When asking fleets what their biggest challenge is, most will say finding and retaining people. Whether it is drivers, technicians or other positions, the trucking industry is in need of more people.
Recruiting practices that worked in the past are no longer enough. Speaking at a recent NationaLease meeting, Kari Beeson, director of recruiting at Transervice Logistics, said there are several new methods for finding talent.
- Target marketing: This method focuses on individuals with specific skill sets or specific audiences and demographics.
- Programmatic advertising: This automates the decision-making process of media buying by targeting specific audiences and demographics. It determines what ads will run and where they will be placed.
- Resume databases: This is a database of candidates that can be searched by skill set.
Social media is a great place to do targeted recruiting. Join Facebook groups — look for those that are specific to the positions you are looking to fill. For example, if you need technicians, target Facebook groups that are made up of technicians.
Job ads aggregators — websites that aggregate job postings from various sources — are a good way to recruit technicians, Beeson said. “The trick with this approach is to make sure your posts gets seen by the right people. The more aggregator sites you post on the more you increase the likelihood of reaching more technicians.”
In addition to targeting your marketing efforts, you also may want to change the way you market yourself. Consider using videos and photography in your recruiting efforts. Think about the content of your marketing. Beeson says you want to make it interesting, informative and enjoyable. The goal is to humanize your existing staff and make your company seem appealing. “Videos should contain content that highlights the best aspects of working for your company, and the benefits of being a diesel tech,” she said. Videos can be posted to the career page on your website and to YouTube.
You also can employ technology like artificial intelligence to “reinvent the candidate’s experience,” according to Beeson. “AI can focus on candidate capture, screening, and scheduling as well as candidate communication and engagement.”
Transervice uses Olivia — an AI recruiting assistant — as the front end of the candidate communication process. “Olivia engages with our candidates through the web, mobile platforms or social media channels,” she said.
Beeson offered some best practices for recruiting technicians beginning with advice to reassess your current process. She suggested answering the following questions:
- What are the specifics of the job?
- What training is in place?
- What do you offer in rewards, compensation and benefits?
- How do we compare to others in the market? Are we competitive?
Other best practices she recommended were:
- Get involved at local technical schools
- Attend career fairs
- Become a representative on the local school board
- Recruit from the military
- Grow your own technicians
- Look beyond just salary to tool allowances, tuition reimbursement, discount programs and ASE certifications
Recruiting is only half the battle. Once you have a technician on board, you have to keep them.
Beeson’s best practices for retaining techs include:
- Name a technician of the month and/or year
- Develop a technician skills competition
- Provide training — online, and from manufacturers and suppliers
- Conduct retention surveys
- Honor technicians with a Diesel Technician Appreciation Week
- Make sure managers provide leadership
- Provide growth opportunities and career development
The personnel shortage is not likely to go away any time soon. Make sure you are taking steps to employ these best recruiting and retaining strategies.
