporting, and driver compliance management services. Helping you to hire better. Faster. Learn more here.
TenStreet
With workflow solutions designed for the trucking industry, TenStree provides web-based tools to both motor carriers and private fleets for recruiting, hiring, and managing drivers. This ATS aims to help you fill your trucks, manage compliance and fill your trucks faster. Learn more here.
EBE
Founded in 1973, EBE is the leading provider of integrated document and content management, workflow, enterprise software, and business process automation solutions. EBE excels at using the power of AI to deliver solutions to the transportation industry. Learn more here.
TruckRight
Recruit fast. Manage with confidence. TruckRight is an enterprise solution designed for the transportation industry featuring cloud-based software to accelerate recruitment, onboarding, and automate compliance. With a user-first approach, they provide paperless onboarding, online training, and task automation to improve driver recruitment and retention. Learn more here.
Why Do You Need Applicant Tracking Software?
In the midst of the ongoing driver shortage, finding top talent can be a difficult endeavor. The key to winning out above the competition is speed so if your application or hiring process is lengthy or difficult to navigate, you’re likely to lose candidates to competitors with easier-to-use systems. The best ATS solutions give HR and hiring teams an organized, standardized process allowing them to streamline hiring, improve the candidate journey, and significantly reduce the time to hire. ATS software can also help companies respond quicker to applicants, increasing overall candidate satisfaction, an important factor in today’s hiring market. According to some of our top customers, the best practice is to follow up with driver candidates in 8 minutes or less.
How to Choose the Best Applicant Tracking System
If you’re looking for a new ATS system, chances are your current hiring processes aren’t working well for you. Start by determining what parts of your current process aren’t working or are too slow. Use these factors to clarify what features are your “need to haves” vs your “nice to haves.”
Determine Your Goals
Carefully consider your goals for a new ATS. Are you looking for a more efficient process? Better lead source tracking? A more cohesive communication mechanism? Identifying your top priorities at the start will help narrow down your top contenders.
Consider Your Candidate
Consider your application and hiring process from the driver’s point of view. Keep in mind that today’s CDL drivers are constantly on their smartphones, and remember that their ideal application experience probably is too.
Know Your Organizations Needs
There are several features you should expect from a trucking industry ATS. At a minimum, look for DOT compliance, lead source tracking, driver referral infrastructure, and customizable workflows.
Don’t Forget Integrations
Does this ATS integrate with driver-facing platforms? How about with the tools systems and softwares your organization already utilizes? If not, are you willing to switch to new technologies or utilize an API to keep things moving smoothly? Remember that your ATS needs to work for you, not the other way around. Be sure to select a system that is easy to work with for both your recruiters and your candidates.
Work With a Partner Who Integrates With Your ATS
A good hire can help to propel your company forward while a bad one can result in significant setbacks. Choosing an ATS for your company should be given the same consideration and carry the same weight as choosing a new hire. And, once you’ve invested in a new ATS, don’t lose the value of that investment by partnering with a company that doesn’t integrate with it. Working with a company whose software integrates with you or your client’s ATS can transform the way your business handles recruiting. At Work4 our recruitment marketing systems are designed to integrate seamlessly with over 30 of the top ATS systems including the ones we’ve listed here as well as Bullhorn, Avionte, and iCims to name just a few. Contact us today to see why we are the number one choice in driver recruiting partners.
