Recruiting Truck Drivers
How many of you have talked to or received a voice mail from a recruiter today? The odds are pretty good since there is an extreme driver shortage in the trucking industry. Those calls and voice mails may seem a little annoying to you at times but I would like to give a little perspective on the life of a recruiter in the transportation industry.
A typical day of a recruiter consists of many outbound phone calls, emails, texts and voice mails to only actually speak with a handful of potential drivers per day. Every recruiters goal is to hire as many drivers as possible. The way to do this is through making many contacts and building relationships. It may be one of the most stressful positions in the trucking industry. If a recruiter cannot fill seats, their job could be on the line. In this environment, that stress can be immense.
Recruiters, believe it or not do get hung up on and receive some not so pleasant calls from drivers. This is because there are a lot of recruiters trying to do the same job with a limited amount of viable applicants. A driver may have applied to a trucking job three months ago and still be receiving calls from recruiters even after they are placed in a position that is ideal. With the limited applicant pool, it is incredibly important for recruiters to stay in contact with applicants just to make sure they are still happy with their current position.
Organization is the key to being a good recruiter. Let's say a recruiter hires 100 drivers in a year. That is 100 background checks, 100 verifications, 100 bus tickets booked, 100 past employment history put together (which can be 10 jobs or more a shot), 100 times of explaining orientation. There is a lot more involved but I think you get the picture and some recruiters hire closer to 200-300. What really can be disappointing is if you take the time to prepare everything for a driver to come to orientation and that driver does not show up. What hurts even more is not so much as phone call is received to explain why they driver could not make it. Ouch!
I have recruited in my past. The majority of recruiters I have met are honest, caring and truly want what is best for the driver. Of course, there are always a few bad eggs in every basket but overall, a recruiter has to be honest or they won't be around for long. I can say from experience, the driver who is polite and the one's that can put a smile on a recruiters face, make their day.
The real reward for any recruiter is placing a driver in a position that will get them what they need out of their career. This usually involves, good pay, home time and nice work environment. Their is no better feeling for a recruiter.
We captured two of Florilli Transportation's recruiters in a video. Julie and Tammy are two of the best in the industry. As you will see, they are only stating factual information that has been experienced first hand within their own organization. If you would like to speak to either of them, visit our website at Florilli.com or give them a call at 800-240-1703. You can also chat with them here. Chat With a Florilli Recruiter.
Next time you talk to a recruiter, try and make them smile! It will make a difference.
