CCJ

June 2015

Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal

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commercial carrier journal | june 2015 51 COVER STORY: HIGH-TECH RECRUITING Navajo is one of many fleets using advanced technologies to improve both their recruiting speed and quality to achieve a seamless process for onboarding new drivers and keeping them around longer. These technologies generally fall into three categories. Speedy qualifications In October 2013, TransAm Trucking began using EBE Technol- ogies' Web-based driver recruiting system. Prior to adopting the Ships Recruiting software, TransAm driver applicants filled out a standard form that recruiters printed out and reviewed manually. To keep track of other tasks in the qualification process, recruiters were using basic tools such as spreadsheets and e-mail, says Ron Crum, applications manager for the Kansas City, Mo.- based refrigerated carrier. Today, drivers access EBE's mobile job application through TransAm's website, from job boards and from other online me- dia where the company advertises. Responses to certain questions, such as a driver's previ- ous work experience, are used to determine if the applicant meets TransAm's minimum standards. The software disqual- ifies about 15 percent of job applicants who don't meet those standards. Overall, the company hires about 4 percent of applicants, Crum says. Applicants who pass initial qualifications are assigned to a recruiter within the Ships software. The applicant shows up on a recruiter's dashboard, and Ships' workflow guides the recruiter through the next steps in the qualifications process. "What ends up in the recruiter's dashboard are the ones who are actually qualified," Crum says. "We can then start working with (drivers) on an individual level." Automating the initial qualifications has made recruiters more efficient, and the work- flow holds them accountable and prioritizes their time, he says. Drivers who apply for a job from the company website are given top priority because they generally provide more informa- tion on the application and have come specifically to TransAm looking for a job. The company has seven different workflow tasks for recruiters to complete in succession. When they reach the point of ordering motor vehicle and employment background reports, a mouse click submits an order to HireRight as part of the workflow. When the recruiter makes an employment offer, the software can schedule the driver to attend orientation at a TransAm terminal and even order bus tickets for him. Drivers can check on their application status at any time through the portal. When drivers are hired, all recruiting information is passed automatically to TransAm's mainframe system. If a driver quits or is terminated, fleet managers can mark whether the driver is eligible for rehire, which brings the driver back into the Ships database. The software can create automated e-mails to the driver and reminders for recruiters to follow up. TMW Systems offers software products that span the entire lifecycle of asset and driver management. Through its partner- ship with Microdea, TMW offers Synergize driver recruiting software. Synergize began as an imaging workflow and process auto- mation tool, and TMW later developed additional capabilities to enable Synergize users to manage the entire recruiting and hiring process. The system, which now is being used by about 20 fleets, has an online job application and workflow tools with third-party integration to order background and motor vehicle reports. Fleets can use graphical design tools such as flow charts to customize the workflow to reflect their own business rules and steps. One of TMW Synergize's unique features is its integration with TMW's operations software products, including TMW Suite, TruckMate and Innovative. The bidirectional information flow can be used to create reports that identify markets where most of the best drivers are hired. Navajo Express is using technology to identify the types of drivers who are more likely to stay and succeed at the company and tailor its recruiting efforts accordingly. By using data from Tenstreet's product lineup, fleets can improve their driver recruiting and retention strategies.

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