Despite the mixed economic indicators, hiring is increasing across all industries and the transportation and warehousing industry is no different, adding 24,000 jobs in May alone. However, increased demand for labor has only agitated the already strained labor shortage in trucking. Carriers of all kinds are feeling the squeeze as they struggle to fill in-demand positions like drivers, mechanics and technicians. Whether an organization is a local, national or private carrier, many companies are struggling to get applicants engaged at the top of the funnel and start the application process, leaving a gap in their ability to hire altogether.

Going Beyond Pay: Developing an EVP

Such high demand for hard-to-fill positions has put pressure on businesses to raise wages. And, while the average hourly earnings grew 4.3% in May to help attract talent and meet rising inflation, pay is just a commodity and doesn’t often have a long term effect of retaining talent. The most important factors when hiring in the trucking industry are making sure the prospective employee is up for the demands of the position but also shares the company’s values and feels a part of the overall mission.

A lot of these positions, especially drivers, have difficult conditions that can have a profound impact on the employee’s home life. Companies need to make a concerted effort to establish and protect a healthy work-life balance, which should then be translated clearly in the organization’s employee value proposition (EVP). An EVP lays out everything the company offers to an employee that might influence them to join the team and is usually part of a broader branding strategy. While a clear and enticing EVP can help attract talent, in the end, it’s the authentic connection with the employer that keeps them at the company.

Speed Bumps in Hiring

While the trucking industry’s labor shortage is largely due to the lack of available talent interested in this sector, the aging workforce is also a key factor to note.  Organizations can’t have a one-size-fits all strategy to advertise their job opportunities. Given their urgent need to fulfill current business demands, there is a need to recruit savvy and experienced drivers but it’s also critical to engage and encourage younger talent to join their organization or even get started in the industry. While many companies are using a diversified array of tactics and platforms to recruit any way they can, it can be expensive and crowded for companies to use industry publications and traditional tools like job boards to attract talent.

For the entire article click here.

‍

‍