Get Social

Most young people don’t leave home without their smartphone, so trucking companies in need of drivers are working hard to make a splash on mobile web and social media channels.

A recent fleetowner.com article noted that 25 percent of motor carriers that responded to a HireRight survey said they’ve added social media to their recruiting strategies. They still stay active in traditional channels, of course, with referrals (74 percent), online job boards (64 percent), print media (57 percent), and job fairs (37 percent) making up the remainder of the recruiting mix.

Jeff Stoicheff, senior vice president of human resources at Penske Logistics, said another powerful tool is mobile recruiting applications, which can be filled out by potential candidates during a lunch or rest break in their current jobs. Again, contact with a potential new driver is just a matter of getting on that smartphone screen. That’s why many carriers are highly active in social media. They’re trying to start conversations with people with an interest in driving, and using Facebook, Twitter and other channels to get word out about pay and benefits, reliable equipment, good “home-time” driving schedules and other factors that will steer a candidate their direction.

Social media channels also are useful for reaching out to military veterans, according to Military.com media strategist Christy Woynar, who recently presented at the annual Truckload Carrier Association convention in Grapevine, Texas.

In a Transport Topics article, Woynar said Military.com’s research shows 72 percent of military veterans have one or more social media profiles. The job-seeking demographic on Facebook trends heavily male (70 percent) and young (63 percent under 40).

Like Stoicheff, Woynar recommends online applications that can be easily completed with a smartphone. She also recommends a strategy of recruiting veterans using an HR staffer dedicated to the task–a staffer who can easily navigate and communicate through social media channels.