Having faced significant challenges before 2020, the trucking and logistics industry was hit even harder by the global pandemic that flipped the U.S. economy upside down. With an aging workforce, a growing hunger amongst younger generations for alternate work options that afford more flexibility and greater growth opportunities, and still, a lot of freight to move, there is a dire need for industry-focused recruitment strategies that work in today’s market. Below we offer our top three recommendations for successful trucking recruitment in the ‘new normal.’
Consider Introducing a Media Mix.
Digital media has been top of mind for a few years now, whether it’s programmatic media buying via sites like FindaTruckerJob.com or Indeed, or launching social campaigns that help to recruit and define your employer brand. While it still is, of course, an effective and practical avenue for recruitment, it’s time to start reintroducing more traditional ways of doing things. More conventional forms of media, like newspapers, radio ads, and billboards, are reentering the scene when it comes to recruiting in the trucking industry — and for good reason. It simply makes sense to experiment with different methods of recruitment, as well as varying mixes of media, to see what works best. Recruitment is always evolving and changing — so your recruitment strategies should, too.
Attract Millennials – A New Pool of Candidates
While research has shown that millennials may not be as keen to work within the trucking industry, there is a huge opportunity to engage them in ways that your competitors may not be optimizing. If done the right way, you can engage this talented, smart, and career-seeking group with specific messaging and channels that appeal to them directly. Millennials care about brand values, diversity and inclusion, company culture, flexibility in how work is done, innovation, and opportunities for growth. By honing in on these areas and developing campaigns that are creative and thoughtful, companies can better articulate the trucking industry as a fulfilling career option. Utilizing social media channels, like Instagram and Tik Tok, can help create new perceptions of what trucking and logistics companies can offer. Working with a team like Bayard can also help you hone in on specific regions of the country in which these millennial-focused campaigns can produce higher ROI and more engagement.
Streamline the Application Process.
The job application is the make-it-or-break-it point for a potential candidate’s journey. Keeping the application as short and streamlined as possible will help ensure that time is not a barrier in the job seeker’s journey. At Bayard, we’ve brought together automation and artificial intelligence to implement a platform, KROW, that allows for a 1-minute job application, automated screening, and automated interview scheduling, resulting in double the number of qualified job applicants. This innovative technology can also filter job applicants into pools for future job openings with your company if the job they’ve applied for isn’t the right fit.
While the trucking industry may be facing many roadblocks as it relates to current hiring demands and the future of the trucking workforce, there are ways in which leaders in the talent acquisition space can change the narrative, attracting a widened pool of talent. For additional insights from our trucking industry marketing experts, reach out to the Bayard team via [email protected].
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