The transportation industry played a vital role during the pandemic, and increased demand for delivery services has resulted in job growth in this sector. Grocery stores, restaurants, online retailers, and warehouses are all looking to hire qualified drivers in Canada right now. As your company expands, being able to quickly and successfully onboard new drivers will be essential to the success of your business. Here are a few simple tips to help you efficiently train new drivers.
Plan Orientation
One of the most common issues cited for driver turnover is lack of training and support. It’s essential to provide a structured orientation to smoothly onboard new drivers. It can be tempting to toss new employees into the deep end and hope they can figure it out, but even the most experienced drivers will need to be eased into a new company culture. Orientation is the perfect time to create a positive long-term impression for new hires so that they feel comfortable staying with your business. Most drivers will decide within the first 72 hours if they’ll stay with their new employer, so it is important to have a positive orientation experience.
Structure Training
Orientation is all about introducing new drivers to your company, but make sure you have formal training as well. Every company does things differently so even the most qualified drivers will still need to be trained on how you want things done. Outline all of the expectations and rules for the job, provide all necessary documentation and answer any questions they may have.
Provide Introductions
Being the “new” person is never easy. Companies that take the effort to make new drivers feel more comfortable are more likely to retain talent. Be sure to introduce new drivers to others in the company such as fellow drivers, warehouse staff, management, and anyone else they may work. Employees that build relationships within the company are more likely to stick around and be happier.
Cover New Policies
The transportation industry was crucial during the pandemic but in order to keep drivers and other workers safe a lot of new policies are being adopted. Many of the health and safety policies being introduced in companies are new for everyone but don’t forget to take extra time explaining everything to new employees. Clearly go over all new policies you may have around social distancing, cleanliness, and what protective equipment you want them to wear.
Check-In Regularly
Onboarding shouldn’t be a one-time deal. Companies that want to retain talent should be sure to check in regularly during the first few weeks of employment. Keep a close eye on new drivers to make sure they’re keeping up with the workload and happy. You can even assign a fellow driver to act as a mentor to guide them in the beginning.
Ask for Feedback
Once your new driver is settled into their role, check-in again and ask for honest feedback on how they thought the onboarding process went. They might have valuable opinions on how you could improve things for future new hires. Research shows that nearly one-third of new driver hires will quit within 90 days so it’s important to have a great onboarding process to reduce turnover.
Nova Staffing is one of the top recruitment agencies in Toronto and we can assist you in finding qualified candidates for your driver needs. We’ll provide your business with the support in needs in expanding during this time. Contact us today to discuss your hiring needs!