Recruiting and HR is a constantly changing, ever-evolving industry. Today’s workforce is looking for a culture-first attitude from employers (regardless of industry) and recruiters have had to adopt new strategies and tools to keep up with this demand. For CDL driver recruiters, there has never been so much opportunity in the industry. Between new advancements in technology, an industry-wide brand revamp, and an increasingly sophisticated applicant pipeline, CDL driver recruiters can finally step away from traditional recruiting methods and start to adopt more cutting-edge, innovative strategies.
Here are 5 recruitment trends to watch in 2019:
1. A growing partnership between humans and technology
Recruitment is like any industry in that it has been under a wave of technological advancements the last few years. While many CDL driver recruiters may have panicked at the onslaught of these new solutions (including AI-powered chatbots and automation), it doesn’t mean that machines are replacing people. In an industry that literally serves to connect people with people-first organizations, there will never be a machine that completely replaces a human touch.
2019 is all about blending the lines between people and technology and creating a partnership that merges the sophistication and analytical power of recruiting technology with the personal touch and empathy of human recruiters.
2. Candidates are demanding transparency and visibility
Whereas in years past driver recruiters might have been comfortable having multiple conversations with candidates and not bothering to follow up, this level of ambiguity just won’t cut it in the modern recruiting landscape. There are a few high-level reasons for this. First, as Millennials and Gen Z employees flood the workforce, their personal values are being translated into corporate values. Companies of all kinds must be able to uphold these new values in their policies, including transparency.
Next, the rapid flow of information in our modern world has caught up with recruiting. Today’s candidates are used to real-time information and knowing about things as soon as they happen. The CDL industry is no longer ‘stuck in the past’ and driver candidates expect this same treatment from recruiters. And finally, the sheer ease of communication and availability of communication tools makes not following up or not reaching out seem rude and off-putting.
3. Recruiting is now a candidate-driven industry
While there are plenty of steps recruiters can take to increase brand image or to market new jobs to potential candidate audiences, recruiting is now officially a candidate-driven industry. The sheer number of inbound candidates vs. outbound candidates is rapidly increasing. In fact, the current job market is 90% candidate driven, making it more important than ever for recruiters to have a well-oiled inbound process ready.
For CDL driver recruiters, this means having an easily accessible application, a well-thought-out follow-up plan, and a seamless workflow for moving applicants from one stage of the hiring process to the next. This is so important because, in the new candidate-driven landscape, if anything is out of place or off-putting to candidates, they can simply leave and find a new position with a competitor.
4. The candidate experience is more important than ever
Because of this new candidate-led industry, the applicant experience means more to recruiters than ever. For CDL driver recruiters who are working in the age of the nationwide driver-shortage, a great candidate experience can mean the difference between an applicant going dark and a new hire. Everything from how easy an application is to fill out to whether or not the process is mobile-optimized to how many post-application conversations there are can make a difference. And CDL recruiting is not the only industry dealing with this issue. According to a recent report, bad candidate experiences cost Virgin Media $5 million annually. Putting a financial number to the applicant experience can really highlight just how important it is in the modern recruiting landscape.
5. Automation and nurturing are the new best practices
In past years it was okay for recruiters to deal with applications as they came in, following up when time allowed and waiting days between touch points. The CDL industry has changed, however, and now recruiters must be able to follow-up with new applicants immediately to keep the position top-of-mind. The best way to do this without going crazy is to rely on automation and nurturing solutions. With automation, recruiters can rest assured no touchpoints are slipping through the cracks because of a time crunch. Nurturing and drip programs allow recruiters to steadily share new content and resources with potential candidates (even before they’ve applied) to keep the company top-of-mind.
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