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The days of basic orientation no longer meet the learning and engagement needs of new hires, or the operational needs of organizations. Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point and Blink, says that new hires decide about their likelihood of staying on the job in their first 72 hours.

Exited employees candidly describe the feelings of new hires who were not onboarded effectively. Examples of what they say in Strategic TurnOver Program™ (STOP) interviews are:

“The process to get my benefits and payroll information accurate was horrible. They couldn’t even get these ‘basics’ right!”
“I was expected to do a lot without any training. It was unsafe.”
“I quit after two days of orientation because they were completely unorganized and unprofessional.”
“I never had the same mentor. It was too difficult.”
“I felt unwelcome. Tenured employees did not talk to or help me.”
“I never felt like I belonged.”

New Hire Check-In and STOP data from first year employees reveals issues that reduce satisfaction, increase failure to engage, and cause early turnover. The data shows the following:

Disorganization in recruiting, hiring, and onboarding – New hires who have to wait or reschedule interviews, improper or missing resources, and an organization that does not seem to be ready for the new hire are huge dissatisfiers.
Unclear expectations – New hires who find the job different from what they expected are at risk for first year turnover. During recruiting, organizations often use outdated job descriptions, hold interviews in quiet conference rooms away from the hustle, bustle and real work experience, and understate the job demands.
Orientation and training issues – Many organizations rely on tenured staff to help orient new hires after general orientation. Helping new hires adjust and learn on the job requires willingness, technical and organizational savvy, feedback and coaching skills, and clear expectations.
Unwelcome environment and lack of feedback- Strategic Programs data shows that new hires do not receive the manager’s frequent performance feedback that they need and want. Many complain that long tenured staff are unfriendly, too busy to help, or want them to prove themselves before being considered part of the team.

To set up new hires for success, organizations need seamless recruiting. Realistic interactions with current staff provide a clear picture of the job, and orientation that shares values and information are necessary to a new hire’s success. Creating a detailed, individual development plan that is competency-based and open-ended will ensure that they get the training they need.

Best practice organizations study new hire data for both commonly shared and specific needs. Contact from the application stage through fully capable to perform status requires thought and effort from managers, staff, and Human Resources. Managers and trainers must give regular feedback. Updates on performance, achieving goals, progress in being a good team member, and next steps should be part of weekly conversations. Such improvements have the following benefits:

Positive feelings for new hires about their new job and the organization
Quick assimilation with peers and colleagues
Increased confidence in work performance abilities
Increased job satisfaction
Increased likelihood of staying, and faster decision to engage
Improved retention

The Importance of Driver Managers Checking in Early and Often

Starting a new job is a very stressful experience. I would imagine that starting a new driving job as a Professional Driver has a set of challenges that makes it more stressful than a lot of other professions. You’ve got all of your orientation information to remember, policies, procedures and government regulations to adhere to, deadlines to make and strange terminals/shippers/receivers to go to, all while safely and legally operating a very large moving vehicle.

One important piece that can make or break a new Driver’s engagement and success with your company is whether or not their Driver Manager (DM) is taking the time to check-in. The frequency and duration of DM check-ins can depend on the Driver’s needs and the DM’s workload, but having frequent and meaningful check-ins with Drivers early in their career is a necessity. For anyone who argues that their DMs don’t have time to check in with each new Driver or that it’s not that important, consider the following chart:

This is Strategic Programs data from one of our transportation clients. The chart shows a blue line for Drivers who said they did have meaningful check-ins with their DM (Yes) and a red line for those who said they did not have meaningful check-ins with their DM (No). You can see a noteworthy difference in the satisfaction with all categories based on whether or not a Driver perceived that they were checked-in on by their DM. Something interesting to note that isn’t apparent on this chart is that when I looked at the individual items that people were the most and least satisfied with, the “No” respondents had low scores around “The company was committed to my success as a Driver” and “The company values its Drivers.” The “Yes” respondents did not have these items as low scores.

We at Strategic Programs see the same results with every client that asks this question of their respondents and we encourage our clients to share this data with their DMs. This is hard evidence of the importance of a check-in with new Drivers, and the impact that a connection with a DM can have on a Driver’s overall experiences within an organization.

Successful & Sustainable Change Starts with Your Managers

For most organizations who partner with Strategic Programs, Inc., the most successful and sustainable change occurs at the direct manager level.

Is every action item within the control of the manager? No. But what I have seen lately is dissatisfaction around several items that are within the control of the direct manager, such as employees feeling like they’re being heard, knowing their opinions matter, perceiving opportunities for development (or lack thereof), and feeling like the company cares about them as a person. Furthermore, we’ve conducted several recent studies that show that a healthy relationship (that includes regular check-ins) between an employee and their direct supervisor leads to higher satisfaction across the board- even in areas that don’t seem to relate directly to the manager. To most professional drivers, their manager is the face of the entire organization. Because so many aspects of a driver’s engagement are directly related to the relationship with their direct manager, it is important that the managers be able to see the data that pertains to them.

