The world of CDL driver recruiting is constantly moving, and recruiters are often laser-focused on one thing: moving candidates through the application process and getting them on the road. While this, of course, is the meat and potatoes of the recruiting position, it’s important to look at what’s not there to see if you can optimize your processes.
For example, let’s say you have 100 people click on the “Apply Now” button on your website or careers page. Of those 100 clicks, you receive 50 completed applications. Of course, your main focus is going to be nurturing those 50 interested candidates to become drivers, but what about the others that didn’t submit an application? Think about your overall success rate if 80 or even 100 people actually submitted their applications. This is where driver application abandonment rates come into play.
Nearly 60% of job seekers quit in the middle of filling out online job applications because of their length or complexity. This is an incredibly high number and, in an industry as competitive for applicants as trucking, not scalable in the least. In order to lower abandonment rates, increase completed applications, and get more drivers on the road, it’s important to recognize these abandonment rates and work to optimize parts of your application process that could be driving applicants away.
Leading causes of application abandonment include:
Lengthy, complex questions
If you were behind the wheel all day, would you want to spend the limited free time you had filling out lengthy job applications? No way, and neither do CDL drivers. Nobody wants to waste time on long, confusing job applications, but still, many companies keep pushing these questions in front of drivers. Instead, focus on the basics and try to narrow down your questions so they require a simple answer. Then, during your in-person follow-up, you can ask the more detailed questions.
Not optimized for mobile
We’re living in a smartphone-powered world, and if your driver application isn’t up to snuff, you could be missing out on tons of applicants. Take your application experience to the next level by ensuring a mobile-first experience: perfect mobile rendering, saved login information, and more. When applications are easy to access, fill out, and submit via mobile, your applicants themselves will appreciate your driver-first recruiting process.
Required downloads or printing
This is a no-brainer, but it bears repeating: your application should not require any sort of PDF download, printing, or off-line work. Most drivers who are on the road all day are accessing your site from a mobile device and certainly don’t have access to a working printer. Instead, build a safe, secure application on the back-end so applicants don’t have to worry about their private information being at-risk. Leverage e-signatures to make submitting a completed application easy.
Lack of details or company information
While the application experience itself is a huge part of why drivers abandon an application, misgivings about the company itself can be a close second. Today’s drivers are looking for 100% transparency with their employer, which includes disclosing information like compensation expectations, equipment, safety, and company culture and philosophy. Make it easy for applicants or interested drivers to contact you with any questions, and even highlight success stories from current drivers. After all, you want to hire long-term drivers to avoid turnover.
If you’re serious about hiring drivers in today’s competitive trucking environment, then it’s time to get serious about abandonment rates. The team of recruiting specialists at DriverReach can help you find gaps in your current process and implement new strategies to increase completed applications and get more drivers on the road. Schedule your call now to talk to a specialist.
