Ghosting is never a good idea, especially in CDL driver recruiting. It can be tough when a driver goes dark during the recruiting process, especially because it’s so hard to find top-tier candidates these days. But it is equally as hard for drivers when recruiters go dark on them, with little to no explanation of why.
This, in the simplest sense, is the recruiting black hole: the sense of drivers falling into the cracks or gaps in the recruiting process, regardless of the tools or technology a recruiting team is using. While no recruiter wants drivers to slip through the cracks, it can easily happen without recruiters really even realizing it.
Too often, a driver application is submitted, reviewed internally, and moved on to the next ‘stage’ in the recruiting process. After a phone conversation (or maybe two), the clear line of communication is lost, and nobody follows up with the driver. This perfectly viable applicant has now been lost to the recruiting black hole, and there is really no coming back from there. Even if your team realizes the lack of communication and tries to reach out, your driver applicant has probably already moved on to other opportunities with other carriers – of which there are many.
The bottom line is clear: there is too much competition in the industry to let drivers fall into the recruiting black hole.
So how can you prevent this from happening? Here are a few do’s and don’ts to keep in mind to prevent drivers from falling into the black hold of CDL driver recruiting:
- Do put a formal process in place. Unfortunately, relying on people to follow up isn’t always the best game plan.
- Do hold people accountable. Assign tasks and follow-up items to recruiters and make sure these people know they’re responsible for driver communication.
- Don’t be too reliant on technology. It’s all about finding the ‘sweet spot’ between recruiting software and in-person communication.
- Do set up a nurture program. These automated nudges (either through email or text) can help keep drivers engaged even if your team slips a bit.
- Don’t stop at the recruiting process. Staying in contact with drivers is also important for long-term driver retention and satisfaction.
Ready to get started?
If you’re sick of drivers falling into the black hole of recruiting, then it’s time to do something about it! You can set up a personalized consultation with the DriverReach team to learn how our industry-leading CDL driver recruiting management solution can help manage the ins and outs of driver recruiting, communication, and retention. You can learn more here.
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