For CDL driver recruiters, dealing with a qualified applicant shortage is nothing new. After all, the industry-wide driver shortage has been going on for years. After the global pandemic completely shifted the supply chain, things looked a little different. Many carriers look to the end of the pandemic as a light at the end of a tunnel. However, as things begin to reopen, many employers are finding that although they may be hiring, applicants just aren’t applying.
In this post-COVID world, the global workforce is taking a closer look at their employers, who they are working for, and the value these jobs bring to daily life. Added to this introspection, of course, has been a series of government-funded stimulus checks, allowing many to turn down work that would have otherwise been necessary. Simply put, the jobs are still there, but people just aren’t applying – because they don’t have to.
Even though we’re quickly approaching the ‘end’ of the global pandemic thanks to vaccine rollouts and openings, CDL driver recruiters still need to be fully aware of the risks that exist for finding qualified applicants. There are plenty of things to learn from other industries, and knowing that there might not be hundreds of drivers standing in line to be hired is one of them.
Here are some quick, actionable tips to get new driver applicants in the door, verified, and on the road faster:
- Get rid of clunky applications.
One of the best parts of looking for a new job is quickly applying online for it. Your online application could be standing in the way of more applications if it’s unnecessarily long if you are asking applicants to log in before they apply, or if applicants have to type out a novel in response to a question. Streamlining things makes it easier for applicants to finish the process.
- Open up your application options.
If you are promoting a new driver position on a job board and then ask applicants to click through to a website or third-party page to apply, you’re more than likely missing out on applications. Eliminate unnecessary clicks to boost applicants quickly and easily.
- Automate wherever possible.
CDL recruiters have more than enough on their plates, so why waste precious time doing menial tasks? Automating wherever possible during the recruitment process – logging calls, templatizing email follow-ups, etc. – frees up the recruiter’s time to focus on the most critical aspects of recruiting: the drivers themselves.
- Turn to your current drivers.
Yes, it may be hard to find new drivers through a typical online forum or job search page. But just because nobody is applying doesn’t mean that nobody is looking for a new career opportunity. Work with your current drivers to get new driver referrals straight from the source. Consider setting up a compensation program to keep these referrals coming in on a steady basis.
It may be a tough market to find new job applicants, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. CDL driver recruiters have had to be resilient, flexible, and agile for many years now to reach new driver applicants, and today’s current recruiting landscape is just one more hoop CDL recruiting teams can jump through with east. You can learn more about building a scalable, flexible driver recruiting strategy here.
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.
Listen to Taking the Hire Road podcast, hosted by Jeremy Reymer and in collaboration with FreightWaves, for timely conversations with industry experts. For more information, or to join a live group demo, visit www.driverreach.com/livedemo
