AN EASY WAY TURBOCHARGE DRIVER ENGAGEMENT
We talk a lot about tools companies can use to keep drivers happy, engaged, and, well, continually employed with them. And sometimes, those topics can get a little heavy. Driver health and retirement benefits are going to require a big conversation. And subjects like managing driver dwell time can be downright frustrating.
Today, we want to get into a lighter subject – social media. More specifically, how it can function as a tool for driver retention.
As we all know, employee engagement is a big part of recruiting and retention. This is especially true for truckers. Being on the road for most of the job means that they don’t get to participate in activities that other employees might take for granted. Cookouts, birthday parties, even employee meetings are all times when staff members have face-to-face conversations. When you’re on a haul, you miss a lot of that.
But drivers still want to be a part of the team. In fact, it’s something that they feel particularly strongly about. Time and again, we hear in our work that truckers want to feel connected to the company they work for. They don’t want to be viewed as “the help” or thought of as expendable.
Social media can go a long way in fostering that level of connectedness. Having a Facebook page or a Twitter feed helps a company to keep in touch with drivers on the road. Truckers can stay up to date on the goings on at headquarters, and in turn, this helps them feel valued and cared about. All of which are important if your goal is to reduce turnover at your firm.
Another perk is that drivers can use company social media to stay in touch with each other. As one of the hosts on Sirius XM Road Dog Trucking, National Transportation Institute President Leah Shaver gets drivers who call in regularly to talk to…other drivers! It’s heartening to see the level of goodwill and camaraderie exhibited from the road. Creating designated channels or pages for drivers to connect to each other can cultivate a sense of togetherness among your drivers.
It’s our experience that the payoff for social media offerings always exceeds the effort required to create and maintain accounts.
There’s a few ways to introduce or broaden your company’s social media offerings. One is to have a designated Facebook page specifically for drivers. Another is to tweet pertinent updates. We’ve even seen some impressive Instagram accounts out there, with everything from driving tips to polls about food to career advice.
Utilizing social media can be a lot of fun for your truckers, but it also sends a message to prospects about who you are as a company. It tells people – especially younger people – that you are up to date and fun to work for.
Folks in every generation enjoy using social media. By now, we’re guessing that even your most stalwart relatives have a Facebook page. But it will be particularly helpful as a recruiting tool for Millennials and Gen Z prospects. They are on social media a lot, so if you want more of ‘em at your company, showing up in their feed is a good place to start.
So if you’re looking for an easy way to keep drivers engaged, and even reel in a few more young recruits, look no further than your social media feed.
