Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/526371
52 commercial carrier journal | june 2015 COVER STORY: HIGH-TECH RECRUITING When drivers are hired, fleets can create a "new driver" status automatically in TMW Suite. This status brings visibility to fleet managers to help drivers feel more comfortable during their first days and weeks on the job, says Jay Duquette, TMW Synergize sales engineer. TMW Synergize, Tenstreet and EBE all can capture an electronic signature from drivers when they fill out an online application. Online engagement When looking for jobs, drivers might start by visiting online job boards or going directly to the websites of familiar com- panies. As they surf, ads begin to appear on websites unrelat- ed to trucking or in their social media news feeds. Intrigued, drivers may click a few ads and fill out some applications. This phenomenon is called "remarketing," and it's all by design. Research shows that by the time drivers – or anyone, for that matter – conclude a job search, they have tapped an average of 16 different resources for information. The only buying decision with more "touch points" is an automobile. With so many trucking companies vying for drivers' at- tention online, engaging them is a competitive and complex business. "Drivers are being targeted in so many different ways," says Dennis Veneklase, vice president of operations at Conversion Interactive Agency, a Brentwood, Tenn.-based company that provides recruitment, advertising and marketing services for transportation companies. One way carriers can recruit more effectively is to mobilize their online presence, Veneklase says. Whereas drivers once took the time to go to a carrier's website and fill out a long- form job application, they now expect the interaction to be fast and to the point. More than 80 percent of drivers own connected mobile devices such as smartphones, and nearly 70 percent of job applications today are being sent from mobile devices, he says. Conversion Interactive uses "responsive code" for the websites and landing pages it designs for carriers to deliver a smooth user experience on any device. Veneklase recom- mends giving drivers the option to complete short-form job applications and have the systems and processes in place to respond quickly as qualified leads arrive. Conversion Interactive's Virtual Recruiter software system operates in the background of a carrier's recruiting website. As soon as the driver submits a short- or long-form applica- tion, the software verifies if the carrier's minimum require- ments are met. It gives a recruiter an automated phone call with the option to connect to a qualified driver instantly. Recruiting drivers online is more complex than buying banner ads on websites – at least if the plan is to contact qualified leads faster than the competition. Randall-Reilly – owner of CCJ and other digital and print publications – provides lead generation services to carriers based on their specific hiring criteria and preferred driver types. The company's audience of drivers engages regularly with its news websites and jobsites that include CareersInGe- ars.com and BestDriverJobs.com. By collecting behavioral data, Randall-Reilly can create targeted marketing campaigns for clients, says Nick Reid, the company's vice president of digital services. Using its au- dience data, Randall-Reilly can show advertisements to drivers that have specific job experiences such as flatbed. The company also uses Web retargeting technology to place ads for specific types of drivers based on behavioral data. "We also do a lot of work through social channels by targeting drivers on Facebook and YouTube for advertising," Reid says. When a driver is watching a video on YouTube, he may see a pre-roll advertisement from a specific carrier that matches his profile. These and other types of company-spe- cific target marketing plans have a higher conversion rate of leads to hires, Reid says. Conversion Interactive also provides a range of digital tar- geted marketing services for clients. "There is so much data out there and ways that we can leverage it to get drivers that are a better fit for carriers," Veneklase says. "You have to think much broader to remain competitive." TransAm Trucking is using the Ships Recruiting soft- ware from EBE Technologies to process driver applications more efficiently. Ships Driver Recruiting from EBE Technologies automatically tracks the progress of job applicants.