In what ways have some of our clients promoted successful and sustainable change within their organizations? One client not only shares information with every manager who has enough data to report, they also have a meeting with each manager to review that manager’s opportunities for improvement and develop 90-day action plans. This obviously takes a lot of time and effort on the part of the managers and the leadership group who hold the meetings, but this client has seen positive change and an ROI that makes the pain well worth it.

Another client gives all of their direct managers access to our client portal, Strategic Insight, which allows them to see their data in real time and how it compares to the organization as a whole. Each manager is expected to log in to view their data on a regular basis in order to take action on their data. This creates a healthy sense of competition between the managers, as well as promoting responsibility and accountability. This idea works best if you have a healthy organization where people view feedback as helpful and constructive rather than threatening and punitive.

No matter how our clients choose to share data at the direct manager level, the common theme seems to be setting expectations with managers to take action and create change. Setting these expectations and giving managers the authority and autonomy to take action is one of the best ways that I’ve seen organizations create successful and sustainable change.

Social Media Presence

Does your company have a social media presence?

How can you increase your pool of qualified and interested driver candidates? Social media offers inexpensive and creative ways to expand through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn. These are the sites that your perspective drivers go to when they are looking for information about a company and a position. These are the sites that the younger generation is connected to.

If there’s any question as to whether or not people are doing their research online before choosing a career, go to a search engine and look up “Driving for _____ (insert the name of your company here).” Usually you’ll find several sites with reviews of the company and discussion forums where people are sharing their own experiences and/or what they’ve heard from other people. This is a great opportunity for your company to have the first word on what it’s like to work for your company.

Here are some tips to create a successful social media presence:

Set up a Facebook page that includes pictures of your equipment, employee appreciation events, links to press releases, celebrations of safe driving and other milestones, and anything else that you think will be exciting to both your current drivers and prospective drivers. Make it a positive space where drivers are encouraged to share stories and talk about why they love working for you. Encourage employees to connect with the company’s Facebook page and leave a message with their favorite thing about working at the company.
Create a Twitter account and have one or two people dedicated to broadcasting tweets on a regular basis. Include links to press releases, upcoming events, and celebrations. Encourage employees to follow your company’s Twitter page.
Build a LinkedIn page for the company that includes pictures and position openings. Encourage employees and leaders to connect to the company’s LinkedIn page. Include a link to your company’s home page and some important info that job seekers might be interested in (specialties, terminal locations, number of trucks, make and year of trucks, etc.)
Take and post some videos on YouTube that show how great it is to work for your company. Take a short video of an employee cook-out or an interview with one of your top drivers. Post pictures of new equipment with music in the background.

Using social media can be an inexpensive, yet big win for your company. Managed properly, your presence on the Internet can be a strong 1-2 punch – engaging your current employees and attracting prospective employees.

Managing First Impressions

You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. Starting out with a strong introduction will make new drivers excited about working with you and excited to perform at their best.

Plan your first impression ahead of time, and introduce yourself to new drivers as soon as possible.

Your introduction should have two main parts:

Getting to know you
Getting to know your organization

This extends beyond simple job satisfaction. Engagement is linked to emotion and is based on values (e.g., feeling respect, recognition, likelihood to stay with the organization).

First, for your personal introduction,
Make eye contact, be warm, and give new hires your full attention. What do your drivers need to know about you? Try thinking of three things that are most important for new drivers to know about you, and put them on the table upfront. Let drivers know how to reach you, and who they should contact when you’re unavailable. Perhaps most importantly, communicate a warm greeting message to sincerely welcome new drivers and let them know that they are joining an elite force.

Second, give new drivers an introduction to the organization.
Establish roles in a big picture context: “I am between you and our company; you are between me and the customer.” Explain that they are the face of the organization to the customer and public. They are the ones who deliver on the organization’s promises. Put aside your other work and focus all your attention on new hires. Communicate your pride in working here and stress that you want a win-win partnership with all drivers. Make it easy for new hires to get the information they need, and tell them that you expect to get lots of questions. Ask for honest feedback on how you’re doing with onboarding.

First impressions are lasting impressions, so try to make your new driver introduction strong and consistent. Starting off on the right foot with each and every new hire will make your drivers happier and more likely to stay with the organization for the long haul.

