Truck driver recruiting is a career that requires creativity, the ability to be a salesperson, and extreme dedication. Given the driver shortage and constantly changing industry, it is common for recruiters to feel like they have lost their “hiring touch”. If that sounds like you then follow this guide and you will reignite your hiring touch with the 6 Steps to Successfully Hiring Truck Drivers.
- Generate awareness with paid advertising
- Inform the driver with your website content
- Get the driver to apply for your company
- Call the driver ASAP after they apply
- Ensure the driver attends orientation
- Officially hire the driver
Paid Advertising Generating Awareness
Launching a paid advertising campaign is the first step to hiring professional drivers. Paid advertising campaigns are the best way to generate awareness for your company within your desired driver demographic.
Paid advertising includes social media advertising, retargeting, geofencing, buying ads on Google, and much more. Each avenue of paid advertising works together to touch the driver during different use cases.
For example:
A driver may first come across one of your banner ads while they are surfing the web. This first touch doesn’t create much of an impact, but then while stopped at a truck stop a geotargeted ad pops up on the driver’s phone. They take more notice the second time but not enough to act.
Finally, while scrolling Facebook a driver testimonial comes across their feed. This interests the driver enough that they click on your Facebook page.
On your Facebook page, the driver consumes enough content they decide they want to learn even more about your company. So they go to visit your website.
It is important to note in this example that the driver never clicked directly on a paid advertisement to apply. Paid media rarely generates direct applications.
Instead, paid advertising is amazing at generating impressions for your company. In the example, the driver never would have known about the company if it were not for paid ads.
Website Content Informs Drivers
If your paid advertising campaign does what it is supposed to do, your website will be flooded with traffic. The majority of this traffic will be from drivers considering the idea of applying to drive for your company.
Think about the example above.
The driver in the example was exposed to enough paid advertisements that they took the next step and visited your website.
Now that they are on your website they still need to be convinced to apply to drive for your company. The reason they are on the site is to learn more.
Drivers are looking for content that tells them the logistics of the position (pay, route type, required certifications, etc.) and what it is like being an employee for your company.
The logistics of the position should all be covered in the job description. To show what it is like to be an employee for your company you need things like driver testimonials, write-ups on top-performing drivers, and messages from upper management on their views of the drivers.
Driver Submits an Application
At this point, you have made the driver aware that you are hiring and informed them about your company’s driver experience.
Assuming the content did its job, the driver will click on your CTA and apply to drive for your company.
The most important thing with this step in the process is to make your application quick and easy to submit. A complicated application form can deter drivers from applying.
Recruiter Calls the Driver ASAP
Just because the driver applies to your company does not mean they are completely sold on being employed by you. Plus, they are often applying to multiple companies at once.
If you take too long to call the driver, you are going to lose them to another company.
The odds of contacting a driver are 100 times higher if called in 5 minutes versus 30 minutes. The odds of qualifying a driver are 21 times higher if called in 5 minutes versus 30 minutes.
Use software like Zappier to notify you of the moment an application is submitted. The moment you receive the notification call the driver.
You are far more likely to get a hold of the driver, verify their credentials, and get them to commit to your company before another company does.
Recruiter gets the Driver Through Orientation
Truck drivers are constantly being sent new job opportunities. They are in a position where their skills are in high demand.
It is very common for a driver to apply, accept a job offer, and then take a different job for another company before making it through orientation.
Truck driver recruiters can not lose contact with the driver once they get a commitment. It is up to the recruiter to do whatever it takes to get that driver through orientation and officially hired.
The Driver is Officially Hired
The final step in the recruiting process is officially sending the driver off on their first run for the company.
However,
The driver recruiter should never stop recruiting drivers hired.
Considering the driver shortage, there is no guarantee that a hired driver will last long with your company. Recruiters should take it on themselves to value the drivers and make them want to stay with the company over others.
Awareness, content consumption, application, direct contact, orientation, and officially hitting the road are the 6 steps to successfully hiring truck drivers. Keep in mind that it is rare for a driver to go through all 6 steps in order. Most people will go through steps 1-4 multiple times.