In the modern world of CDL driver recruiting, there is no shortage of strategic assistance. As potential driver candidates and new applicants have continued to become savvier about how the recruiting process works, driver recruiters themselves have had to become more innovative and creative. That being said, while new recruiting trends come and go, there are a few things that always remain consistent. In order to truly survive and thrive in the modern world of CDL driver recruiting, it’s critical to narrow down solutions into two buckets: skills and resources.
Must-Have #1: The Right Skills
As the modern driver candidate has changed, so too has the way recruiters attract, communicate with, and retain drivers. It’s no longer enough to approach recruiting conversations with a purely HR-focused mindset. CDL driver recruiting now has more in common with sales when it comes to the strategic mission and workflows than other operational functions, and it’s time that recruiters have the skills to be successful.
Having a sales-focused recruiting mindset is about prioritizing the relationship and personal connection between a candidate and an organization over simply wanting to hire a new employee. It’s about ensuring a candidate (or ‘prospect’ in the sales world) doesn’t slip through the cracks or lose sight of the value of the ‘deal’ halfway through the application process.
Instead of simply answering inbound questions and doing the bare minimum to usher applicants through the recruiting process, sales-focused recruiters nurture and guide candidates through the process. In order for your driver recruiting team to succeed, you must be able to provide the right training and education that prioritizes a sales-focused skill set right alongside an HR-focused one.
Must-Have #2: The Right Resources
When it comes to traditional sales teams, the on-hand tech stack is incredibly large. The same can be said for a modern recruiting team. Between an application site, website, Applicant Tracking System (ATS), CRM, and advanced tech solutions like chatbots, there are a nearly-overwhelming number of solutions available to CDL driver recruiters.
While this may sound exciting, it’s important to remember that when it comes to recruiting technology, tech isn’t your savior; it’s your accelerator.
HR technology isn’t here to replace recruiters or to exchange personal connections with AI-powered automation. It’s about providing recruiters and HR teams with the right tools and resources to be able to do their jobs better for the benefit of the applicants. After all, when CDL driver recruiters are operating more efficiently and can accurately track a driver throughout the entire application process, the drivers themselves will have a more enjoyable experience.
As your team is implementing new skill training or solution onboarding, just make sure not to lose sight of the main reason this change is being made: the drivers themselves.
Always introduce new development sessions, speakers, platforms, and the like by explaining the value the new process will bring to both your internal team and your drivers. This way, your recruiters will be more likely to adopt the new process or use the new platform because they know why it’s so helpful.
If you’re implementing a big change such as a more streamlined application process or a near real-time verification of employment solution, you might want to issue a press release to let your drivers and prospective applicants know about your innovation. Another part of sales: never say no to an opportunity to boost your brand in front of prospects.
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.
