While the world spends time trying to understand Millennials, the trucking industry continues to struggle to find drivers in a thinning workforce. As many seasoned drivers retire, transportation companies are turning to a younger, more tech-oriented generation and tweaking their recruitment strategies to attract new hires.
This year HireRight, an employee background check firm, reported that trucking companies are leaning towards new tactics that appeal to an audience very different from their previous employees. Trucking companies are implementing benefits that speak to Millennials’ desire for freedom and flexibility in the workplace alongside the need for stability. With online connectivity proving to be of highest importance, rollout of social networking has increased by 13 percent with 60 percent of trucking companies participating in social media campaigns to increase candidate engagement.
Although referrals remain the strongest recruiting strategy within the industry traditional job boards and trade publications are beginning to take a back seat. According to Randall Reilly, Facebook is currently the most responsive social media platform in the trucking industry, with 60% of drivers having an account. In addition to Facebook, some companies are exploring other image-focused networks like Instagram and Snapchat to engage with potential hires.
And overall there is a push for mobile-friendly applications and screening processes to offer a more seamless hiring experience. What does all this mean? The trucking industry has a new potential workforce with a new personality. From social media centric behaviors to wellness in the workplace, recruiting tactics are set to change.
Learning to tap into the needs and wants of the largest pool of potential candidates is paramount: utilizing our social accounts can be the first step towards that.
