After the general chaos of the last 18 months, the trucking industry is finally getting back into a sense of normalcy. However, for driver recruiters, this ‘new normal’ has come with an eye-opening realization: digital-first processes do work!
For years – decades, the trucking industry has been decidedly behind the times in many aspects of company culture, recruiting, and employee retention. The uncertainty of the last year has thrust these areas into the spotlight and forced carrier HR and recruiting teams to rethink how they manage their processes and work with drivers.
After the entire world ‘went virtual’ and adopted digital technology to engage in some of the most basic collaborative functions, many driver recruiting teams are waking up to the fact that a digital-first recruiting process may be a secret ingredient to surviving and thriving in a post-pandemic world.
Here is what you need to know when moving to a digital-first recruiting process this year:
- First and foremost – don’t panic.
When hearing the words ‘streamline’ or ‘automation,’ the first thing that comes to most people’s minds is replacing human positions with machines. In CDL recruiting, this will never be the case because, at its very core, recruiting is a relationship-building function. It all but requires two real people to engage and communicate. Recruiters, regardless of industry, will never be entirely replaced by digitalization. Instead, modern recruiting management systems and solutions can help augment traditional recruiting processes to make them run more efficiently and effectively for organizations.
- Your recruiters (and drivers!) are looking for this kind of modernization.
Today’s truck drivers are connected, online, and engaged with technology, and they’re naturally more attracted to carriers that share this mindset. While your recruiters have probably realized this gap, many CDL recruiting processes are stuck in the dark ages. Ask around, and you’ll quickly realize that your recruiters are actively searching for new, innovative ways to connect with on-the-go drivers, and digital processes are at the top of their ‘must have’ list.
- The digital recruiting process can and should be customized for your team’s needs.
Implementing a new applicant tracking system or recruiting management solution doesn’t mean simply turning on a cookie-cutter platform that all your competitors are using. Your organization should customize your tech solutions to meet your unique requirements and needs. Turn on features that specifically address gaps in your processes to make things perfect for your team and drivers.
- Your new digital processes can be a massive recruiting and retention tool.
As mentioned above, drivers are actively looking to work with carriers with a tech-first mindset who implement tools to help drivers. If you’re going digital, let your drivers know! Proactively market your new processes to prospective drivers and applicants. Let your current drivers know that changes are coming and give them a sneak peek.
- Always be improving.
Going digital and implementing new solutions designed to help take your processes to the next level isn’t as simple as just flipping a switch. There are bound to be some growing pains with any change, but it’s essential to improve constantly. Track your recruiting metrics and data to give even more insight into gaps or areas where new features or solutions may need to be implemented.
Want to learn more?
DriverReach is the modern driver recruiting, retention, and compliance management system for CDL recruiters. With industry-specific solutions designed to address every single part of the recruiting and retention process, DriverReach can help your team be more effective and successful this year. You can learn more by requesting your personalized consultation conversation today!
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
