Although it’s been notoriously slow in the uptick, the trucking industry is finally joining the numerous more progressive industries in the new age of technology.
New innovations and solutions have increased efficiencies in nearly every part of the transportation and logistics process—from hiring drivers to planning routes to dispatching drivers.
When it comes to taking on the challenging task of recruiting and hiring CDL drivers in today’s driver shortage environment, technology has made it possible for employers to target, capture, and nurture new leads through the hiring processes in a much more streamlined and efficient manner.
Below, we’ll explore 3 critical technologies every CDL driver recruiter needs in order to improve driver speed-to-hire in their organization:
An intuitive, modern web presence
In today’s tech-first, mobile environment, nearly every interaction that driver applicants have with your company prior to hire occurs online—especially job hunting.
The first place anyone—including CDL drivers—look for new opportunities is online, and most of these online searches are done via mobile devices. Companies MUST have a mobile-friendly website that is easy to find, easy to navigate, and easy to understand. A hiring site is no place for fancy language or messaging. It needs a centrally located ‘Apply Now’ CTA in big bold letters to attract as many applicants as possible.
Another important (but often forgotten) aspect of a brand’s web presence is social media. Today’s job seekers automatically assume companies have some sort of social media presence, and trucking companies are no exception.
Companies should leverage popular yet professional platforms like Facebook and Twitter to attract a new audience, but remember—if you have a social media presence, you must keep it updated with informative news and engaging information. Nothing screams ‘uncredible’ or ‘low-budget’ than an outdated, poorly designed social media page.
Drivers are job seekers like anyone else, and social media is one of the first places they’ll look to learn about an organization. If your organization doesn’t have a mobile-first mindset, you’re likely losing out on great driver candidates without even realizing it!
A full-service CRM platform
When a CDL recruiter is recruiting drivers, the concept isn’t much different than sales—it simply requires moving a prospect (or a lead) through the applicant process (or the sales cycle) to hire (or close). Just as salespeople use CRM (customer relationship management) platforms to move leads through their pipeline, so too must recruiters use a CRM (in this case, it’s candidate relationship management) to move driver candidates through the hiring process with better communication and efficiency. A CRM is necessary for recruiters looking to:
- Send automatic messages to candidates based on predetermined criteria and benchmarks
- Track and record all inbound and outbound communication with candidates
- Create follow-up tasks and reminders for recruiters about particular candidates
- Recycle and update a growing candidate database so nobody slips through the cracks
A CRM platform integrated with the driver application and recruitment process makes it easy to identify specific candidate audiences and then target messaging to help move them through the hiring process with greater efficiency and effectiveness.
A powerful applicant tracking system
If a user-friendly web presence attracts new candidates and a CRM helps recruiters keep track of them, then an applicant tracking system (ATS) moves them from point A to point B in the hiring process. A full-service ATS solution proves valuable from the very beginning of the recruitment process to the moment the driver is on his first route.
The process starts with verification of employment and other background checks, and moves applicants through the interview and engagement workflows, and even communicates with hired drivers to keep them up-to-date on various expiration dates to ensure ongoing compliance.
With these solutions working in tandem, modern CDL recruiters can move applicants through the hiring process faster and get them on the roads with as few setbacks as possible.
For innovative, modern driver recruiting companies, DriverReach is the only ATS system that addresses all the traditional aspects of recruiting management as well as proactive reports and analytics to help identify where processes can be further improved.
From an employment verification process that takes minutes instead of weeks to text-optimized interview functionality and DQ file compliance management down the road, DriverReach makes it easy for recruiters to stay on top of the application process without losing sight of the candidate experience.
You can learn more about DriverReach, the modern application tracking and all-in-one recruiting management solution, here.
