Recruitment Requirements

Over the past 10 years, the influx of technology into the driver recruiting space has been astronomical. A variety of tools, like an applicant tracking system (ATS), are now available to fleets that are looking to take their paper recruiting process digital. Despite these advances, the majority of fleets are still trudging through as they have for the past 30 years.

Smaller fleets have the luxury of being less dependent upon high-volume recruiting, yet, recruiters might also need to moonlight in safety, operations, or run the orientation class. The added stress can result in drivers falling through the cracks and trucks sitting empty.

Still on the fence about adopting an ATS? Here are 5 reasons why you should consider implementing an applicant tracking system immediately.

Digital Funnel

Fleets that are just starting to explore the idea of using an ATS as part of their greater recruiting strategy will generally see the immediate impact of creating a digital recruiting funnel. Rather than submitting a fillable PDF or contact card, full applications are digitized. Once completed, they are automatically deposited into the ATS database for processing.

Simply put, this prevents drivers from being forgotten unintentionally. Rather than getting lost in a sea of emails, or on a long-forgotten spreadsheet, leads remain front and center. Fleets that only have one or two recruiters gain the benefit of having a centralized location for all leads and applications. This addition removes the burden created when a team member is out sick or on vacation. Other members of the staff can easily pick up the slack and continue to efficiently process drivers.

Automation

Recruiters in this industry know that speed kills. With drivers applying to multiple carriers when they are looking to make a move, the competition for that driver’s attention has never been greater. Larger fleets with an army of recruiters quickly gain the upper hand especially if they have recruiters dedicated to inbound leads.

Most of the driver recruiting specific platforms have automated responders that will send the driver a text message within seconds of their application being received. This means that even if you are not able to get to their app right away, the platform is working in the background until you can devote time to reach out. These tools can greatly increase how efficiently you can get drivers deeper into the pipeline. Additionally, if you are not able to get through, many have the option to set up drip campaigns that send text messages each day on a schedule that you determine.

Clear Lines of Communication

How are you tracking communication currently? Emails are easily traceable, but what about SMS? For many recruiters, it boils down to using a company-assigned phone, or their personal device. While this might work short-term, what happens if that recruiter leaves or wins the lottery?

Applicant tracking systems capture all of this communication, both inbound and outbound, to create transparency through the process. It doesn’t take long in this industry to run into drivers that refute what you told them about pay, home-time, or otherwise. With all of the correspondence recorded in the ATS, conversations are clearly visible. Better communication pushes drivers through the process more quickly, especially when signatures are needed or something needs to be clarified for safety.

Lead Gen Transparency

One of the biggest flaws in working through a manual recruiting process is a general lack of visibility on where your driver leads originate. Over the years it has become common practice to use a variety of different digital marketing platforms to expand their reach into different audiences. But how do you know which ones are working?

Digital applications allow you to attach tracking to the link. As leads filter into the applicant tracking system, they will be tagged with the place that they originated. Budget-conscious fleets obtain crystal clear ROI on all of their marketing efforts and can pivot to platforms that are consistently producing quality leads.

Data-Driven Decisions

We often ask our partners, “how do you know you are improving?” For many, using data to help with process improvement is a new concept. Even if they have used a fleet management system, the recruiting department might only have limited access to those processes. Any recruiting data produced frequently reveals holes in the hiring process, providing clear indicators for improvement.

You might be able to put drivers through orientation and on the road in record time, but what if your recruiters are not getting to applications until 24 hours after they are submitted? Consider the growth potential that could be had if that were cut in half or more.

These types of insights are readily available with most ATS reporting. With everything from cost-per-hire calculators to real-time recruiter scorecards, fleets can now diagnose problem areas and take swift corrective action.

Finding An Applicant Tracking System

With a variety of options available on the market, it can be a bit overwhelming to cut through the noise. While the KJ Media team does not specifically provide an applicant tracking system, we are intimately familiar with the different platforms available to carriers. As integration partners, we want you to be educated and make the best decision for your fleet. We are happy to make introductions so that you can take the first step to improving your driver recruiting process. Get in touch with us here.