Annual HireRight Transportation Industry Survey Finds 40 Percent of Organizations Use a Mobile-Friendly Screening Process to Attract Younger Drivers
Trucking companies improve candidate experience to land top talent and replace retiring drivers
IRVINE, Calif., April 6, 2017 – HireRight, a leading provider of global employment background checks, drug and health screening, and electronic Form I-9 and E-Verify solutions, today announced findings from its 2017 Annual Employment Screening Benchmark survey. HireRight’s 2017 Transportation Spotlight report presents survey results about driver recruitment and retention strategies, as well as employment screening challenges in the transportation industry.
The survey revealed several trends, including:
Driver retirement rates continue to increase (33% in 2016, up from 22% in 2014)
Drivers are leaving their employers:
To make more money (47%)
To spend more time at home (42%)
For better benefits (27%)
Because of health issues (21%)
Finding qualified job candidates (68% of respondents) and retaining employees (68% of respondents) top the list of planned investments for 2017, with respondents also focusing on:
Developing more effective training programs (33%)
Improving their candidate experience from application through onboarding (30%)
“To address the increasing driver shortage, the trucking industry is investing in new recruitment and retention strategies, as evidenced in this year’s survey results,” said Steven Spencer, managing director of transportation at HireRight. “These organizations are constantly working to: 1) improve their candidate experience, both during and after the recruiting process; 2) decrease organizational and public risk through quality background screening programs; and 3) improve the health and safety of their drivers – all while emphasizing a positive lifestyle to attract younger talent. It’s not an easy task, especially in such a highly regulated and safety-centric industry. The balance to strike is one of making the hiring process as simple, transparent, and professional as possible through open communication between the employer and their employees.”
In their effort to find the next generation of drivers, organizations are:
Moving away from traditional recruitment tactics such as online job boards (down 10% from last year) and outreach through print media/trade publications (down 6% from last year)
Increasing the use of social networking (up 13% from last year), with 63% of large organizations (500+ employees) engaging in social media recruitment
The most common strategies for both attracting candidates and retaining employees include:
Increasing follow-up communication (61%)
Using a mobile-friendly application as part of the screening process (40%)
Implementing new-hire engagement tactics to avoid the “hire and retire” syndrome, with longer orientation and training periods being used by more than a third (35%) of survey respondents
Investing in lifestyle and wellness benefits, with a 6% increase in the number of education workshops and weight loss programs offered
Increasing pay (50%)
Using performance-based bonuses (41%)
Employing non-monetary tactics such as driver appreciation events (55%)
Instituting flexible work arrangements (36%)
To learn more about key transportation industry trends and best practices in background screening and drug testing, please visit: http://www.hireright.com/resources/view/2017-transportation-spotlight-report.
Survey Methodology
The HireRight 2017 Annual Employment Screening Benchmark Report is based on a survey of nearly 4,000 human resources, recruiting, security, and management professionals. Of the total survey respondents, 15 percent indicated that their primary industry was transportation. The results described in HireRight’s 2017 Transportation Spotlight report were compiled from those transportation industry respondents.
About HireRight
HireRight delivers global background checks, employment verifications, drug and health screening, and electronic Form I-9 and E-Verify solutions that help employers automate, manage, and control background screening. More than 9,500 transportation companies trust HireRight with their background screening, thanks to its user-friendly solutions that provide greater efficiency and faster results. HireRight also provides pre-integrated background screening services through many leading applicant tracking systems. For more information, visit the company’s web site at www.hireright.com/transportation.
HireRight
HireRight is a leading provider of on-demand employment background checks, drug and health screening, and electronic Form I-9 and E-Verify solutions that help employers automate, manage and control background screening and related programs.
Release Date: April 6, 2017