Being a recruiter in today’s job marketplace – especially the CDL driver job marketplace – is a masterclass in how to break through the noise.
Employment rates are high, which means there aren’t as many people looking for jobs. Adding to the stress are low conversion rates of applicants. On average, 11% of the individuals who apply for a job online end up converting while 89% go dark.
In order to increase the number of drivers who are actively applying to your open positions (thus increasing the chances of converting a full-time employee), it’s important to be constantly optimizing and updating the way your job openings are posted, advertised, and designed.
Here are 5 ways to improve your ‘Apply Now’ rate on your website:
1. Highlight benefits on your homepage
Sometimes job postings are hidden on career pages or ‘Work with Us’ pages instead of on a carrier’s homepage. While this is okay, you still need to add a reason for potential drivers to actually click on these links. Instead of only posting your benefits and reasons why a driver should work with you on your job postings, highlight them on your homepage.
Pro tip: Sprinkle job perks, benefits, and even current driver testimonials on your homepage to entice people to click through to your ‘Apply Now’ button.
2. Post job openings on a variety of sites
While Google for Jobs is now an undisputed king among job hunting sites (with over 124 million job searches every single month!) recruiters shouldn’t box themselves into a corner with a single site. Post your job openings on your personal website, on Google for Jobs, and on traditional sites like Indeed and Monster. Even sites like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Yelp can help spread the word to potential openings.
Pro tip: When more people have the opportunity to see your ad, it will increase the chances someone actually clicks on it.
3. Optimize your job description
Having the right job description can be a huge issue in modern CDL recruiting. On one hand, you want to be upfront with drivers and make sure only the most qualified applicants apply. But on the other hand, being too specific can weed out people that would make amazing candidates for the role. One best practice is to focus your job description to speak directly to a driver. It should call out exactly what your target audience is looking for in their next role while being open and transparent about critical details, like salary.
4. Include current driver testimonials
At the end of the day, the more time a driver spends on your site, the more likely they are to convert. This is why adding current driver testimonials is such a good idea. First, they engage readers to learn more about your organization and, ultimately, convert. Second, testimonials give a human element to your organization and really highlight how focused your team is on your drivers and their work/life balance.
Pro tip: Embed video interviews of drivers outside their trucks, quick quotes from drivers about life on the road, or pictures of real drivers with their families and friends.
5. Don’t hide your ‘Apply Now’ button
Driver recruiters want prospective leads to click on their ‘Apply Now’ buttons as this simple action kicks of the entire application process. So why is it, then, that so many recruiters hide the all-important calls-to-action (CTAs) on hard-to-find website pages? If you want people to apply, post the button front and center on your homepage!
Pro tip: Add multiple CTA buttons on your Careers page or ‘Work with Us’ page. Now is not the time to be coy or cute with attracting new drivers. Be upfront and open and the clicks will follow.
As the CDL industry becomes more competitive and carriers look far and wide for drivers to fill the gaps in their shipping operations, increasing new driver applicants is more important than ever. By making your application process easy to start and increasing ‘Apply Now’ conversions, your team can fill your funnel with new applicants.
Stay up to date on CDL trucking trends! Be sure to check out the DriverReach blog for other relevant articles and head over to our webinars page for an up-to-date list of upcoming events and on-demand recordings.
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