Let’s face it.  Everyone knows that driver recruiting is a wicked problem.  The transportation industry is in the midst of the worst driver shortage it’s ever seen.  We’ve all been to seminars on it, and everyone’s looking at new ways to help bring in new drivers.  But what about the drivers you already have?  If you can retain more drivers, then the only recruiting needs you have are the ones that help you grow your business.

Recruiting is only the beginning of the journey.  Now that you’ve spent the time (and money) to get people in the door, here are a few helpful tips to keep them from turning around and walking back out.

People Don’t Quit Jobs, They Quit People

This age old adage is especially true in transportation.  People oftentimes just don’t get along, sometimes just due a clash of personality.  Before a driver quits, maybe offer to switch fleet managers.  Or, while in orientation, have the drivers complete personality tests and then match them with a fleet manager who most closely matches their personality.

Know and RESPECT your drivers

Sometimes, drivers end up speaking more to their fleet manager than they do their families.  In essence, the fleet manager should become part of their family.  If the only person that the driver speaks to is always unpleasant and demanding, the driver will be quickly looking for another job.  Drivers have all the time in the world to think about how they’re being treated, so do your part to make sure they’re good thoughts.  Get to know who their spouse and children are, and ask about them.  This means more to them than you think.

Make sure your recruiters have the most up-to-date information

Many a driver quits because they feel they were lied to by a recruiter.  This may not always be the case.  Policies change, and the information is not always communicated quickly.  Remember to keep your recruiters in the loop when it comes to changes.

Keep in constant contact with your new hires

Have the new drivers offer their feedback by filling out reviews at intervals during their first few months. Then actually read and act on them!  This will give the drivers a sense of importance, and it will give you a pretty accurate assessment of where you need to focus your attention.

Recruiting and training drivers (especially during this driver shortage) isn’t cheap or easy.  So it only makes sense that retaining drivers should be the focus of everyone in the company.  Remember – without drivers, none of the rest of us in this industry would have our jobs.

MIKE NATALIZIO
President & CEO, HNI

We’re smack dab in the middle of Universe 2.0.  I say this half jokingly -- it seems that you can’t turn anywhere these days without someone declaring the birth of a 2.0 version of something. 

The original topic of the “2.0 meme” was of course Web 2.0.  This refers to when we started moving from a read-only information culture to a democratized system where anyone could create and disseminate content online.  Now instead of being strictly consumers of information, any Average Joe can create it.  This is a fundamental shift in the way we interact with information.  The effects of this change are still diffusing, but predictions are already popping up as to what Web 3.0 will consist of.

Enterprise 2.0 has also been discussed at length, but it remains a little further from becoming a universal reality.  Enterprise 2.0 is the business who owns the culture created by Web 2.0 and who works the tools available to its advantage.  While a lot of businesses have started using social media and blogging as part of their business strategies, we’ve only found few are really committed to their efforts organization-wide.  Oftentimes it’s just Marketing that’s on Twitter and Facebook, not Sales or HR or the other groups that could benefit from engaging in social tools.  Enterprise 2.0 is also about applying the principles of Web 2.0 within the company itself.  It involves using internal collaborative platforms like Open Atrium and Yammer that democratize information sharing, just like Web 2.0. 

The traditional style of management is being challenged in Enterprise 2.0 as well.  The top-down hierarchal structures that used to be the norm are becoming stale and are being increasingly challenged by the newer generations in the workforce. 

Some companies have reached Enterprise 2.0 already, but many are further behind.  What do you think -- is your business at Enterprise 2.0 level yet?

These areas are not the only things that have changed in the world of business.  Really, what hasn’t changed in the last decade?  The tools we’re using, the customers we’re trying to reach, even the way we do our jobs every day has been completely revolutionized by the internet and the cultural change that has come along with it.

Over the next couple of weeks we’re going to blog more about what has changed in the world of business and what that means for you.  Rather than talking about these things abstractly, we’ll focus on concrete tips for how to 2.0-ify your own company. 

Do you agree that there is fundamental change occurring in the world of business? What examples have you seen of this shift?