How to attract and keep the best drivers

July 18th, 2019

HGV Drivers Recruitment and Retention is a massive issue for many of many transport and courier companies.  This article shares some easy, free and quick wins that we, at NN1 Personnel, have found worked for us.

1. A SMOOTH AND PROFESSIONAL RECRUITMENT PROCESS

At NN1 Personnel, we are fortunate that most of our drivers come to us through recommendation. However, we still have to advertise. When advertising we need to consider what message we are putting in our adverts that will help us appeal to the best drivers.

Make your ads stand out

Remember, you only have five seconds to attract your candidates’ attention, so make sure you are not just listing what you want but the benefits you can give to your drivers. This might include flexible hours, or an extra day off on their birthday, whatever it might be. You need to grab their attention.

Every time the applications start coming in, it’s important to reply quickly, within 24 hours, because otherwise your applicant will think you’re not interested and move on to other vacancies. We live in an instant world, people expect an instant reaction, it is just the way it is, unfortunately.

Don’t skip the paperwork

So, you’ve gone through the interview process with a candidate and let’s say you’ve decided to employ them. You’ll need to think about the reference check and make sure you don’t bypass the checking process, you don’t want to ignore any gaps in employment.
Your driver then turns up for their first day – what do you do? What can you do in the induction process to make that new person feel welcomed and comfortable? Do drivers just get to sign a pile of documents and procedures? Can you spend 10 minutes with them to go through it to make sure they understand all your processes?

Help them to settle in quickly

When we send a new driver to a customer site, we make sure he or she is fully briefed of the requirements, has a map if necessary, knows about the nature of the job and knows what is expected of them. We also have an online WhatsApp community where drivers can ask questions and support each other.
Another option is to hold regular reviews, say at the end of the first day, week and month, just to check in and see how things are going.

2. A WELCOMING WORKING ENVIRONMENT

So, you’ve recruited a new driver, introduced them and done the induction. Now you need to think about their everyday working life. What is it that is going to keep them working for you, and working well?

Do you know why your drivers leave? The answer they will normally give is money, but only 12% of employees actually leave their job because they want more money. Source: CareerBuilder.com

You might be surprised to hear that it’s not always the big things that make drivers leave. Instead, it’s likely to be a succession of small things, until one day a driver has simply had enough and leaves. Remember, to replace a driver it is going to cost you more money, so it’s in your business’s interests to retain them.

Retaining staff could be something as simple as offering better facilities, toilets and a canteen, a full vending machine, ensuring the air conditioning and heating works in your vehicles. At NN1, we send our drivers a birthday card on their special day, just as a way to help them feel remembered and a bit special!

Be flexible

Balancing work and life is a key factor for many people today. Could you be more flexible in terms of start times, or offer family-friendly shift patterns – could you be more flexible in terms of age and experience?
If so, then you will have a bigger pool of drivers to choose from and drivers that are more likely to stay with you for longer.

3. A CULTURE THAT CARES

Everyone in the company has an impact on the company culture. How do the people who manage and deal with your drivers treat them?
Do they show a genuine interest in them? Even saying simple “Good morning” to your drivers shows they are treated respectfully.
How do other people interact with your drivers? Do they give them eye contact? Do they listen to them? Is there a long waiting time for them to be debriefed? Simple things can go a long way.

This is why NN1 Personnel achieved a record 100% attendance since we started. This is how we managed to get recommendations. This is how now we don’t have to advertise very much. This article shares some easy tips HGV Drivers recruitment and retention tips NN1 Personnel use to employ the best HGV Drivers in the area. 

We make our drivers feel listened to, appreciated, respected and trusted. We are in regular contact with all our drivers and we know what is going on in their lives. Importantly, we are flexible in terms of their shift patterns, start times and locations.
You might say drivers will be drivers, but drivers are your product – they represent your agency, your clients and are an essential part of the supply chain.

To find out more about NN1 Personnel, visit our website www.nn1personnel.co.uk

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