APRIL 4, 2019 – We’ve spent some time on the blog discussing strategies to improve the flow of driver applications into your company. Now that you have more applications coming it, the next question is this: how do you evaluate prospects in the most efficient way possible? After all, with demand for drivers on the rise, it’s important that you respond to qualified candidates quickly – while they’re still interested in working for you (and before they get scooped up by a competitor).
Here are a few tips to keep in mind to help you identify the best prospects quickly:
- Have an Electronic System in Place. Applications are easier to evaluate when they’re immediately delivered to one, online location for you to look at as they come in. As we’ve discussed in the past, having a driver-specific ATS with an electronic, mobile-friendly application has the added advantage of increasing the overall number of applications you receive (often by more than 20 percent), as candidates will be more apt to apply if they can fill out an application on a computer or mobile device.
- Have a Checklist Ready. Knowing what you want from a new hire in advance, and having that written down in an easy-to-use checklist, will help ensure that you’re able to quickly identify the traits you’re looking for – as well as those you don’t. Some questions you may want to include are:
- Does the candidate have the required training for the position?
- Do they have relevant past work experience?
- For DOT-regulated drivers, do they meet all of the required qualifications as established by the federal government?
- Do they have any related skills that will make them an asset to your company?
- Does the applicant have a history of excessive job hopping? (Although this can be very common in the trucking industry, if you’re looking for a long-term employee, this question is worth considering)
- Is the application riddled with careless misspellings and errors (something that can call into question their thoroughness and attention to detail)
- Are there unexplained gaps in their employment history that are worth asking about?
- Schedule a Phone Interview. Once you’ve narrowed down the candidate field, reach out to the applicants you’re most interested in and ask to schedule a brief phone call to discuss their application in more detail. This informal conversation can be a good way to get clarification on any questions or concerns you may have about their training or past work experience. It can also be a good opportunity to gauge whether the applicant might be a good fit for both the position and your company culture.
Ideally, all of the above steps take place within the first day or two of receiving a new application so that you get the best prospects in for an interview. To get talent behind the wheel even faster, the Foley Portal provides an automatic background screening process that takes all of the information provided through a candidate’s online application and uses it to kickstart all the driver’s pre-employment requirements as soon as a hiring decision is made. This includes scheduling a pre-employment drug screen, running a motor vehicle report, running prior employer verifications and compiling a compliant driver qualification file.