Last updated on July 17th, 2023

What is it that makes a driver choose to apply to and work at one employer over another?

Find the right answers and you’ll be better to compete for and win this highly sought-after talent despite the shrinking talent pool and tight labor market.

1. Create a culture people want to be part of. Whether you have 1 driver or 100, creating a work environment that shows you value input; care about safety; respect individuals; uphold high ethical standards; recognize employees; and more can earn your business a reputation as a place people want to work for.
2. Offer competitive wages. Go onto any job board and search for driver positions to see how much others are willing to pay for the same talent you’re trying to attract. Search for other hourly positions (i.e., warehouse or restaurant worker) in your area to see how your pay scale compares, as you may be competing with these employers as well. Remember, the pay scale you adopt will send a message. If you can’t afford to sweeten hourly pay, consider exploring periodic payroll incentives, whether that’s in the form of a sign-on bonus or based on meeting quarterly or annual performance expectations.
3. Offer benefits that matter. Medical, dental, vision, and mental health coverage are commonplace, as are plans to build income for retirement and even tuition reimbursement. In addition, to look at how you can build flexibility into scheduling (i.e., home daily or four days on/three days off) and consider including paid time off, especially if you’re looking to hire female drivers (a valuable talent pool worth considering).
4. Formalize training and career development. Younger generations want more than a job – they want opportunities to grow and make a difference. Meet these needs by formalizing driver training and career development If you don’t have the bandwidth in-house, consider partnering with a local driving school or providing online training (by doing this, you may also be able to access new talent pools like students graduating from these schools).
5. Be honest and transparent in your job description and posting. How much does the job pay? What benefits are offered? What does the job involve (i.e., activities and hours)? Even if you don’t get many responses, at least you’ll know the ones that applied are genuinely interested in moving forward.
6. Keep the recruiting and hiring process moving. If you take too long, someone else may beat you to the finish line, and you will have to start all over again.
7. Put equal effort into Once you find and hire the right employee, keep the momentum going. Maintain open and frequent communications. Ask for employee feedback, input, and ideas. Look for opportunities to recognize and reward stellar performance. Give professional growth assignments (i.e., driver representation on a task force or at important meetings). Check in periodically to make sure all is good. Go back to the first point on this list.

One last tip: know when to ask for help. RBT CPAs affiliate, Visions Human Resource Services, helps clients fill open positions or enhance their internal recruiting, hiring and retention processes. Give them a call. At the same time, remember, RBT CPAs is here to handle your accounting, tax, audit, and business advisory needs. Let us know what we can do to help your business succeed.

RBT CPAs is proud to say all of its work is prepared in the U.S.A.  We never outsource outside the U.S.A.  To learn more about the accounting, tax, audit, and business advisory services our local team members can provide for your business, give us a call.