Develop Trust with Fleet Manager Training

One of the first topics that we discuss in Strategic Programs, Inc. Fleet Manager trainings is the issue of trust. The relationship between the Fleet Manager and the Professional Driver is important and complex, and cannot function properly without trust from both parties. Any relationship that lacks trust is difficult, stressful, time consuming, and will most likely fail in the long run. Trust is something that is built over time. In our training sessions, we discuss the 13 behaviors that high trust leaders exhibit, from Steven R. Covey’s 2008 book, The Speed of Trust:

Behaviors of high trust leaders:

Talk Straight
Demonstrate Respect
Create Transparency
Right Wrongs
Show Loyalty
Deliver Results
Get Better
Confront Reality
Clarify Expectations
Practice Accountability
Listen First
Keep Commitments
Extend Trust

In the training sessions, we encourage discussion around each of these behaviors – what they mean, how to demonstrate each behavior, and the negative impact of performing the opposite of any of these behaviors.

Each participant is then challenged to choose the behavior that he or she feels could use some improvement, and they know they are to report back on what they’ve done the next time we meet. Holding people accountable to practice the skills and behaviors we discuss in the trainings is one of the great benefits that we can provide in these sessions. Time after time we’ve seen people realize the impact that a small behavior change can make after they’ve been practicing the new behavior for a few weeks and share with the group what they’ve been doing and how it’s been going.

The tricky thing about a trusting relationship is that although it can take years to build, it can be crushed in an instant. When someone loses trust in you -regardless of whether it’s something you’ve done or said, or it is outside forces that have caused the rift- we discuss how to rebuild trust when it has been lost. We also talk about the difference between broken trust regarding capabilities (skills, results, track record) and broken trust regarding character (integrity, motive, intent), and what it takes to come back from both.

While we at Strategic Programs don’t claim to have all of the answers regarding the relationships between the Fleet Manager and the driver; we do have an arsenal of tools, tips and best practices to share and the ability to facilitate discussions among your Managers to promote learning and improvement.

For more information on our Fleet Manager Training Program, click here, or email us or call 800-800-5476.

Benefits of Fleet Manager Training

There are several reasons why trucking companies might choose to do Driver or Fleet Manager training through Strategic Programs, Inc. Some clients who have undergone Fleet Manager training with us have chosen to do so because of data they’ve received through exit interviews, including information regarding the availability, support, and communication skills of Fleet Managers. Others have chosen to work with us because they’ve identified a need for improvement and find that our training modules meet those needs. And still others would like to take their Managers up to the next level, from good to great.

Below are what we’ve found to be the greatest benefits of participation in the trainings by your Driver or Fleet Managers:

Sustainable change (More than a one-time rah-rah-sis-boom-bah) – Our Fleet Manager training program is set up like a marathon instead of a sprint. Typically we will do between 4 and 6 training modules (depending on a client’s needs) with about a two week time in between each module. This allows time for practice and application of skills learned. The beginning of each training module is a recap of each Manager’s practical application of the skills they’ve learned before we move on to new skills. After the training modules are complete, there is a series of emails that will go to each participant, reminding them to be practicing and using the skills they’ve acquired in their position. Keeping the information in the front of people’s minds means a much better chance for long-term change and sustainable improvement.

Understanding Fleet Managers’ impact on industry problems – We know and understand the transportation industry and the common concerns that most fleets are facing right now. Learning industry trends and concerns and understanding how Fleet Managers can have a positive impact on these issues will give your managers a leg up in their positions.

Communication and collaboration – Getting people together who may not normally communicate has been one of the greatest opportunities for some of our fleets. Often, Fleet Managers are located all across the country and don’t often have the chance to talk to each other about what’s going on in each area of the company. Getting Managers together to discuss issues and share ideas and best practices can be immensely helpful.

Stay tuned for information on the specific topics and skills covered in a typical Fleet Manager training program that people have found useful and informative.

For more information on our Fleet Manager Training Program, click here, or email us or call 800-800-5476.

Retaining New Hires by Engaging Driver Trainers

The people who are chosen to be trainers in your organization are probably highly skilled professional drivers with a track record of safety and consistency. However, does a great driver make a great trainer? Not always. Taking a look at the satisfaction and engagement of your trainers is beneficial for new hire retention and engagement. New hires need someone to look to, not only to learn driving skills, but also to learn how to behave within your organization.

Recently, I spoke with one of our trucking clients who said that one of the issues they’re having is that one of their trainers is a great teacher who works well with new drivers, but his bad attitude when he’s not training is evident for new hires to see. This is problematic because new drivers are looking to this individual for cues on what behaviors are acceptable and what aren’t. Unfortunately, this trainer is showing new drivers that it’s okay to act inappropriately to dispatchers and other operational employees.

So how do you know where your trainers are on the engagement spectrum? You can do this by gathering formal data in the form of an engagement survey, or by having 1-on-1 conversations with trainers and asking specific questions that address both satisfaction and engagement. Ask your trainers questions about how proud they are to be the face of your organization, what they like and don’t like about training, and what they would do differently. Taking the time to find out how engaged your trainers are feeling can seem like just one more thing to do on an already packed to-do list, but the payback – in the form of more satisfied and engaged new drivers – makes it worthwhile.

