One of the worst feelings in all of CDL driver recruiting is that after putting in the time and effort to work with a driver through the ups and downs of the recruiting process, a driver goes dark – effectively 'ghosting' you and your team. While this may happen for all sorts of reasons (the driver changed their mind, found another carrier, etc.), one big reason often triumphs over the others. Long, tedious recruiting processes that lack focused, timely follow-up can kill whatever progress you were making with a driver, leading them to go dark and ghost you.
Here are a few actionable strategies to avoid driver ghosting by quickly following up with drivers:
- Do as much pre-work as possible before engaging drivers.
If you are in the middle of a recruiting session with a driver, there is no reason to be hunting down questions, developing talking points, or anything of this nature. This work should already be done well in advance and, if you are part of a large team, be approved by management.
- Multitasking during the recruiting process is essential, especially regarding compliance regulations.
It's never a good idea to wait until a driver commits before initiating the qualification process. Verifying previous employment and querying the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, for example, takes time. Get started on these processes as early as possible to ensure that, once your driver accepts your offer, they can be on the road as soon as possible.
- Make sure all your recruiters have access to the same information.
Nothing slows down the driver engagement process more than a recruiter having to hunt down information or notes from a previous meeting. Whether your team uses an ATS or CRM to manage this data, all driver and recruiting notes should be meticulously documented in a single, easy-to-access location for all recruiters. This way, any recruiter on your team can easily step into the conversation with a driver at any moment.
- Track your team's success rates and make improvements as necessary.
Data is required to ensure these processes are working correctly whenever you implement new strategies or processes. Make sure you track before and after metrics, time stamps, and success rates to see if your team is improving speed-to-hire. If not, make adjustments to keep your team moving in the right direction.
Ready to get started?
With DriverReach, your team can do more than just wait around for drivers to reach out. The modern, streamlined technology of DriverReach gives your team the power to be proactive, transparent, and strategic with your driver engagement.
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