How to Get Your Drivers to Submit Video Testimonials

 

Video testimonials from your truck drivers can be one of the most valuable assets your company has. These testimonials are excellent sources for recruitment content and company promotions. However, they are hard to obtain. Here is how to get your drivers to submit video testimonials.

What are Video Testimonials?

Video testimonials are simply the act of sitting down with your drivers and interviewing them what it is like to work for your company. These are not scripted actors, but instead the real people who drive your trucks.

Why do you Need Video Testimonials From Your Drivers? 

Video testimonials are beneficial because they provide the most realistic view of what it is like to work for your fleet.

Sharing these testimonials will show a level of authenticity to your company that is not possible with other forms of driver recruitment advertising.

Authenticity creates a layer of trust between your company and potential drivers. This trust will help your recruiters immensely when they reach out to drivers for the first time, helping your hiring efforts.

People creating and reacting to a driver video testimonial

6 Steps to Get Your Drivers to Submit Video Testimonials 

  1. Personal Your Request

  2. Emphasize the “W.I.I.F.M” for the Driver 

  3. Provide Easy to Answer Prompts 

  4. Make the Submission as Easy as Possible 

  5. Encourage Drivers to Show off Their Personality 

  6. Utilize a Creative Agency

Personalize Your Request

Do not send an impersonal survey request… nobody likes nor responds to those. Here is an example of a bad request:

A bad example of a request for drivers to submit a video testimonial.

You’ve hand-picked the drivers you’re requesting feedback from, so treat them that way and make them feel special! 

One of the easiest ways you can personalize your request is by using the driver’s first name in the subject line. Doing this will grab their attention while looking at their email inbox and let them know this email is specifically for them.

Another thing you should do is send out the emails individually to the drivers, no email blasts. Nobody likes long email chains.

Keep in mind that if it looks like an automated message – it will get treated like on. Your drivers will either ignore it or immediately delete it.

Biggest Personalization mistake to Avoid:

Using requests or subject lines that make an employee feel like a number, not a person like,
“Driver Feedback needed”, or, “We value your feedback”

Emphasize the “W.I.I.F.M” for the Driver

Human beings are naturally selfish – and it’s no different when it comes to feedback requests. When you’re asking for a testimonial, you’re essentially saying, we want more drivers like you.

It’s a huge compliment to the drivers’ character and shows that you’re trying to better the company by hiring more drivers like them – so say that!!

In addition to flattering the driver, your company may consider including a small incentive for the feedback like a $10 gift card. If you are including an incentive you need to make that abundantly clear to the drivers.

Biggest “W.I.I.F.M” Mistake to Avoid:

Requesting a testimonial without expressing how much you value the service the driver is providing

Provide Easy to Answer Prompts 

Drivers do not want to spend hours answering long-winded questions. The longer the driver thinks it will take for them to complete the testimonial, the less likely they are to complete it.

However, do not make the prompts too simple.

The biggest mistake first-time interviewers make is asking yes or no questions, it’s important to make the questions open-ended. By asking open-ended questions you are leaving room for the drivers to be themselves and provide honest feedback. 

It’s also important to ask drivers to rephrase the questions into their answers. If you ask “what’s it like to drive for XYZ Co…” ask them to include the phase “driving for XYZ Co is dot dot dot” not just – “they give good pay and benefits”

Biggest Prompts Mistake to Avoid:

Asking close-ended, yes/no questions – they don’t make for good videos

Make the Submission as Easy as Possible

Again, thinking about W.I.I.F.M. – just like with a job application, if it’s difficult to do or takes more than 15 minutes, you can kiss your opportunity goodbye. 

Make use of video survey services, like Trade Response – this lets you send personalized questions at scale to your drivers.

Biggest Submission Mistake to Avoid:

Trying to coordinate schedules with a driver endlessly

Encourage Drivers to Show off Their Personality

At the end of the day you always have to remember that drivers are human beings, if they don’t say the answer in the most articulate way, it’s okay. It may even make your video more persuasive. 

In today’s recruiting landscape, drivers are looking for authenticity and there is nothing authentic about a perfectly scripted testimonial. So let your drivers be themselves and do not stress about perfection!

Plus, if drivers are encouraged to show off their personality, they will have more fun with the project and be more likely to submit their video.

Biggest Encouragement Mistake to Avoid

Discouraging personalized stories – or just not asking the right questions to evoke those answers

Utilize a Creative Agency

Creative agencies can turn your drivers into company spokespeople, even if they record the video from their phone. Agencies are pros – they know what questions to ask, how to ask them and how to deliver the best results.

Biggest Mistake to Avoid:

Trying to DIY the project – it wastes everyone’s time, yielding results that either aren’t good or all sound the same

In today’s age, major advertisers are running commercials using “user generated content”, meaning there was no crew, no large budget, and no hassle. The same can be done with drivers. Video testimonials can add fuel to your driver recruiting fire, igniting the hiring spree your company needs. 

5 Tips to Get the Most Out of Video Interviews

In person interviews have not been possible since March. This means that if you have hired any drivers in the past three months, you had to conduct a video chat interview. Whether you are using Zoom, Google Hangouts, etc. you need to be prepared. Follow this guide to get the most out of your video interviews.

Man gets the most out of video interview

1. Set the Bar for the Meeting

As the interviewer, it is up to you to be an example of what it means to be a professional at your company. You need to set the bar for the interview.

One way that you can set the professional bar is by dressing professionally. Working from home it is tempting to remain in your comfortable clothes, but when you interview you are the face of your company.

Drivers are going to judge your company based on you. So dressing professionally will send the message that your company takes themselves seriously. Professional drivers want to work for professional companies.

The next thing you need to do is find a space that has quality lighting and is in a quiet space. Doing this will ensure that the driver will be able to see you clearly and there will not be any interruptions.

2. Understand Technical Difficulties

You need to remember that this world is new to the drivers as well. Many of them are going to struggle with interviewing remotely.

If a driver you are interviewing hops on the call late because they could not load the page, or if the call drops, you need to work with them.

Do not rule out hiring a potential driver because they could not figure out the video interview. Have patience, rushing to judgement will lead to you ruling out quality drivers.

3. Record and Review Later

There is no doubt that interviewing drivers in person is the best way to gauge a potential employee. However, video interviews have certain advantages.

The biggest advantage that video interviews have is that it is easier for you to record the interview and review it later.

You will become fatigued if you conduct multiple interviews in one day. This can lead to you overlooking a great driver.

Recording and reviewing the video interviews will help ensure you offer your positions to the most qualified driver.

4. Provide Clear Instructions

As mentioned earlier, drivers are likely to struggle technically with the video interview. The best way to avoid this is to provide clear, step-by-step, instructions prior to the interview.

The more you can do to eliminate technical barriers, the more you can focus on the driver. This way you can get a better idea of who the driver is as a person.

5. Ask Questions That Generate Articulation

Because you won’t get to have the human interaction like a typical interview, you need to ask questions that get drivers to explain themselves.

Here are some common video questions to ask drivers:

  • Why did you decide to apply with our company?
  • Why are you a truck driver?
  • Describe the best work environment you have been a part of
  • How did you manage driving your toughest routes?

Driver providing articulate answers on video interview

Video interviews will not allow you to test a driver’s capabilities so you must get drivers to describe their skills to you. You will have to make your hiring decisions based on how drivers are able to articulate their thoughts. Because of this, the questions you ask directly affect retention and overall company performance.

If you don’t know what you are doing with video interviews, it can lead to hiring the wrong person. Follow these 5 tips to get the most out of your video interviews.