Need help in assessing how engaged your drivers are currently? Start with our Strategic Engagement Survey, our New Hire Check-In, or our one-of-a-kind Strategic Contact. For more information, send us an email or call 800.800.5476.

Effective Feedback – A Skill That Improves Profits

Driver engagement and retention research shows that drivers quit fleet managers, not companies. Most new professional drivers are motivated and engaged when they are hired, yet many often become disengaged and exit within six months. With the cost of turnover conservatively being 1.5 times compensation for each mid-level to frontline employee, and more at higher levels, it is vital to company profits that its leaders are trained to manage people challenges in transportation.

Strategic Programs, Inc. interviews and surveys thousands of employees each month about their job experience. We talk with new hires, current employees, and employees who have recently left. By earning their trust in the confidentiality of their responses, and offering several ways to participate, we get candid, highly actionable data.

What is the most frequent reason that professional drivers leave their fleet managers? Inadequate supervisor or manager feedback is the main cause of turnover for all levels of tenure, job titles, professions, and other demographics. Professional drivers want to know regularly how they are doing. Giving feedback that fosters engagement requires specific skills and a commitment to following through.

Feedback is most effective when it is:

Specific – It offers insight into what did or did not happen, and how it could have been improved.
Timely – It is not put off for the performance appraisal or a more convenient time.
Considerate – Of the person’s and the company’s needs. Quality feedback drives behavior that improves both individual and company performance.
Delivered as a fact. Emotional communication detracts from the content.
Focused realistically on behavior that, when changed, will have a positive outcome.

Feedback is least effective when it:

Asks Why?, which implies that the listener must justify his actions, and makes him defensive. Replace Why? with, “Please help me understand…”
Is opinionated. Avoid giving your opinion by addressing a situation or a behavior and the desired outcome. “This (situation) won’t help us reach our goal,” or, “That (behavior) isn’t working as you may have intended.”
Uses You statements. Instead, I statements express how the matter impacts you and avoids being confrontational. “I am disappointed about your frequent tardiness,” versus, “You are late so often.”
Ignores the impact on the work unit. Address how the behavior improved or caused a problem.

There is nothing like practice to improve feedback skills. When leaders commit to continuous improvement in this part of people management and see it as important to improving profits, the results will be worth the effort.

The Internet is a rich source for self-education, and sharing insight with peer coaches or mentors keeps new learning top of mind and can make it fun. Letting drivers know that you are interested in becoming more effective in giving feedback acknowledges your imperfection, shows your learning attitude, and can help others to see that you are both learning when they receive your feedback.

One of the most valuable leadership skills is the ability to deliver constructive feedback. Considering the high cost of turnover, it is good business for driver managers to be trained to effectively address people challenges.

There is a direct link from a driver manager’s effective feedback to drivers, to employee performance improvement, to productivity, to driver engagement, and retention – which ultimately improves profits.

Need help in getting a true assessment on how engaged your drivers are? Look no further than our Strategic Engagement Survey. For more info, send us an email or call us at 800.800.5476.

Driver Tips for Unintended Traffic Stops

No one wants to get pulled over for a road inspection, but it could happen at any time. Like it or not, the first impression that a professional driver makes with an officer can have an impact on the way the rest of the inspection goes. Here are some useful tips and coaching points to help make the first impression a good one:

Leave your ego at the door. If you get out of the truck with an attitude – you are asking for trouble. Show respect for the officials and always be polite. What’s more, if the cop has an attitude, be extra polite. I recently heard from a Fleet Manager during a training session that one of their drivers once left a road inspection in the back of a police car because of his attitude with the officer. Don’t let that happen to your drivers!

Be professional. If you have a three or four day beard, wrinkled clothing and “road-map” eyes, you alert the official that you might have been pushing yourself, and other things might be out of order. Stay clean-shaven, eyes clear and keep a neat appearance. A professional appearance that makes you look like a winner also provides you with the mental confidence to ward off an inspector’s suspicions.

Pay attention to body language and non-verbal communication. This goes along with being professional; eye-rolling, arms crossed, acting impatient – these are non-verbal cues that can make for a bad first impression.

Have all necessary documentation on you at all times. One of the problems that occurs frequently during stops and inspections is drivers not having all necessary documentation with them. A current long-form physical and physical CDL with current address must be physically on your person when stopped. Making sure you have all of the right documentation should be a regular part of the pre-trip inspection.

In short, a thorough pre-trip inspection, careful trip planning, and safe driving can help decrease a driver’s chances of being pulled over. But if you are, a good first impression can go a long way toward a good inspection when the time comes.

Want to make driver management a little easier with more tips like these? Consider our Fleet Manager Training Program. For more info, click here, or email us or call 800.800.5476.

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