As we’re just a few months from 2023, CDL driver recruiters are focused on hitting quotas and filling open positions. The industry’s driver shortage has been getting plenty of attention, but in the day-to-day life of a driver recruiter, it’s the proactive strategies and action plans that make a real impact.
Here are 5 ways you can proactively recruit more drivers while setting your entire organization up for success in 2022 and beyond.
1. Implement some ‘quick wins’ in your application process…
Although the driver recruiting processes may seem hard to change, there are often places you can make quick, targeted improvements to your driver application process – if you know where to start. Do a quick audit of your application process from the driver’s perspective, starting by role-playing an actual driver applying to see where gaps lie. Then, start leveraging some best practices to fill these holes. Are drivers going dark during the follow-up stage? Work with your driver recruiters to double down on timely follow-ups. At this point, aim for progress, not perfection because you can take these gaps and build out a true process overhaul in the next few months.
2. … and plan on a larger overhaul early next year
It's never too early to start planning for the year ahead, and getting a jumpstart will help you recruit better drivers. As you go through your processes and make small improvements, chances are you'll also start to find areas where a full overhaul will work wonders. Remember to think about each element from the driver’s perspective to ensure your recruiters are focusing on the right actions. In the next few weeks, as you’re working on this long-term project, start to incorporate parts of this strategy into your short-term action plan.
Some things to think about in the next few weeks include:
- Whether or not your current tech stack (applicant tracking system, CRM, website, etc.) helps you meet your driver recruiting and retention goals.
- If your internal processes, such as the way your recruiters are converting calls to applications, need more planning to improve on the end results.
- The way you’re promoting opportunities and opening to the driver community, and how these marketing channels are impacting application rates.
3. Reach out to driver applicants directly
When faced with a tight deadline, CDL driver recruiters shouldn’t just sit still and wait around for drivers to send in applications on their own. Now is the time to pull out of the stops and dig in deep. Go back through your CRM or database and pull out any names that went dark during the application process. Create targeted email, phone, and text message campaigns that get right to the point. Include links to your actual application for even higher conversion rates. Additionally, update your website with a prominent application call-to-action (CTA) that catches the eye.
4. Run campaigns that meet your drivers where they are
Finally, it’s time to take your recruiting campaigns to where your drivers are: online. This means social media. Luckily, creating an online presence can be done fairly quickly, making it a perfect step for recruiters looking to boost applications early in 2019. Set up a Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter page and share your social links on your website and in all corporate communications. Start gathering stories and testimonials from current drivers and share these with your followers as a recruiting tool.
5. Optimize your mobile presence
One of the most important channels for today’s CDL driver recruiters is mobile, but it’s shocking how many application experiences aren’t mobile optimized. For a quick win, review your entire mobile application experience, checking for a few critical features:
- Make sure that you have a true mobile-first application process in place
- Review your physical application to ensure it renders well on a mobile device
- Remove any print, download, or offline requirements from your application process
- See if you can add any further features to streamline the process, such as single sign-on
Make year-end recruiting a breeze with DriverReach
DriverReach is the modern recruiting management system built for recruiters that want to take proactive, innovative steps in recruiting. Schedule a call today to discuss even more year-end recruiting ideas.
