While the driver recruiting landscape has steadily grown more competitive over the past few years, it appears to have reached a whole new level. With every industry short-staffed and looking for hirable, qualified employees, CDL driver recruiters compete against other carriers for applicants but also against thousands of other recruiting teams in hundreds of different industries.
To remain competitive in this new environment and attract, hire, and retain qualified drivers, recruiters must look outside the trucking bubble for new ways to amplify their recruiting processes.
Here are 4 ways to uplevel your CDL driver recruiting playbook this year:
- Think outside the box to attract a more diverse pool of applicants.
For years, the trucking industry has had a reputation of being ‘white, male, and stale’ that is, in reality, entirely false. Minority groups, including women, have been key applicants over the past few years. In 2022, recruiters should look outside of traditional recruiting channels to attract these diverse drivers, from message boards to forums to truck driving community groups.
- Work with your driver applicants to plan their career trajectory early on.
While many drivers are fully content with their life on the road, younger applicants and new entrants into the industry may also be looking for larger, more traditional career paths. During your recruiting conversations with applicants, discuss career planning and professional development, so you understand what drivers are looking for and how they want to grow in their roles.
- Connect with leadership on building a solid company culture.
How your team’s brand is perceived in the industry at large, your company culture, and your driver experience are all critical to attracting and hiring in this new era of fierce competition for applicants. Working directly with leadership and executives to establish a solid top-down workplace environment – one that extends to remote employees and on-the-road drivers – can help re-focus your company on what truly matters – your employees.
- Push a competitive benefits package that actually matters.
Employers across all industries are getting creative with their benefits to stand out from the crowd, and trucking is no different. In addition to compensation, healthcare, and time off, your team can attract new drivers with a truly competitive benefits package that CDL drivers desire. Think about initiatives like gym stipends or workout programs, mental health support programs, family leave, and other hot-ticket items to set yourself apart from the competition.
Ready to get started?
It’s not too late to revamp your recruiting processes for 2022. With the right resources, technology, and internal messaging, your team can step things up from day one and come out on top this year. Learn more and see first-hand how DriverReach solutions and resources can help your team transform your recruiting workflows.
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