Know Your Best Drivers
The second step in developing a strong team of drivers is to use the profile of your best drivers to identify demographics. Not only will this help with developing best practices for recruiting and hiring, but it will also help to attract and retain new drivers. They will have more in common with their coworkers and will feel at home within the company culture.
Some examples of demographics are:
- Male/Female
- Age groups
- Level of education
- Prior experience in trucking
- Number of dependents
- Hobbies: sports fans, country western music, etc.
While not all high potential drivers will fit exactly into the profile you create, having a good understanding of the demographics of your workforce can help make recruiting and retaining new drivers easier.
About the Author:
Megan Younkin, People Element's Director of Consultant, has over 10 years experience analyzing client-specific surveys and interpreting the results for clients in several industries. Her trucking clients range in size from 200 to more than 15,000 trucks, including dry van, refrigerated, flat bed, and tankers. She works with leadership to improve the effectiveness of company drivers, lease purchase operators, owner operators, and independent contractors. Megan has been asked to speak at transportation conventions across the country on topics such as driver retention and taking driver satisfaction data to action. With her clients, she implements various People Element assessments and surveys, analyzes the results to find data trends, make recommendations for improvement, and provide tools that help to reduce driver turnover.
