It's no secret that modern CDL driver recruiting involves a lot more finesse than many give it credit. While well-placed ads, excellent benefit packages, and other recruiting tricks can be (and are) used to draw a driver's attention and prompt them into a conversation, actually deciding on what carrier to go with is much more personal.
Drivers are looking to work with a team where they can create a strong, personal relationship. Just as any new hire wants to connect and engage with new coworkers as friends, so too are drivers looking for this friendly rapport with recruiters. Whether it is bonding over a common interest, sharing stories of past on-the-road experiences, or discovering a mutual acquaintance in the industry, these personal relationships can go a long way.
Establishing a solid rapport with driver applicants can help recruiters:
- Attract new drivers to an open position
- Develop lasting relationships that can help with long-term driver tenure
- Turn new driver applicants into strong advocates for a team
So how can you develop a strong rapport with drivers? Building rapport is about simply being open, honest, and friendly with drivers at a foundational level. Here are some additional tips for building a strong rapport with your CDL driver applicants:
- Ask your drivers about themselves to uncover shared interests:
Building a strong rapport starts with making a driver applicant comfortable and open with you and your recruiting team. During your recruiting sessions, ask about more than just driving experience and goals to uncover shared interests. Then, in follow-up conversations, bring these anecdotes up to show the driver you value their interests and ideas. - Even during serious conversations, be open, caring, and honest:
Working with a driver applicant can be stressful (on both sides), and, to make every conversation count, some recruiters can come off brusque or intense in their manner. During your conversations with applicants, be open, caring, and, above all, honest with drivers to establish seeds of a strong relationship early on. - Ask for opinions and feedback:
Building a strong rapport is about establishing a two-way street of opinions, ideas, and stories. To get your driver's outlook on things, ask! While it may start with a simple question about your driving policies or a driver's preferences, being open to where a conversation takes you can help uncover new insights into a driver's personality and ideas. - Introduce applicants to your driver culture early on:
The best part of building a strong rapport with drivers is to make sure they fit your company culture. Introduce applicants to other members of your team, including other drivers early on in the recruiting process, to ensure they are a good fit with the team. Then, when it comes time to decide, your entire team can weigh in based on what they now know.
Want to learn more?
There is no doubt about it: modern CDL driver recruiting comes down to blending personal relationships with cutting-edge technology and excellent opportunities for drivers. With DriverReach, your team can successfully deliver recruiting experiences to applicants.
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.
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