The driver shortage has many trucking companies scrambling to fill vacancies to meet deadlines and remain competitive. However, fleets need to be vigilant to ensure that the fear of not having enough drivers doesn’t result in poor hiring decisions. Taking the time to train an employee who is a bad fit wastes time and resources that fleets could allocate elsewhere.
Turnover and ill-suited hires also hurt employee morale, which isn’t something fleets can afford while already struggling with retention. The following are several elements that can result in a bad hire:
- Interviewing manager does most or all of the talking
- Failing to discuss the specific job duties during the interview
- Making hiring decisions based on universal good traits
- Representing the job in a glamorized way when the reality can’t hold up
- Neglecting to ask the applicant what they need from a job
- Failing to compare the candidate’s personality to the company’s culture
- Rushing the hiring process in favor of filling vacancies
- Not performing a background check
- Not following up on references
This last several points in particular can save trucking companies from a multitude of headaches. While the driver shortage is a pressing concern, hiring an unsafe driver can make a bad situation worse. Reducing risk and improving driver safety need to go hand in hand with the hiring process.
Unsafe drivers also cause problems within the existing ranks as well. Current employees may question the company leadership’s judgment or begin looking for new opportunities at companies that place a premium on quality, safe drivers. To learn more about improving driver safety and reducing collisions, contact the experts at DriverCheck.
