Let’s start today’s blog post with a multiple choice question.
What does EVERY FedEx Ground Contractor need?
a.) Qualified drivers.
b.) Available qualified drivers to replace current drivers in the future.
c.) Qualified drivers for Peak.
d.) All the above.
Answer: d.) All of the above.
If you’re covered up with spare qualified drivers, then you’re set. This business is your oyster.
If you’re not, then finding qualified drivers is by far the biggest moving component of your revenue generating machine. Here are five recruiting changes that must happen now to be successful.
Change #1
You must spend more time recruiting.
Don’t have the time? Aren’t interested? Then pay someone else to recruit drivers for your business. Grant Cardone wrote a book titled The 10X Rule about achieving goals. The 10X Rule says that you should:
1.) set targets 10X greater than your goals,
2) take actions that are 10X greater than necessary to achieve your goals.
If you’re not recruiting daily, or paying someone else to recruit, then you must spend ten more times recruiting than you are today.
Change #2
You must embrace the fact that recruiting is not wasteful nor unnecessary.
If labor isn’t the largest expense category of your operation, then you may be in trouble. Why? Because machines haven’t yet replaced humans. Delivering packages from one point to another requires a lot of human labor. Until drones can deliver 45 lb bags of dog food, recruiting is time well spent. Upgrading and/or replacing the most expensive elements of your business is not wasteful. It’s smart business.
Change #3
You must spend recruiting more money wisely.
Recruiting done well costs money. Job ads need to be placed, business cards handed out, and fliers printed. Or you can easily engage professional recruiters to handle it for you. Regardless, you must spend some money to do it the right way. Thankfully, recruiting is WAY less expensive than hiring - especially when new hires quickly leave. So, be smart and spend more on hiring and screening. It’ll cost you less in the long run.
Change #4
Get over your reluctance to recruit.
This is the foundation of what’s holding you back from greater success. Don’t believe it? Tell me your current business problems, and they can probably be traced back to a lack of recruiting. Excuses are plentiful…
“I don’t need to hire someone right now.”
Recruiting isn’t hiring. You’re simply creating a list of qualified candidates who can be contacted down the road. Sooner or later, you’re going to need someone.
“I don’t have the money or time.”
Your drivers are aware of everything you and your managers don’t do. They have leverage over you whenever they need your compliance.
Constantly recruiting
- reduces tolerating sub-par performance,
- eliminates poor behavior,
- and shortens on-boarding time.
If you aren’t recruiting every week day, we can help you calculate your COI - Cost Of Ignoring.
Change #5
You need a formal recruitment process.
Without a system, you’re just spinning your wheels. It’s too hard to track your efforts without a well-thought process. What kind of system do you need? A system requires:
- Set chronological stages for candidates
- Maximum time limits for candidates at each stage
- Standardized qualifications for each stage
- Legally defensible practices
- An ability to easily track and follow-up with candidates
Obviously, thoughtfulness and planning are keys to setting up a system. If you’d rather not recreate the wheel, we can help.
Peak is on its way. Recruiting will be more competitive this year due to the forecasted volumes of unprecedented home deliveries. Remember the question at the beginning of this post? EVERY FedEx Ground Contractor will be looking for drivers.
Don’t find yourself left standing in their tracks.